Early Christian center
Ephesus later became an important religious center in early Christianity. From 52 to 55 CE, the apostle Saint Paul spent three years here preaching the Gospel and is said to have brought Mary, the mother of Jesus, here to spend her final days. The House of the Virgin Mary is a popular site of Christian pilgrimage on the slopes of Mount Koressos, about three miles from the archaeological site.
One of the city’s star attractions is the huge 25,000-seat Great Theater, used for theatrical performances, public assemblies, religious ceremonies and, in the Roman era, gladiatorial battles.
“Your seats are separated according to your occupation,” says Günaltay, explaining the strict social hierarchy that was in place, with people divided by social class, status and gender.
The theater appears in the Bible in “Acts of the Apostles” as the site of a riot sparked by a silversmith named Demetrius, angered by Saint Paul’s preaching against the Artemis statues from which he made his trade.
Harbour Street once a bustling colonnaded road leading to the city’s now-dry port, where traders once sold luxury imported goods. Over centuries, silt gradually pushed the shoreline further away, contributing to Ephesus’ abandonment by the time of the Ottoman era in the 15th century.
Looking at the arid landscape today, with the sea roughly four miles away, it’s hard to picture the port as it once was, but this could be set to change.
Günaltay says there are government plans to refill the canal and reconnect the harbor to the sea. “The seawater will come here, just like in ancient times.” The project, first announced in 2017, will reportedly include the construction of a new canal and marina for excursion boats. No timeline for completion has been announced.
If realized, the project could allow visitors to once again arrive by sea at Ephesus, for the first time in more than two millennia.
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