Private Tour – House of Mary, Artemis Temple & Ancient Ephesus Tour
Photo permit included
Tour by public transport
Canal Boat tour included
Train tickets included
Suitable for little children
Wheelchair accessible tour
Museum ticket included
Light snack included
Lunch included
Transportation included
Walking Tour
After a 50 minute drive, we will arrive in Ephesus, visiting one of the main highlights in Turkey, Ephesus is one of the 12 cities of the Ionian League (an ancient Greek district on the Western Coast of Asia Minor) located close to Izmir. As a port city, this was a major departure point for trade routes into Asia Minor.
What's included
Highlights
Itinerary
09:00
Take a stroll through history along marbled streets lined with awesome public buildings, amongst which is the Baths of Scholastica which was built in the 1st Century by a Christian lady called Scholastica and restored in the 4th century, look out at the Eastern Entrance for her statue with no head. The tour will continue to the Library of Celsus, which was built at the beginning of the 2nd Century AD by Gaius Julius Aquila as a memorial of his father Gaius Julius Celsus Polemanus.
The tour will continue to the Temple of Hadrian and the Grand Theater, there are two of the most impressive buildings in Ephesus. The Grand Theater was built in the 3rd Century BC, later in the 1st Century AD, the Romans expanded it to 24,000 spectators. The theatre was the place where St Paul preached and was also the scene of the confrontation between St Paul and the followers of Artemis, a truly amazing building. The tour continues to The House of Virgin Mary, which is 5 miles from Ephesus on the Aladag mountains.
At the third Ecumenical Council on 431 AD in Ephesus, it was claimed that Mary came to Ephesus with St John in 37 AD and stayed there until her death in 48 AD. After the discovery of the house, the Archbishop of Izmir declared it as a place of pilgrimage in 1892, since then three popes have visited the site.
The final stop will be at the Artemis Temple which used to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, unfortunately only the ruins remain but it is most fascinating to see the last temple standing in the marsh grounds. The tour will then take you on a beautiful and scenic tour back to Izmir Port, to your ship.
This tour can be reduced in the length of time to suit your cruise ship porting time.