New route excitement in Ephesus Ancient City

Ephesus Archaeological Site is preparing to offer a new experience to visitors with its tourable routes, unearthed historical areas and changing entrance layout.

Hosting the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, Ephesus exhibits the rich history of Anatolia with traces from prehistory to the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Principalities and Ottoman periods.

Excavation and restoration work in Ephesus Ancient City, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, continues throughout the year within the scope of the "Endless Ephesus, Heritage to the Future" project of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Ephesus, one of the largest tourism, trade and port cities of the past, contributes to the world of archaeology with excavation work that has been ongoing for 161 years.

Although the ancient city has not yet been completely unearthed, it attracts attention as an important center that carries traces of the past to the present.

The tour route at the archaeological site will change

Arrangements are being made at the archaeological site within the scope of the "Endless Ephesus, Heritage to the Future" project of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The works, which include new visiting areas and changes to the tour route, are planned to be completed in November 2025.

The new route, which will start from Vedius Gymnasium, will offer visitors the opportunity to explore the Ephesus Archaeological Site in a way they have never experienced before.

Visitors who will be able to see the stadium by walking from Stadium Street will proceed between the magnificent columns of Liman Street from the ancient theater, which is the center of the city, and will be able to closely examine important complex structures such as the Liman Bath.

"Legacy to the Future, Eternal Ephesus" project coordinator, Dokuz Eylül University Archaeology Department Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Serdar Aybek, told AA correspondent that the new route will offer visitors a completely different experience.

Aybek explained that the works are concentrated on Stadium Street and said, "A tourist who has visited Ephesus before will now encounter a much different and rich tour route." Aybek, who stated that thanks to this route, a new area that was not known before in Ephesus will be opened to visitors, said, "The columns and floor coverings on Stadium Street were brought to light with the texture of the period. We created a very important destination from the newly planned entrance point to the heart of the city, intersecting with the ancient theater and Liman Street. This area will be further enriched with the elevation arrangements of the street and the re-erection of the collapsed columns."

Roman bath basin found

A monumental basin called "labrum" used in Roman baths was found during the works.

It is thought that the work was used in one of the large baths in Ephesus and was later moved to the region.

Aybek provided the following information about the work:

"Labrum was used as an ornamental pool in baths, especially during the Roman period. One of the most beautiful examples, the labrum used by Emperor Nero, is exhibited in the Vatican Museum in Rome. This work in Ephesus is most likely not in its original location, because when we look at its base and the ground it is placed on, we understand that it was moved here later. We hope to clarify this in the future with the work that experts will do on it. We plan to present the work to our visitors after the restoration work is completed."