For your fascinating Private Tour of Ephesus, you will be picked up from your hotel in Kusadasi, or Selcuk, in an air conditioned mini-bus.
With your English-speaking guide, you will set off for the ancient city of Ephesus. As this is a private tour, you can choose how much time you would like to spend at each place.
Ephesus is one of the best-preserved ancient cities on the Mediterranean. In the 1st century AD it was one of the largest cities in the world and played a significant role in the development of Christianity. The huge site you see see today has a very long history, going back to the time of the ancient Greeks, and contains a great number of ruins from the Roman period.
Highlights of your tour include:
• The Great Theater: The most magnificent structure in Ephesus, it is believed to be the largest outdoor theater in the ancient world with an estimated seating capacity of 25,000. It was used initially for drama and later for gladatorial combats.
• Library of Celsus: This beautiful building has a magnificent facade with two rows of columns, one on top of the other. It was constructed around AD 125 and once held nearly 12,000 scrolls. Interestingly, the building faces east so the reading rooms could catch the morning light and the structure had double walls to help keep out the damp.
• Marble Street: Also known as the Arcadian Way, this avenue connected the harbor to the Great Theater and the Library of Celsus.
• Roman Baths and Aqueducts: Various bath complexes were built while Ephesus was under Roman rule and the city had one of the most advanced water supply systems in the ancient world. Some houses even had piped hot water (using clay pipes) to provide central heating!
After exploring the ruined city, drive to Selçuk to enjoy a light lunch of typical Turkish dishes, with vegetarian options. After lunch you will board your vehicle again to visit two important Christian sites:
• The Shrine of Virgin Mary: Located about 7km (4 miles) from Selçuk, this stone house is a sacred place for many Christians and Muslims who believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent the last years of her life here.
• Ruins of the Basilica of St. John: A great church in Ephesus built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. It stands over the believed burial site of St. John, identified as the apostle, evangelist (author of the Fourth Gospel) and prophet (author of Revelation).
At the end of your fascinating tour you will be dropped off at your hotel in Kusadasi, or Selcuk.