Best of Ephesus Tour for Cruisers WITH ENTRANCE TICKET
Prepare to be awed by kusadasi’s magnificent architecture, rich history, as you discover the unmissable highlights of the Ephesus Ancient City which is one of the UNESCO listed places , this 1-day private tour. Marvel over the glorious Celsus Library , learn how the Ephesus earned its famous , and see the ancient city of Ephesus and Virgin Mary House . Tour Ephesus Ancient City to gain an insight into the lavish lifestyles of the Ephesians , and browse the legendary of turkısh cultures , where you find everything from carpets to Turkish Leather.
*See Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, and Kusadasi Market *Skip the long entry lines. *Learn about the area from your local guide. *Private tour ensures personalized service. *Visit the most important sites in the area in one day.
Options
PRIVATE TOUR WITH TICKETS ✅
with entrance tickets
Duration: 7 hours
Pickup included
What's included in Best of Ephesus Tour for Cruisers WITH ENTRANCE TICKET
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
KusadasiPass-by Only
We will meet you at the Kusadasi Cruise Port! After booking this tour, please contact our team to agree & secure your meeting time.
Ancient City of Ephesus
Ephesus has been located at different places in different times. The first settlement of the city was located on Ayasuluk Hill and inhabited by ancient Anatolians ( Amazons, Hittites ), Carians and Lelegians. The second settlement of Ephesus was on the North of Mount Panayır ( Mount Pion ). As with other cities of the Aegean cost of Anatolia, Ephesus came to be ruled by Croesus of Lydia and Persians. The third settlement was located in the valley between Mount Panayır and Mount Bülbül ( Mount Coressus ), found by Lysimachus, one of the generals of Alexander The Great. This settlement of Ephesus is the biggest and can be visited today. Finally, due to the persistent silting up of the harbour and repeated raids by Arabs, the city changed its location back to Ayasuluk Hill forming Fourth Ephesus. History of Ephesus According to excevations,the history of Ephesus dates back to 6000 BC, to Chalcolithic Period. Excavations at the Ayasuluk Hill brought to light a settlement, thus ancient Ephesus was first on the located on Ayasuluk Hill. It was first settled by Anatolian Tribes, for Ephesus is mentioned in Hittite cuneiform tablets under the name of Apassas that means “Honey Bee”. According to the ancient geographers Strabo and Pausanias, and the historian Herodotus claim that Ephesus was found by Amazons and the native tribes of the area were the Carians and the Lelegians around 3000 BC. Amazons gave the city’s name as Ephesos, can be named one of Queens or generals of Amazons. According to them Hittites came here around 1400 BC and changed the name of the city from Ephesos to Apassas. Ionian colonists came here around 1100 BC.
The Temple of Artemis
Artemis was the Greek goddess, the virginal huntress and twin of Apollo, who replaced the Titan Selene as Goddess of the Moon. At Ephesus a goddess whom the Greeks associated with Artemis was passionately venerated in an archaic icon. The original was carved of wood, with many breast-like protuberances apparently emphasizing fertility over the virginity traditionally associated with the Greek Artemis. Like Near Eastern and Egyptian deities (and unlike Grek ones), her body and legs are enclosed within a tapering pillar-like term, from which her feet protrude. On the coins minted at Ephesus, the many-breasted Goddess wears a mural crown (like a city’s walls). She rests either arm on a staff formed of entwined serpents or of a stack of ouroboroi the eternal serpent with its tail in its mouth. Like Cybele, the goddess at Ephesus was served by hierodules called megabyzae, and by maidens (korai). A votive inscription dating from about the 3rd century BC associates Ephesian Artemis with Crete: “To the Healer of diseases, to Apollo, Giver of Light to mortals, Eutyches has set up in votive offering (a statue of) the Cretan Lady of Ephesus, the Light-Bearer.” For a more in-depth look at Artemis of Ephesus and the role she played in Ephesian life and religion, please see our special article on Artemis of Ephesus. History The ancient temple was built around 650 BC to the cult of Artemis, was constructed on a site already sacred to the Anatolian Mother Goddess,Cybele. The temple was financed by the wealthy king of Lydia and marshy ground was selected for the building site as a precaution against future earthquakes. The temple soon attracted merchants, kings, and sightseers, many of donated jewelery and other treasures to Artemis and her temple. Its splendor also attracted many worshippers and pilgrims, strenghtening the cult of Artemis. On July 21, 356 BC, the night Alexander the Great was born, legend has it that a psychopathic arsonist intent on immortality set fire to the temple. Plutarch remarked that Artemis was too preoccupied with Alexander’s delivery to save her burning temple. The arsonist, named Herostratus, was motivated by fame at any cost, thus the term “herostratic fame”. The Ephesians, outraged, instructed that Herostratus’ name never be recorded and that anyone who spoke of him should be put to death, but Strabo later noted the name. Twenty-two years later, during his sweep through Asia Minor, Alexander the Great offered to reconstruct the temple. In the famous refusal recorded by Strabo, the Ephesians said it would not be right for one god to build a temple to another god. The Temple of Artemis was eventually rebuilt remaining true to the original except for a raised platform, a feature of classical architecture adopted in the construction of later temples. By 263 AD, the temple had been plundered by Nero and destroyed by the Goths. The temple was again reconstructed in the 4th century, but by the end of that century the temple had been abandoned and was being used as a marble quarry for new buildings, including churches. The site of the temple was rediscovered in 1869 on an expedition sponsored by the British Museum, and several artifacts and sculptures from the reconstructed temple can be seen in the museum today.
Inclusions
- Professional Licensed Local Tour Guide
- All Parking fees
- Port pickup and drop-off
- Transportation by luxury vehicle
- Entrance fees ( We will arrange tickets of Ephesus in advance, so you will skip long ticket lines )
- Personal expenses
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- NA
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
Choose to be picked up from a list of locations
Additional Information
⚠️ Entrance Tickets of House of Mary and Ephesus Ruins are included if the included option is chosen. On the day of the tour, if you would like to visit any other place, you are responsible with the entrance ticket of that place. ⚠️ Our licensed tour guide will meet you at the cruise port with a sign of your name is written on at harbour/cruise port in Kusadasi. For the cruıse passengers please just follow the others from your shıp, then you will see our sign your name is written on, after you passing by custom control. ✳️**CRUISE PASSENGERS WHO WILL JOIN FROM THE CRUISE PORT***** • Upon your ship's arrival at the port, WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to meet with our team WITHIN 30 to 45 MINUTES. By doing so, you can bypass the crowds, school busses, and hot weather, ensuring an enhanced and MORE ENJOYABLE TOUR EXPERIENCE OF EPHESUS✳️
