Ephesus is one of the great Greek cities of Asia Minor and UNESCO World Heritage site. Ephesus was originally founded by Ionian Greeks around 1000 BC the mouth of the now silted Kayster river on the Aegean coast and western Anatolia region of Turkey. The city flourished during the 7th-6th centuries BC and again from the 4th century BC when it came under the authority of Alexander the Great and his successor Lysinachus. During this prosperous time the Greeks built the Temple of Artemis (Artemission) which was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Under Roman rule (1st century BC onward) Ephesus became the principle port and commercial centre on the Aegean and its population swelled to 400,000 in the 2nd century AD. The city was also a key to the development of Christianity and several biblical apparently stayed here including Saint Paul, Saint John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary. Most of the surviving structures of the ancient city seen today date from around the Roman period.
« less
