Turkey's ancient splendour

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LANDMARK LIBRARY: The magnificent Library of Celsus in Ephesus, built in 135AD.

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The ruins of Ephesus on Turkey's west coast are among the best preserved and most impressive in the Mediterranean.

Imagine 250,000 people living in an area roughly the size of Picton township.

Throw in an amphitheatre that seats 25,000 people, a massive three-storey library, several temples, an agora (market place), a brothel, Roman baths complex, a gymnasium and various basilicas, temples and fountains.

This gives some idea of the size and complexity of the amazing ancient city of Ephesus, one of the 12 cities of the Ionian League and a once thriving Mediterranean port where skilful artisans and rich merchants gathered.

Today it's a frantically busy historical site, so it's best to visit early morning or late afternoon and avoid peak holiday season of July and August.

Half an hour inland from the Turkish coastal city of Kusadasi, Ephesus retains much of its former grandeur thanks to sensitive excavation and preservation that began around 100 years ago and continues today, with only 20 per cent of the site uncovered.

It certainly is a work in progress – the day we visited a huge crane was removing rubble from yet another new excavation site beside the magnificent amphitheatre that took 60 years to build.

In was here that gladiatorial combats were said to be held during Roman times as well as less brutal concerts and theatrical performances.

The acoustics in the amphitheatre are fantastic. We watched and listened in awe as an Italian tourist recited poetry on the stage, his words clearly reaching us some distance away.

Ephesus was first inhabited as long ago as 6000BC but reached its peak in Roman times and most of the remains you see today date from then.

Despite its age and years of plundering, Ephesus remains surprisingly intact, especially its marble streets, the much photographed library and massive amphitheatre.

Some of the best-preserved artefacts, statues and tools have been taken to the nearby Ephesus Museum in Selcuk but some amazing structures remain and it is its completeness that gives it the edge over other historical sites in the Mediterranean.

We entered through the top gate and spent hours wandering along centuries-old uneven marble streets, lined with spectacular marble columns, statues, temples and fountains, to the bottom gate.

Near the bottom gate the impressive column-lined Arcadian St leads to the ancient harbour that is long silted up. In fact, today Ephesus is 10km from the sea.

There's much to see at Ephesus and it's easy to duck off down side streets to places such as the Temple of Hadrian, the terraced houses, the Odeon or small theatre, intricately carved fountains and beautifully ornate monuments.

During Roman times Ephesus was a hub of the Aegean and a commercial centre that played a significant role in the spread of Christianity.

It is believed the Virgin Mary spent her last days here. Both apostles Paul and John also lived here.

Over the years the city, its temples and treasures were repeatedly plundered and it was the subject of many takeovers being ruled variously by Turks, Egyptians, Ionians, Lydians, Persians, Greeks and Romans.

One of its most well-known rulers was Lysimachus, a successor of Alexander the Great who conquered it in 283BC and moved it further away from the marshy flat land of the silted up harbour to avoid risk of malaria.

He also built huge stone walls to enclose the city and under his rule much building restoration went on.

The city reached its height under his rule, becoming one of the richest in the region, a huge centre for trade and the busiest and most important port in Anatolia.

Jubilant days ended in 3AD when Goths attacked and plundered Ephesus and the nearby Temple of Artemis, which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Today the evocative remains of Ephesus are a fantastic place to visit and it's a wonderful experience to imagine and envisage how life must have been in its Roman heyday.