Ephesus is a great stop if you are in the area. The sighs are unreal to see and a great educational…read moreexperience. Whether you are a history lover or not, make sure to plan for a minimum of 2 hours here. Beware that this is an ancient city and the roads and sidewalks are uneven and often slippery.

Ephesus is a historic landmark in Turkiye, founded around 600 BCE. Originally an ancient Greek…read morecity, it became under Roman rule in 129 BCE. Ephesus remained the most important city of the Byzantine Empire in Asia after Constantinople in the 5th and 6th centuries. Ephesus commanded the west end of a trade route to Asia so it was an important port city in its heyday. It boasted a Temple to Artemis, a Temple to Hadrian, a Library of Celsus, the massive Oedon Theatre, the last known home of the Virgin Mary, and some of the earliest Christian churches. Mark Antony was welcomed by Ephesus when he was proconsul and in 33 BC with Cleopatra when he gathered his fleet of 800 ships before the battle of Actium with Octavius. Ephesus is an ancient city with much historical significance. When we visited with our tour group, we were given a quick overview, entered the state-of-the-art museum, and explored the grounds. The site is massive. The ancient ruins are in fairly good condition considering and it is still an active archeological site. When you visit, marvel at the expansive stone lined streets of the agora, peer up at the arches, and wonder at how far humankind has come over the centuries.

Neat ruin site. Admission covered by museum Turkey pass. Not a ton of interpretive content on…read moresite so read background before visiting. Parking near site available. Not a destination but a nice stop if in Ephesus.

Another great place! So cool to visit where John, the beloved, was laid to rest. It's known he…read morereturned to Ephesus, after being exiled on Patmos, and that was where he passed away. So this is where his tomb is and in the 6th century, this large basilica was built over his tomb. However, earthquakes and the encroachment of the Turks resulted in the church being abandoned and relics lost. The original design of the church was laid out like a cross. Most of it is gone today, but you can still kind of see how it was set up. They have a replica of the grounds for Ephesus and the basilica so you can have an idea of what things looked like and how far apart they were. The renderings of the buildings are pretty cool. Such amazing history here!

Old landmark area of the Çeşme İzmir region. Very quaint area with beautiful stone walkways and…read morebuildings. Plenty of little cafe and boutiques for coffee, tea & souvenirs.

Beş yildiz. Why? Because THIS is the symbol of Izmir. A…read morecity that I fell in love with back in 2007. It's located in the municipality of Konak. Pretty much all the financial areas and government buildings are in that area. The clock is super old. Like 1901 old. If you're in the 35 (Izmir's regional code) you should take a look.

The Temple of Hadrian is a temple dedicated to Emperor Hadrian in the ancient city of Ephesus. It…read moreis just one the many amazing ruins that you can see while walking on Curetes Street. It was constructed in the beginning of the 2nd century AD to celebrate Hadrian's visit to Ephesus from Athens. This structure is more of a monument than a temple and was also dedicated to the goddess Artemis and the people of Ephesus. The facade has a curve arch with four Corinthian columns. Seeing the city of Ephesus was a highlight for me on my trip to Greece and Turkey. Walking through the marble streets of Ephesus to see these amazing ruins is something that I will never forget.

Dating from the second century and "repaired" in the fourth century, Hadrian's Temple is found…read morealong a main road in the ancient Roman city of Ephesus. Some of the original reliefs are located in the Ephesus Archeological Museum. The reliefs show emperor Theodosius I, his wife and eldest son. The temple has been featured on Turkish bank notes.