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Ephesus
 As you came until here I suppose you are interested in the history of Ephesus and of Turkey in general. Before I inform you about the historical part I want to tell you what I really don't like. Without any doubt Ephesus is among the most important and greatest discoveries of ancient times. I as Turkish person have been to Ephesus very often. But it is really very expensive: the entrance fee is 40 YTL!!! What cheek! But that has not been everything: there is one place where there are still excavations (at the houses down the hill). This is also a very important historical place but it is unreasonable to have an extra fee of 30 YTL for it! I preferred to go to the Aquapark. I admit that I'm no fan of antique sights but I was at least interested in it.
 But now let me tell you something about Ephesus. Ephesus was one of the most important metropolis in ancient times and during its history, which starts about 4000 BC, it always played an important role according to civilization, science, culture and arts. The first formation of the ancient city Ephesus, which is located at the county town Selcuk province Izmir, was about 6000 BC which is also known as neolith time. As Ephesus often changed place during its history the ruins are allocated on a vast area. These ruins, which cover an area of about 8 qkm, can be visited by everybody for excavations have been finished here. During excavations which were made during the last few years they found that on the hills around Efes (hill settling) and Ayasuluk, where you can find a fortress, there are settlings of the bronze and Hittite age. In Hittite age it was called Apasas. The location of the sea port Ephesus, where also expatriates who came from Greece in 1050 BC lived, was changed in 560 BC and the area around the Artemis Temple was been settled. 
 The city Ephesus which you can visit today was built by Lysimakhos, one of Alexander's generals, in 300 BC. The city had its most glorious time in Hellenistic and Roman time when it was capital of the province Asia and the biggest sea port with 200,000 inhabitants. In Byzantine times Ephesus was relocated to its former area in Selcuk on the Ayasuluk hill. Ayasuluk, which had been conquered by the Turks in 1330 and became center of Aydinogullari, became less and less important in the 16th century. After Turkey became a republic in 1923 it took the name Selcuk. Today there live about 30,000 people in this tourist area. Ephesus, which was considered as a connecting city between east and west (Asia and Europe), was an important sea port. Because of that Ephesus could develop into a distinct political and commercial metropolis and in Roman time become capital of the province Asia. But Ephesus owes its fame in ancient times not only to its development as commercial center and capital. The biggest temple of the Artemis cult, which is founded on the Anatolian cult regarding the mother goddess Kybele, is located in Efes. This temple is one of the seven wonders of the world.
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