You must see Turkey and Ephesus at least once
Incredible Turkey … the place at the middle between East and West cultures. Just one lonely column (topped by a stork’s nest) is all that remains of the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Excavations carried out by archaeologist JT Wood here showed that the site was originally occupied by a stone platform on which the cult image of the goddess stood, while underneath were rooms where votive offerings were presented. The renowned gigantic marble temple of Seven Wonders fame was built in the 6th century BC and boasted a staggering 127 columns. Although destroyed by fire and other disasters across the centuries, it was twice restored and rebuilt before finally falling into a state of complete dilapidation in the Byzantine era, when its stones began being used as a quarry for building material, including for Constantinople’s Hagia Sophia (now the Aya Sofya), where some of its columns and marble slabs can still be seen.
Located in Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia was originally a basilica constructed for the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I in the sixth century. A masterwork of Roman engineering, the massive dome (31 meters or 102 feet in diameter) covers what was for over 1000 years the largest enclosed space in the world. The church was looted by the fourth Crusaders in 1204, and became a mosque in the 15th century when The Ottomans conquered the city. The Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum in 1935 and is now one of the top attractions in Turkey.
Not to be missed, the mighty ruin of Ephesus is a city of colossal monuments and marble-columned roads. One of the most complete, still-standing Roman cities in the Mediterranean region, this is the place to experience what life must have been like during the golden age of the Roman Empire. A sightseeing trip here will take at least half a day to cover the major highlights and longer, if you really want to explore, so make sure that you plan your visit so you don’t feel rushed.
A hidden gem which is often overlooked, in our minds, the Basilica Cistern rightly ranks among Turkey’s top tourist attractions. An ancient an underground wonder and one of Istanbul’s best Byzantine sites, this former water storage chamber is composed of imposing columns, vaulted ceilings and even ornate carvings of the ancient gods. Today, visitors can mount its raised platforms to view its eerie waters – this is truly one of the most astonishing ancient places on the planet and has to be seen to be believed.
When you visit the entrancing ancient city of Ephesus take your time to explore everything and use your time to see the best of Ephesus Tours, so you can completely understand why it is the most famous archaeological attractions in Turkey. The culture and history that you will learn when you are on any Ephesus day tour with a guide will be fascinating, and you will not regret it. You do not necessarily have to be an expert historian or amateur archaeologist to understand the ancient city and the knowledge it has given the world your private Ephesus tour will do that for you. More details on Ephesus private tours.
One of the most important museums in Turkey, the Istanbul Archaeological Museum is actually three museums: the Archaeological Museum, the Ancient Orient Museum and the Tiled Kiosk Museum. The three museums combined contain more than 1 million objects from civilizations around the world. Founded in 1891, it was the first Turkish museum, and was located on the Topkapi Palace grounds. The Tiled Kiosk dates back to 1472. The museums contain thousands of precious artifacts, including the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great.