TechnoTourist’s Engineering Expeditions

The ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey has been home to Persians, Greeks, Romans, and Turks. Its architecture, still under excavation, reflects its varied historical background. TechnoTourist will describe some of its famous features and explain why some of the city may never be uncovered.

Early Ephesus

Inhabited since the Neolithic Age around 6000 BC, Ephesus is a city of many cultures. These different groups built new structures right on top of the old ones resulting in a city with many layers. The most famous were the Greeks and Romans.

Ephesus was originally a port city. The city moved two kilometers around 290 BC after the river Cayster silted up the harbor. Malaria and other illnesses followed; the king flooded the city by blocking the sewers.

Roman rule changed the tone of the city. It became second in importance only to Rome but taxes were high and treasures were plundered. The city was destroyed in 263 AD.

Key Architecture

Ephesus features many buildings and amenities. There are homes, a marble road, a market, and even early baths and restrooms where cold marble toilet seats were heated by slaves prior to use. The two structures that impressed TechnoTourist the most were the Library of Celsus and the amphitheater.

The Library of Celsus was built between 110 AD and 135 AD. It housed between 12,000 and 15,000 scrolls before it burned in 262 AD. The library was engineered for preservation by using features such as double walls to protect material from mildew and pests. It's also the tomb of Celsus.

The amphitheater of Ephesus seated 25,000 and was constructed largely of marble. It stands about three stories high. Construction began around 300 BC but changes occurred up until the Roman period.

Excavation of Ephesus

Early excavation of Ephesus began around 1869 with the British excavation of the Temple of Artemis - one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Many pieces were moved to the British Museum. The Austrian Archaeological Institute began excavations in 1895 that are still ongoing. Others began work in the 1950s.

Monuments, buildings, and other structures have been unearthed and restored to reveal entire urban areas. Because the ruins of Ephesus are so extensive and multi-layered the emphasis now lies on preservation of what has been uncovered.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephesus

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/specialsections/lifelists/lifelist-ephesus.html

http://architecture.about.com/od/ancientromanempire/ss/ephesus.htm

http://www.ephesus.us/ephesus/theatre.htm

http://www.ephesus.us/ephesus/ephesus_excavations.htm

http://www.ephesus-foundation.org/about-ephesus-excavation-history.aspx