EPHESUS ANCIENT CITY Price & Hours (Updated → 2025)

Ephesus is one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the world, offering visitors the chance to walk the same marble streets once trodden by Roman emperors and early Christians. Founded more than 3,000 years ago, this ancient city was a major cultural, political, and commercial hub of the Mediterranean for centuries. Its breathtaking Library of Celsus, vast theatre, and sacred temples will transport you back in time.

As a licensed tour guide with over 20 years of experience, I have prepared this article to help you make the most of your visit to Ephesus. Here, you will find practical tips, visiting hours, and ticket options, as well as unique insights that only a local expert can provide.

Whether you choose to explore the site on your own or with a guided tour, Ephesus promises an unforgettable journey into ancient history.

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Ephesus Ancient City 2025 Visitor Summary

Below you can find the Ephesus Ancient City visitor summary updated for 2025, including entrance fees, visiting information, and skip-the-line tickets.

• Ticket Price: 40 Euros
• Museum Pass: Valid
• Opening Hours: 08:00 – 18:50 (Last entry around 18:00)
• Skip-the-line: Online tickets recommended. You can book from here.
• Location: Selcuk (Izmir Province), Turkey
• Last Updated: August 2025

The History of Ephesus Ancient City

The history of the Ephesus Ancient City goes back to 1000 BC. Ephesus and Istanbul show similarity in the way they were founded according to the legends. The story of both cities began with the mysterious prophecies of an oracle in Delphi, Greece.

According to the legend, Androcles, the son of the King Codrus, decided to leave Athens upon his father’s death. In ancient Greece, an advice of the oracle of Temple of Apollo would be sought before making such important decisions. So, Androcles told the oracle that he wanted to make a new start, but didn’t know where to go.

The oracle advised Androcles to go to the East. He told him to cross the Aegean Sea and land there. The oracle said, “The fish will give you a signal and the pig will guide you.” Naturally, Androcles and his company didn’t know what to make of what the oracle said. They had to cross the Aegean Sea to understand what the oracle meant.

Androcles crossed the Aegean Sea and his ship anchored at the bay where Kucuk Menderes River meets the sea. The scouts exploring the area got hungry. They went fishing and started cooking the fish they caught. At that moment, one of the fish jumped to the floor. Then the pig waiting among the bushes till that moment whisked the fish away and ran.

Androcles got on his horse and went after the pig. The pig ran up to a hill and Androcles hit the pig with his arrow. So, the prophecy of the oracle came true. The fish gave the signal and the pig guided them. The spot where Androcles founded his new city was where he killed the pig.

In the lines below, you can find the history of Ephesus under 12 headings. Since it is not easy to visualize the times dating back to BC, I decorated the titles with relevant images. I hope I will be able to convey the exciting story of Ephesus to you properly.

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1. The Ionian League

The new city of Ephesus was founded on a commanding hill to protect it from the attacks via the sea and the land. Therefore, the city developed quickly and grew rich as it was not vulnerable to invasion.

Gradually, Ephesus became an important part of the Ionian League that was composed of 12 city-states. Ephesus showed tremendous improvement in philosophy and became the center of the intellectual world.

2. The Cult of Artemis

The strongest figure of the Mother Goddess cult in Anatolia was Cybele, the goddess of fertility. Cybele evolved into the Greek goddess Artemis due to the impact of Ionian city-states.

The cult of Artemis began to rise in Western Anatolia. In Ephesus, a temple was erected to honor Artemis, the Greek goddess of the Moon and the Hunting. After 800 BC, Ephesus became a religious center and an important location on the pilgrimage route.

3. The King of Lydia, Croesus

In 800 BC, the King of Lydia, Croesus set his eyes on the prosperous and rich Ephesus. He wanted to conquer the city and took advantage of its resources. The expansionist policy of Croesus disturbed the Ephesians.

However, Ephesians had such deep trust in the Goddess Artemis that they didn’t even build walls to protect the city. They thought Artemis would protect the city from the temple that was 1,200 meters far from the city center.

Due to the almost non-existing defense of the city, the King of Lydia seized the city easily. Some of the Ephesians were exiled from the city and they were forced to live somewhere nearby the temple. The Lydian rule began in Ephesus.

King Croesus showed the respect that the Temple of Artemis deserved, so much so that he allocated a budget to make this temple more beautiful from his legendary wealth.

4. The Persian Invasion

The Persian invasion started in Anatolia from 550 BC.They seized all the Ionian cities on the Aegean coast and they vandalized some of these cities. However, thanks to the diplomatic success of the Ephesians, the city of Ephesus was saved from being ruined.

The fact that Ephesus was a rich portal city was another factor that helped it escape from destruction. Ephesians persuaded the Persian King not to invade the city by promising to pay high taxes in return.

5. The Destruction of the Temple

An Ephesian lunatic named Herostratus set the Temple of Artemis on fire to put his stamp on history and it caused an irreparable damage to the temple. This incident had a devastating effect on the devout Ephesians.

The destruction of the temple also jeopardized the privileged place of Ephesus in Western Anatolia. Because for centuries the city had been identified with this temple. They used all their means and rebuilt the temple.

6. Alexander the Great

The same year that the new temple was supposed to be built, Alexander the Great arrived at Anatolia with his great army. He was chasing the King of the Persians and it was the beginning of his military campaign that would go as far as India.

Alexander fell in love with Ephesus immediately and he was amazed by the beauty of the temple. He ordered the restoration of the temple and he said he would cover the expenses himself on condition that the temple was dedicated to him.

However, the Ephesians rejected this offer with a smart move. The Ephesians claimed that even if the Temple of Artemis was later dedicated to Alexander, its old name would not be forgotten and would overshadow the king’s name.

The restored Temple of Artemis put its mark on the world thanks to its beauty during the Hellenistic era, so much so that it even entered the list of Seven Wonders of the World.

7. The Diadochi Period

Alexander the Great founded a magnificent world empire. However he died at a young age unexpectedly. The Kingdom of Macedon that Alexander the Great shaped was shared among his generals after his death. This post-Alexander period is called the Diadochi period in history. The region where Ephesus was located fell under the rule of the general named Lysimachus.

Lysimachus was a quite skilled ruler. He realized that the port was filled with alluvium and decided to move the city to another location. Otherwise, Ephesus would be in danger of losing its feature as a trade port city. However, the Ephesians were obstinate and insisted on staying where they were.

Therefore, Lysimachus blocked the sewers of the city to force them to move. Ephesians had to cope with illnesses, dirt and heavy smell due to the blocked sewers and they decided to move although involuntarily. Lysimachus also built the city walls that Ephesus never had and the city turned into a well-protected one.

8. Roman Empire Period

The city of Ephesus fell under the rule of Roman Empire like the rest of Anatolia. When Rome took Ephesus, it was living the Pax Romana period after Augustus. The wealth and prosperity of this period would make Ephesus the rising star of the East.

Today, many ancient structures in the Ancient City of Ephesus are from the Roman Empire period. Ephesus is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Eastern Mediterranean that carries the Roman heritage to the present day.

9. The Library of Celsus

In the 2nd century AD, Ephesus became the capital of the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. The city was ruled by Celsus Polemaeanus, an important Roman bureaucrat of the time.

Celsus’ son Tiberius Julius Aquila wanted to build a large library in honor of his father. Thus, the Libary of Celsus was created, the façade of which has survived to the present day.

10. Ephesus and Early Christianity

Following Jesus Christ‘s death, his disciples traveled all around the Anatolia and the rest of the world to spread Christianity. And it’s believed that Saint John and Jesus’ mother Virgin Mary, came to Ephesus and lived there. For this reason, there is a link between Ephesus and early Christianity.

This connection was strengthened in the 19th century when archaeologists followed the visions of the nun Anne Catherine Emmerich and found the House of Virgin Mary in Ephesus. For this reason, Ephesus is located on the Christian pilgrimage route today.

11. The Port of Ephesus

Filling of Ephesus harbor with alluvium had created a problem for the city throughout history. Many rulers, including the emperor Hadrian, cleared and saved the harbor. However, despite all efforts, the port was filled again over time. Thus, the port of Ephesus was lost and the city moved away from the sea.

The city, which lost its feature of being a central port, remained an important cultural and life center during the Byzantine and early Ottoman periods. However, Ephesus lost its importance after the 16th century.

I used a picture of Pamucak Beach (also known as Ephesus Beach) to visualize this title. Visitors to the area can crown their cultural tour by cooling off at this beach afterwards.

12. Ephesus in Modern Times

In modern times, Ephesus has been the scene of many important archaeological excavations. For example, the Temple of Artemis was discovered during excavations by the English archologist John Turtle Wood in the 19th century.

Today, excavations are still carried out by the Austrian Archaeological Institute. Many artifacts unearthed from these excavations are exhibited in the Ephesus Museum in the town of Selcuk.

Ephesus Entrance Fee 2025

The entrance fee for Ephesus Ancient City in 2025 is 40 Euros. The Museum Pass Turkey is valid for entry to Ephesus. Information about ticket prices was last updated on August 8, 2025.

Remember that visiting the Ephesus Museum will complement your visit to the archaeological site. The museum is close to the ancient city and the entrance fee is 10 Euros as of August 2025.

Ephesus Opening Hours 2025

Ephesus Ancient City is open daily from 08:00 AM to 06:50 PM in 2025. The site is open to visitors every day of the year. Information about visiting hours was last updated on August 8, 2025.

Some major museums in Turkey (including Ephesus) can stay open between 7 and 11:30 pm in the summer as part of the “Night Museology” event. However, this practice is limited to certain days of the week. You can get information about this from the official site (link below).

Visiting hours of the Ephesus may change due to some events and renovations. So before you go, you can visit the official website of the archaeological site to see the latest situation. Thus, you will confirm the current Ephesus entrance fee & opening hours for the second time.

Would you like to explore more museums and historical sites in Turkey?

If you are interested in discovering museums and ancient sites outside of Istanbul, you can visit our Museums of Turkey category, where we have shared detailed information about many famous locations such as Troy, Mount Nemrut, Göbeklitepe and Sumela Monastery.

Here you will find many fascinating places that you probably did not even know existed!

Conclusion

Ephesus is not only one of the most impressive Greco-Roman heritage sites in the world but also a gateway to many other treasures in the town of Selcuk. Beyond the ancient marble streets, you can visit the House of the Virgin Mary, the St. John’s Basilica, and the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The region offers a rich combination of history, archaeology, and Christian heritage that will make your trip unforgettable.

If you would like to explore more about what to see and do around Ephesus, you can read my detailed guide here. For information about accommodation options in Selcuk, I have also prepared a separate article to help you plan your trip better.

Ready to book your Ephesus experience?

You can secure your skip-the-line ticket or join a small group guided tour via GetYourGuide with flexible cancellation options.

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Written by Serhat Engul