Admire the decoration of the Temple of Hadrian
Hadrian’s Gate – one of the remaining pieces of the Temple of Hadrian.Credit: iStock
Only the arched facade and back wall remain of the Temple of Hadrian, built in 138, but it has an attractively delicate appearance and elaborate carvings, notably Tyche, goddess of luck, a troupe of Amazons, and a snake-haired Medusa whose evil eye warded off misfortune. The central arch showcases the architectural magic of its keystone, which has hung suspended in place without any mortar through two centuries of storms and earthquakes. Stand beneath and take your chances.
Linger at the Library of Celsus
The library – when there, look closely to see niches where library scrolls were stored.Credit: iStock
This marble library, built around 117, survives only as a facade – but a magnificently imposing one, blinding in the noonday Mediterranean sun, and rising in a double series of pillars that froth at the top like palm trees and support delicately carved pediments. Behind the pillars, four niches protect reproduction statues of the virtues depicted as robed women, two minus their heads. Look closely at the walls and you’ll see niches where library scrolls were once stored.
Clamber up the amphitheatre for the outlook
A hot climb to the back row – the amphitheatre at Ephesus.Credit: iStock
The Great Theatre is off the main tourist axis, so seldom visited by mainstream tour groups. It seated 25,000 and is the city’s best-preserved structure, albeit with a charming air of neglect: yellow daisies, thistles and poppies grow from cracks between its tiered seating. It’s a hot haul to the back row, but you get a pleasing view over the stage, along a colonnaded street, and out into biscuit-brown countryside.
Whatever you do, don’t miss Ephesus Museum
Ephesus Museum isn’t on the archaeological site but in nearby Selcuk, and goes overlooked. It’s small but crammed with wonderful statues, ivory, jewellery, medical instruments, coins and other items that breathe life into the story of the ruins. Inspect the shapely buttocks of Dionysus for the measuring dots left behind by the sculptor. Out in the garden lie sarcophagi chiselled with fruit, cupids and the faces of their former occupants.
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