Ephesus is an ancient city located in modern-day Turkey, near the town of Selçuk. It was one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire and is considered one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the world. Visitors to Ephesus can explore its well-preserved ruins, including the Library of Celsius, Hadrian's Temple, the Great Theater, and the Terrace Houses. The House of the Virgin Mary and the Basilica of St. John are also located near Ephesus and are popular pilgrimage sites for Christians. The best examples of mosaics, excellent frescos ( wall paintings ), one of the first examples of central heating system can be visibled in Terrace Houses.  The Temple of Artemis, also known as the Artemision, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was located in the ancient city of Ephesus, Turkey and was dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis. The temple was considered to be one of the largest and most impressive structures in the ancient world and was known for its grand size and luxurious decoration. Unfortunately, the temple was destroyed in a fire and its ruins were later rediscovered in the 19th century. Despite its destruction, the Temple of Artemis remains a significant part of ancient history and is considered to be one of the most important archaeological sites in Turkey. The Basilica of St. John was built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century over the tomb of St. John the Apostle. It was once considered one of the largest basilicas in the world, rivaling the size of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Although it is now in ruins, visitors can still admire its architectural features, including a nave and two aisles separated by columns. The basilica is located in Ephesus, a famous ancient city in Turkey, and is considered one of the main pilgrimage sites for Christians. The Ephesus Archaeological Museum is a museum located in Selçuk, near the ancient city of Ephesus, Turkey. The museum houses a large collection of artifacts and exhibits related to the history and archaeology of Ephesus, including ancient coins, mosaics, sculptures, ceramics, and inscriptions. The museum is a must-visit for those interested in the rich history of Ephesus and the surrounding area, and provides visitors with a comprehensive overview of the ancient city's culture, architecture, and daily life. Some of the most important pieces on display at the museum include the remains of the Temple of Artemis, the ancient city's theater, and the historic Library of Celsus.

Upon your arrival at Kusadasi Port, you will be greeted by your private guide who will accompany you throughout the tour. The first stop on our itinerary is the House of the Virgin Mary. The House of Virgin Mary is where Mary may have spent her last days. Indeed, she may have come in the area together with Saint John. This place was officially declared a shrine of the Roman Catholic Church in 1986, and since then it has become a popular place of pilgrimage. Pope Paul VI visited the shrine in 1967. The visit to the House (church) takes about 45 minutes and after our visit; there will be a 5 min drive to Ephesus. Ephesus is an exceptional testimony to the cultural traditions of the Hellenistic, Roman Imperial, and early Christian periods. Ephesus is an important site for Christianity; being one of the seven churches of revelation. Apostle Paul probably spent two and half years in Ephesus during his third missionary journey.It will take about 2 hours to discover Ephesus ancient city by walking on the marble streets, so it is useful to wear comfortable shoes like sneakers. accompanied by our tour guide. The site has two entrances; as it is slightly downhill, it is better to start from the upper gate. On our tour, we will be seeing Odeon, State Agora, Prytaneion, Memmius Monument, Domatian Temple, Hercules Gate, Curetes Street, Hadrian Temple, Celsus Library, Marble Road, Commercial Agora, Great Theater, and Arcadine (Harbour Road). Terrace Houses in Ephesus on Curetes street belonged to prominent people of the city. They are dated back to 1C AD; some were inhabited up to 7C AD. They were luxurious private houses with mosaic floors, fountains, and central heating. We will carry on with the Ephesus Museum, which consists of six chambers exhibiting collections from the ruins. Especially, the marble statues of the Goddess of Artemis are to be seen; one from the 1st century AD and the other from the 2nd century AD. After the tour, we will make sure to drop you off at Kusadasi Port promptly, ensuring that you are returned to your desired location on time. Your convenience and satisfaction are our top priorities throughout the tour.

Discover the ancient cities of Ephesus and Hierapolis on this two-day trip from Istanbul. Explore the ancient city of Ephesus where you can see the Temple of Artemis. Experience the beauty of the natural white terraces created by mineral deposits at the hot springs in Pamukkale. Stay overnight in the town of Selcuk or Kusadasi. Treat yourself to breakfast at the hotel. Try authentic Turkish food with lunch at two local restaurants during your tours. Day 1: Be picked from your accommodation in Istanbul and relax on the drive to the airport. Enjoy a comfortable flight to the city of Izmir. Meet your guide at the airport and drive to the tour provider's office in the town of Selcuk. Take a break with lunch in a local restaurant. Continue to the archeological site at Ephesus to start your guided tour. Walk through the ancient streets and see one of the wonders of the ancient world at the Temple of Artemis. View the façade of one of the largest libraries from Roman times at the Library of Celsus. Stop at the House of the Virgin Mary where the religious figure is said to have spend her last days. See the remains of an old Roman Amphitheater. Learn about these ruins from your local guide. Drive to your hotel in Selcuk or Kusadasi where you can rest for the evening. Day 2: In the morning, be picked up by your guide from your hotel. Enjoy the scenic Turkish countryside on the drive to Pamukkale. Hear about area and culture from your guide. Have a delicious lunch at a local restaurant before starting your tour of the ruins of Hierapolis. Stroll to the remains of a massive Roman amphitheater that once held an audience of 15,000. Admire the marble staircase at the Greek Temple of Apollo. Watch as your guide points out all the significant structures in the archeological site of Hierapolis. Take off your shoes and walk along the white terraces of Pamukkale. Dip your feet in the natural hot springs. Swim amid the ruins of a temple in Cleopatra's Pool. Have some free time in the afternoon to explore on your own. Take it easy on the ride back to the airport where you can catch your flight back to Istanbul. Once you arrive in Istanbul, your driver will be waiting to transfer you back to your accommodation in Istanbul.

Meet your guide in your hotel reception or pre–arranged meeting point and receive a brief introduction from your tour guide about the attractions in the Ephesus Region. Together with your guide, decide the places you would like to see such as museums, local markets, and local restaurants, and then start your full-day tour. Discover the places in Ephesus that interest you the most and learn about these spots from your own private guide (attraction admission fees not included). Take the tour at your own pace, stopping as frequently and for as long as you like without the hassle of waiting for other people. The tour is designed as a full day by private van. At the end of the tour, you will return to your original departure point.

Day 1 Meet your driver at the hotel reception for an Istanbul airport transfer to catch your flight to Cappadocia. Upon your arrival to Cappadocia, be welcomed by a representative with a sign bearing your name. Next, be transferred to the tour office. Join a private North Cappadocia day tour. Visit iconic landmarks like Uchisar Castle Viewpoint and Goreme Open Air Museum. See a pottery demonstration and have a traditional lunch in Avanos. Conitnue to Red River, Devrent Valley, Pasabag (Monks Valley), and a traditional carpet weaving school. As the tour wraps up at around 5 PM, be escorted to your hotel. Spend the night in Cappadocia. Day 2 Start your day with breakfast at your hotel. Meet your guide and leave from the hotel for a private South Cappadocia day tour. Enjoy Goreme Panorama, hiking in the Red Valley, Old Greek Cavusin Village, Love Valley, a traditional lunch, Kaymaklı Underground City, Onyx demonstration, and Pigeon Valley. Spend the night in Cappadocia. Day 3 After a hotel pick-up at around 08:00 AM, head to Pamukkale by visiting Sultan Han Caravansarai and Konya Mevlana Museum. Spend the night in Pamukkale. Day 4 Have a hearty breakfast and check out from the hotel. Head out with your guide for a private Pamukkale day tour. Explore Pamukkale White Travertines, the ruins of Hierapolis Old Roman Antique City (Necropol, Antique Theatre, Apollo Temple). At the end of to tour, transfer to Kusadasi. Spend the night in Kusadasi. Day 5 Checkout from the hotel after breakfast. Leave for another private day tour of Ephesus. Visit Ephesus Ancient Greek, Roman City (Celsus Library, Temple of Hadrian, Open - Air Theatre and the other ruins), Virgin Mary House, St. John Basilica, Isa Bey Mosque, and Artemis Temple. Conclude the tour at 05:00 PM and transfer to the airport for your flight back to Istanbul. Upon your arrival to Istanbul, be dropped off at your hotel.

You will meet your private guide at the port from Kusadasi. We will start by driving to the House of the virgin mary.. The House of Virgin Mary is the place where Mary may have spent her last days. Indeed, she may have come in the area together with Saint John. This place was officially declared a shrine of the Roman Catholic Church in 1986, and since then it has become a popular place of pilgrimage. Pope Paul VI visited the shrine in 1967. The visit to the House (church) takes about 45 minutes and after our visit; there will be a 5 min drive to Ephesus. Ephesus is an exceptional testimony to the cultural traditions of the Hellenistic, Roman Imperial, and early Christian periods. Ephesus is an important site for Christianity; being one of the seven churches of revelation. Apostle Paul probably spent two and half years in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. It will take about 2 hours to discover Ephesus ancient city by walking on the marble streets, so it is useful to wear comfortable shoes like sneakers. accompanied by our English-speaking tour guide. The site has two entrances; as it is slightly downhill, it is a better idea to start from the upper gate. On our tour, we will be seeing Odeon, State Agora, Prytaneion, Memmius Monument, Domatian Temple, Hercules Gate, Curetes Street, Hadrian Temple, Latriens and Private House (so-called Brothel, 'Terrace Houses') Celsus Library, Marble Road, Commercial Agora, Great Theater, and Arcadine (Harbour Road). We will visit Temple of Artemis, one of the seven world wonders of antiquity. there will be a good chance to shoot photos of the Church of St. John and the Mosque of Isa Bey from the best angle as well. We will carry on with the Ephesus Museum, which consists of six chambers exhibiting collections from the ruins. Especially, the marble statues of the Goddess of Artemis are to be seen; one from the 1st century AD and the other from the 2nd century AD.

Starting and ending in Kusadasi Port, step back in time to ancient Ephesus on this private guided tour and explore historic sights including Hercules Gate, Marble Road, and Ephesus Museum. Visit the House of the Virgin Mary, the Temple of Artemis, and more. Meet your guide at the port, then drive toward your first stop, the House of Virgin Mary. Explore and learn about the house (church) for approximately 45 minutes before taking a 5-minute drive to Ephesus. Take about 2 hours to discover Ephesus by walking on the marble streets, accompanied by your tour guide. Ephesus is an exceptional testimony to the cultural traditions of the Hellenistic, Roman Imperial, and early Christian periods, and it is also an important site for Christianity as one of the seven churches of revelation. See the Odeon, State Agora, prytaneion, Memmius Monument, Domitian Temple, Hercules Gate, Curetes Street, Temple of Hadrian, latrines, Library of Celsus, Marble Road, Commercial Agora, Great Theater, and Arcadine (Harbor Road). Carry on to Ephesus Museum, which consists of six chambers exhibiting collections from the ruins. Marvel at the marble statues of Goddess of Artemis, one from 1st century A.D. and the other from the 2nd century A.D. Before returning to Kusadasi Port, visit the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Shoot photos of the Church of St. John and Mosque of Isa Bey from the best angles.

Seven Holy Churches Turkey Even today, Turkey is important to people because of the holy seven churches, located the in Aegean Region. Booking Tours Turkey offer you the chance to discover the holy churches with a professional guide and exceptional service in Turkey. In the chapter of Revelation, The apostle St. John had sent his greeting and had described what he had seen in Patmos. St. John told, while he was in the presence of the spirit, he had heard voice tell him to write on a Scroll what he saw before him and send them to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Monday – Day 1: IZMIR ARRIVAL Today is the first day of this religious and historical tour. Your tour will take start from Izmir airport or Kusadasi port. You guide will be waiting for you to meet and transfer you to your hotel in Izmir. (Meal: Dinner) Tuesday – Day 2: PERGAMON – THYATIRA – IZMIR After breakfast you will depart for the ancient city to the church of Pergamum, in Bergama. In the Pergamum you will see the Acropolis, steepest theatre in the world, and the Altar of Zeus, mentioned as Throne of Satan in the book of revelation. After the acropolis we will visit the Asklepieion which is the center of health in Roman times. In Pergamum you will also discover the second largest library of Ancient times, after Library of Alexandria in Egypt. The estimated number of books in Pergamum library is around 200.000, called Parchments. In Pergamum we will also visit the Red Basilica (St. John's Church). Then we will drive to Thyatira, now Akhisar city, another one of the Seven Churches of Asia. Thyatira was a city famous for purple dyes. We visit the remains of a basilica and some architectural ruins from the Roman period. Lydia, the seller of purple in Philippi, was from Thyatira. After the tour we will drive back to Izmir, before checking into the hotel we will discover the panoramic side of Smyrna which is the third biggest city of Turkey. Smyrna was of the seven churches in Asia. You will also visit the central city area called Clock tower. Overnight in Izmir. (Meal: Breakfast and Dinner) Wednesday – Day 3: IZMIR – SARDIS – PHILADELPHIA - LAODICEA – HIERAPOLIS In the morning, you will depart for one of the important seven churches of Asia called Sardis. Sardis was the capital city of the ancient Lydian Kingdom of 6th century BC. In Sardis, you will visit temple of Artemis and the temple of Cybele, godess of fertility. This tepmple was converted to a Byzantine Church. In Sardis, you will visit some Lydian houses, with gymnasium and Synagogue. Here we will also see the last part of the royal Persian Road from Susa to Sardis, built by Cyrus. You will get your lunch en route. We will drive to Philadelphia, to Alasehir, another church of the Seven Churches of Asia, and the only church not censured. There we see the ruins of a Byzantine basilica, built by brick, with a high arch and some 11th century frescoes. We drive to the healing city of Hierapolis, now called Pamukkale, the white «cotton fortress» where hot mineral water bursts from the earth and cascades over steep cliffs forming pools, channels and stalactites. The therapeutic waters were known to the founders of Hierapolis and of Laodicea in 190 BC. In Hierapolis we visit the Martyrium of the Apostle Philip where he was martyred during the persecutions ordered by Domitian. We will proceed to Laodicea (Denizli) yet another of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor. We see the ancient theatre, the remains of a basilica and ancient stone water pipes. We will see the Gate of Domitian, the Arcadian Way, the 2nd century AD Theatre, the Nymphaion, the Temple of Apollo, the Plutonium and the Necropolis. After tour checkin at hotel for dinner and overnight in a Thermal Hotel. (Meal: Breakfast and Dinner) Thursday – Day 4: EPHESUS – KUSADASI After your breakfast, we will drive to the ancient city of Ephesus, the capital city of Asia Minor. Ephesus is the one of the important seven churches in Asia. On our tour we will visit the Basilica of St. John, the apostle of Jesus. St. Paul preached the Ephesians about religion and spent his last three years of life there. You will also discover the Ephesus Archaeological Museum. Than we will visit the Ancient of city Ephesus. In this ancient city we will see and walk through the history set along the marble streets, wonderful ruins, among them the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and ancient third largest Theatre. The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus is another of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Before returning to the hotel, we will visit the House of the Virgin Mary. Overnight in Kusadasi. (Meal: Breakfast and Dinner) Friday Day 5 : IZMIR – HOME Pick up from hotel and transfer to Izmir airport for your flight back home. (Meal: Breakfast)

Start with a pickup from your hotel in Izmir. Then, the discovery of Ephesus begins with the House of the Virgin Mary and a 10-minute drive to the ancient city of Ephesus. Explore the city by walking on the marble streets, accompanied by a guide. See the Odeon, State Agora, the Pretension, the Memmius Monument, the Domitian Temple, Hercules Gate, Curetes Street, Hadrian Temple, and the Latrines. Choose to take an optional visit to the terrace houses for an additional cost. After the terrace houses, carry on with your exploration with the Celsus Library, Marble Road, Commercial Agora, Great Theater, and Arcadian (harbor road). Enjoy a nice lunch served in a quaint local restaurant. Visit the Temple of Artemis. Here, there will be a good chance to take gorgeous pictures of the church of St. John and the Mosque of İsa Bey. Carry on to Ephesus Museum, which consists of six chambers exhibiting collections from the ruins. Marvel at the marble statues of Goddess of Artemis, one from 1st century A.D. and the other from the 2nd century A.D.

Avoid the usual sightseeing tours and explore Ephesus-Kusadasi independently with a full-day private vehicle and driver service. Visit the sights that you want to see in air-conditioned comfort and benefit from the local knowledge of your guide. A private tour gives you a chance to ask questions and enjoy a two-way conversation with an informed and knowledgeable guide. It also allows more flexibility to the agenda. After a scenic short drive, arrive in Ephesus, the Roman capital of Asia Minor. It is home to over a quarter of a million people, from slave traders to saints, at its peak between 1 AD and 2 AD. 150 years of excavations at Ephesus have revealed the most comprehensive Greco-Roman classical city on Earth. Your next stop will be Ephesus Archaeology Museum. A large part of the museum’s excavations at Ephesus, St. Jean Church, Artemision, and Belevi Grave Memorial consists of works brought from other nearby ruins. The museum houses important works of Ephesus and Anatolian archaeology. In the House of Mother Mary and in accordance with the predominant Christian tradition, Mary was brought to Ephesus by the Apostle John after the Resurrection of Christ and lived out her final resting days here. This is based mainly on the traditional belief that John came to Ephesus combined with the biblical statement that Jesus consigned her to John’s care (John 19:26-27). St. John Basilica, In the opening vision of the book of Revelation, seven letters are addressed to seven churches of Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. These cities stood along with one of the well-traveled Roman roads of that day and, beginning at Ephesus, might well have been visited in the order in which they are named. The distances between them averaged about 5 to 15 miles. Beyond the temple site, we approach the massive remains of the Church of St. John, crowning the highest point of Seljuk Hill. Here in the fourth century, a church was built over the site believed to be the resting place of the beloved apostle. Justinian crowned the height with a much larger edifice. The wide central nave was covered with six large domes and the narthex with five smaller ones. The tomb of the apostle was on the floor beneath the main dome. At the site of the tomb, the base of the original high altar is still visible. The authenticity of the site is maintained by Eusebius, who quotes Polycrates, a disciple of John and bishop of Ephesus. According to tradition, Timothy became the first bishop of the church. John probably came .there about A.D. 67 or earlier. Not far from the tomb in the church enclosure is the ancient baptistry. Stone steps lead down into the cross-shaped font, which provided ample room for baptism by immersion, the standard practice until well into the twelfth century. While on the cross, Jesus entrusted to John the care of His mother. So Mary must also have been a resident of Ephesus.