The Roman Terrace Houses of Ephesus

When the Roman terrace houses of Ephesus opened up to the public, I was absolutely thrilled.  I had listened with jealousy as other people described the extensive finds of pain-staking excavations and read with envy as other bloggers wrote about how much they enjoyed their visit to the new attraction and significant landmark of the ancient city.

Roman terrace houses of Ephesus

Often postponing planned visits again and again, I finally made it back to Ephesus in March of this year. As well as the entrance fee to Ephesus, I had to buy another ticket to see the houses, and this bumped up the cost considerably, but I was sure it would be worth the money.

After walking down the main cobbled Curetes Street, and pᴀssing by the upper gymnasium baths and Temple of Hadrian, I finally came to the entrance of the Roman terrace houses, sitting close to the grand Library of Celsus.

Roman Terrace Houses Ephesus

I had expected queues to be long, yet walked straight in, without waiting. The houses are covered with a large rectangular glᴀss dome, so I expected to hear a lot of hushed whispers but heard nothing. There was just pure silence.It turned out; I was the only one experiencing such eagerness to see the houses. Nobody else was in there at all!

Inside the Roman Terrace Houses of Ephesus

Looking on the bright side of things, the lack of crowds meant more room to move about and I could take pH๏τographs in peace without being prodded and poked.

Terrace houses at Ephesus

Starting off at the ground level, a platform leads around the houses that were built on a small hill. Pᴀssing by gave me a view of the ancient mosaics, and paintings but it was not until I reached the upper level of the platform that I was able to see the geographical layout of the houses, with narrow alleyways running in between them.

Ephesus terrace houses

My guidebook says most of the houses were constructed in the 1st century by extremely rich citizens. Such was their wealth, they could afford luxuries such as underfloor heating, clean water, and lavatories, inventions which at that time, were not available to the mᴀss public.

Ephesus Terrace Houses

Standing on the top platform, overlooking the houses, I saw two girls rush by me. They were eager to get out and obviously non-fazed by what they had seen. Maybe my excitement was a state of unnecessary frenzy but in my opinion, the extra cost of visiting the Roman terrace houses of Ephesus is totally worth it.

Ephesus Roman terrace houses

Related Posts

What’s in the world’s oldest cheese? These mummies are giving up their secrets

The Tarim Basin mummies were discovered wearing tiny hunks of cheese around their necks—and a new DNA analysis is revealing its origins. For millennia, the Taklamakan Desert…

The mummy returns: ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Chinese monk’s remains unveiled, in pictures

The mummifed body of of a Chinese monk called Fuhou has been unveiled at Puzhao Temple in Quanzhou city, southeast China’s Fujian province after being stored in…

Unraveling the mystery: remnants of the ancient Moche civilization with the mummified Lady Cao discovered at El Brujo

Lady Cao transcended the status of being merely one of many mummies unearthed by archaeologists worldwide. Her extraordinary remains have reshaped our understanding of ancient history and…

PH๏τos That Defy Explanation: Ancient Watches, Mysterious Figures, and Signs of Time Warps?

In the world of unexplained phenomena, a select few images stand as undeniable proof that reality, as we know it, may not be as solid as it…

New: “In Search of History” Fossil Hunters Discover ‘Rosetta Stone’ Dinosaur Skeleton in Australia’s Ancient Sea

New: “In Search of History” Fossil Hunters Discover ‘Rosetta Stone’ Dinosaur Skeleton in Australia’s Ancient Sea Introduction: In a groundbreaking discovery that has left paleontologists around the world…

2,000-year-old mummy is perfectly preserved and still has internal organs intact

The body is so well preserved, it’s similar to that of someone who had recently died. When you hear the word ‘mummy’ you probably think of a…