In the beginning, in
1929, artifacts from diggings and the surrounding were brought
here and stored.  In
1964, what is now the museum's southern section was built and
artifacts were displayed there. The room was not big enough for the increasing
number of artifacts so, in 1995 another section was added and used for
exhibition. The Selcuk-Ephesus Museum
is the most important and richest museum
for possession and sole display of local artifacts. The
Ephesus Museum is a rich and important museum for
Ephesian and Anatolian
archeology with artifacts from digs at Ephesus,
St. John' Church, the Belevi Mausoleum,
and other local ruins. Including artifacts from the
Mycenian, Archaic, and
Turkish periods as well, the majority are from the
Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine periods.
Terrace Houses Room: In the first room
of the museum are finds, mainly from the Roman Period,
that have come to light over the last fifty years from excavations in the "Hillside
Houses". On the left are the plan of the houses and photos of
the excavation. In the first showcase are medical and cosmetic artifacts. The
second case displays home religious cultic items. The most interesting of these
is a glass tray. In the niche opposite is a fresco from one of the houses with a
statue of Artemis the huntress and a
bust and fresco of Socrates. On the
left side of the room are a bust of  Emperor
Marcus Aurelius and statuettes
of the gods Priapos and Bes. Three of
the museum's most important possessions are in the central room. These are an
Eros with dolphin from the 2nd century, a statue of an Egyptian priest, and a
copy of a Roman statue of
Eros by Lysippus.
Fountain Artifacts: In this room are
finds from the Pollio,
Trajan, and Laecanus
fountains at Ephesus. To the immediate
left of the door is a bust of Zeus and
a statue of Aphrodite. In the center of
the room is statue of a "Resting Warrior".
To the left is the statue group of "Odysseus-Polyphemos"
which decorated the Pollio fountian. The first figure is
Dionysius reclining on a tree trunk. The other statues are a
reclining satyr, an Aphrodite with oyster shell and Androcles with dog. On the
right of the room is a series of busts. These belonged to the statues at the
Laecanus Bassus Fountain.
 Recent
Findings Room: Some recent finds have been on exhibit here for a
year or two. In the display case to the immediate right of the door are
Byzantine finds from the Christian era. On the left side of the
room are coins and jewelry. Pre-Roman coins from
Ephesus have the city symbol, a bee, on one side and the deer of
Artemis on the other. Coins from the
Roman period show the emperor, or his lieutenants, or some
imperial symbol. On the left wall hang theater masks made of leather or wood and
were found at the Grand Theater in
Ephesus. Such masks made of stone were used for decoration. On
the same wall is a lamp stand from Ephesus.
Other important artifacts in the room include a masked
Eros, amphoras, figure of Eros, a statue of
Aphrodite, and various busts, including one of Menander, the
playwright. The only thing that remains permanently in the room is an ivory
frieze from the "hillside houses". The
frieze shows Trajan fighting eastern barbarians and three sections from his
preparation to fight.
The Garden: The museum has a garden
that fits in with the local architecture. On the right of the are
sarcophagi, gravestones, sacrificial altars and inscriptions.
The sarcophagus from the 2nd century is
decorated with quite interesting ornamentation. The figures on it resemble
figures of Moses. Judging by the
inscription on its lid it was used again in the
Byzantine period. Along the west wall of the garden there are
grave and offering stones on display. The sundial in the center is in a
half-moon shape.
Artemis Room: This is where statues of
Artemis and things related to the goddess are on display.  There
are two statues on display showing their former glory. These were found by
accident in the prythaneionda and dated
from the 1st century AD. The statue on
the left is known as "Great Artemis"
and the other one is "Beautiful Artemis."
In the display cases are artifacts from the temple to
Artemis. There is a horse from one of the temple
chariots on display, too.
Imperial Cult and Portrait Salon: In
this room there are generally imperial family busts. The most noteworthy feature
is the crowns that were engraved into the foreheads of the busts. The statue to
the right of the door leading from the Artemis Room was of the consul Stephanos.
On the left, on either side of the picture of the
Temple to Hadrian are original friezes from that temple. The
altar in the center was a piece of the U-shaped altar of the temple to
Domitian. There are friezes on three sides of it. Just before
leaving the room there are pieces from the giant statue to Domitian. There are
also pieces from statues of August and
his wife, Livia in the room. |
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Ephesus Museum
