The colonnaded descent of Curetes Street at Ephesus toward the Library of Celsus
Through local eyes

Photo Gallery

The holy places as we see them — in morning light, without the crowds, with the verses still hanging in the air.

Through local eyes

Scenes from Ephesus and around

A taste of what you will see with your own eyes — click any photo to enlarge.

The Grand Theater — the stage of the riot of Acts 19 The two-story facade of the Library of Celsus under a deep blue sky The stone chapel of the House of Virgin Mary on Bulbul Mountain Marble columns standing in the Basilica of Saint John The tomb of Saint John the Evangelist The lone column of the Temple of Artemis, with its stork nest — once a Wonder of the World Mosaic floors in the Terrace Houses, under the shelter The Church of Mary, seat of the Council of 431 The baptistery of the council church The Cave of the Seven Sleepers The Paul and Thecla fresco in the Grotto of Saint Paul An early Christian symbol carved in the marble The wishing wall at the House of Virgin Mary The statue of Mary in the garden of her house Curetes Street, the marble spine of Ephesus The Gate of Mazaeus and Mithridates by the agora The Commercial Agora — marketplace of the silversmiths The Baths of Scholastica, rebuilt by a Christian benefactress The Odeon, where the city council met Isa Bey Mosque, built 1375 with stones of Ephesus Sirince village in the hills above the valley The Kusadasi seafront and bay seen from the air The great Artemis of Ephesus (Ephesus Museum) Ephesus in the pages of Scripture The facade of the Library of Celsus with the low evening sun behind it The Fountain of Trajan, halfway down Curetes Street The two relief pillars of the Hercules Gate, where Curetes Street narrows The Memmius Monument at the top of Curetes Street The colonnaded street that once ran down to the harbor of Ephesus A winged Nike painted on a wall of the Terrace Houses A Medusa head worked into a mosaic floor of the Terrace Houses The bronze Eros riding a dolphin (Ephesus Museum) A marble sundial with Greek hour letters in the museum garden The Polyphemus statue group from Domitian Square (Ephesus Museum) The carved marble portal of the Isa Bey Mosque in Selcuk Ottoman gravestones crowned with carved turbans, Selcuk The painted screen inside an old Greek Orthodox church at Sirince A cobbled lane climbing through Sirince village Pigeon Island and its Ottoman-era fortress at Kusadasi Kusadasi harbor at dusk, the town lights coming on above the boats
Good to know

About these photographs

Who took these photographs?

Our own guides, on working days at the sites, over several seasons. They are not stock images — which is why you will see the same marble in flat winter light and in high summer glare, and why the crowds are sometimes in the frame.

May I use these photos?

For personal use, a church newsletter or a study group, yes — a credit and a link back are all we ask. For commercial use, please write to us first.

What does Ephesus actually look like today?

Far more complete than most people expect. The Library of Celsus stands two stories high, the Grand Theater still seats a crowd, and Curetes Street runs unbroken between them for several hundred meters. What is gone is the harbor — silted into a green plain — and the Temple of Artemis, of which one reassembled column remains.

Can we take photographs at the House of Virgin Mary?

Outside, freely. Inside the chapel itself photography is not permitted, out of respect for those praying — it is a working shrine with daily Mass, not a museum. The spring and the wishing wall below are open to your camera.

Ready to step into these photos?

Every one of these places is on our tours. Come see them in person, with a local guide who knows the story behind each stone.

Book My Private Tour Email info@biblicalephesustours.com

TÜRSAB license No. 15746No prepayment to inquireFree cancellationSkip-the-line entrance included