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
Selçuk-Ephesus Museum is the most important and
richest museum for possession and sole display
of local artifacts.
The
Ephesus
Museum (0 232 892 6010 and 892 6011) 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
garden
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.
Grave
Artifacts Room: This room opening
from the garden displays finds from the
gravesites. On
the
left wall are drawings of Anatolian burial
customs. On the left are small artifacts taken
from a Mycenian grave in front of
St. John's
Church dating from the 14th or 13th centuries
BC, proving that the history of
Ephesus dated
from before Androcles. In another display case
are small glass artifacts taken from graves in
and around Ephesus. At the end of the room are
numerous stele taken from sarcophagi in the
area.
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.
For the Ethnography
section of the museum, tic
here.
