SMALL GROUP EPHESUS TOUR FOR CRUISE GUESTS

According to your tour pick-up time, meet your guide and start your full-day tour. Your first visit is **Ephesus**, an archaeological treasure and the best-preserved classical city in the Eastern Mediterranean. In the 1st century AD, Ephesus was the second-largest city in the world after Rome, with more than 250,000 citizens. It stood at the center of the known world and served as a gateway between the East and the West. With its giant harbor, it was also an important trading center in antiquity. Ephesus was not only a rich commercial city but also an impressive one, where even Mark Antony and Cleopatra spent their honeymoon. It is also home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the **Temple of Artemis**. Ephesus is so well preserved that walking along its ancient streets among beautiful monuments such as the third-largest library of the ancient world and the largest Roman theatre on the Asian continent gives you the feeling of traveling back in time. Next, visit the **House of Virgin Mary**. Located 6 km north of the ruins of Ephesus, a church was built in the 6th century AD on top of the foundations of a house from the 1st century AD. It is declared by the Church to be the final house where Mary spent her last days. It is also believed that the Assumption took place there on 15 August. After lunch, continue to the **Temple of Artemis**. Also known as Artemision, it was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its ancient cult dedicated to Artemis was very famous in antiquity and made Ephesus a much-visited pilgrimage place. The temple had a total of 127 Ionic columns, each 19 meters high. It is also considered to be the earliest bank in the ancient world. At the end of the tour, drive you back to your departure point.