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The Temple of Artemis, or Artemision (Ἀρτεμίσιον / Artemis Tapınağı), was the most important temple in Ephesus. It’s located on the outskirts of the modern town of Selçuk, Turkey. The temple is included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Ephesus.
Visiting the Temple of Artemis
Nowadays, only fragments and foundations of the temple exist. The site is open to the public and there’s no admission (as of March 2024). There really isn’t much to see but it’s good to walk around the perimeter to get a feeling for the size of the temple.
There are also some great views. In the scene you can see five civilizations: Ancient Greek (Temple of Artemis), Aydinid (Isa Bey Mosque), Byzantine (Basilica of St. John), Ottoman (Ayasuluk Castle), and modern Turkish (town of Selçuk).
History of the Temple of Artemis
The Temple of Artemis was built three times. The first version of the temple was built at the site sometime between 680 and 650 BC. It’s believed to be one of the oldest Greek temples surrounded by colonnades. It measured 13.5 x 8.5 meters and had stone walls with wooden columns on stone bases. A wooden cult figure was probably housed inside. The temple was destroyed in the 7th century BC, and the foundations have been covered for preservation purposes.
Construction on the second temple started around 570 BC under Cretan architect Chersiphron and his son Metagenes. It was partially sponsored by Croesus, the king of Lydia, and was supposedly the first Greek temple built of marble. The temple had a double colonnade and measured about 60 m in length and over 100 meters in width. It probably had 106 columns.
The second temple was destroyed by notorious arsonist Herostratus on July 21, 356 BC. He was sentenced to death and damnatio memoriae. The burning coincided with the birth of Alexander the Great, and later legends state that Artemis was too preoccupied with his birth to save her temple.
The third Temple of Artemis was built and funded by the Ephesians starting in 323 BC. It was the largest of the three temples, with more than 127 columns, and was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The temple was 137 meters long by 69 meters wide and 18 meters high. It was heavily damaged in a raid by the Goths in 268 but later restored.
Closure of the Temple of Artemis
The Temple of Artemis was closed to worship by Christians sometime between 391 and the middle of the 5th century. In late antiquity, it may have been used as a church. It’s unknown how long the temple stood after its closure, but it’s possible the dismantling began under St. John Chrysostom in 401. Fragments were used in the construction of several buildings in Constantinople, including Hagia Sophia, and the Basilica of St. John in Selçuk.
Rediscovery of the Temple of Artemis
The temple site was rediscovered after a six year search in 1869 by English archaeologist John Turtle Wood (1821-1890). The excavation was sponsored by the British Museum and lasted until 1874. Archaeologist David George Hogarth (1862-1927) conducted further excavations from 1904 to 1906.
In 1973, a column was reconstructed from the drums of several different columns. It stands on an original column base from the third temple. Underneath the base is another base from the second temple. The original columns were approximately four meters taller than the reconstructed one.
Aydinid Tomb
Near the parking lot to the Temple of Artemis is a late 14th or early 15th century Aydinid tomb. It measures 6.5 x 6.5 meters and features a central room entered through a marble portal. The occupant of the tomb is unknown, but it’s likely it belonged to a high-ranking official or member of the ruling dynasty.
