Selçuk, Turkey

Ephesus Museum

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Last updated on October 5, 2024.

The Ephesus Museum (Efes Müzesi) is a great complement to visiting the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus. It’s located in Selçuk, Turkey.

Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Ephesus Museum

Introduction to the Ephesus Museum

The Ephesus Museum was born in 1929 when a depot was built in Selçuk to protect finds from the archaeological site at Ephesus. It opened to the public in 1964 in what is now the southern section of the current museum, and the northern section was annexed in 1975. The Ephesus Museum was completely redesigned and renovated between December 2012 and November 2014.

The museum displays several unique finds from the archaeological site, including statues, utensils, building fragments, and more. Note that some of the most important finds were exported to Austria and are on display in the Ephesos Museum in Vienna. Other finds are in museums in London, Istanbul, and Izmir.

Visiting the Ephesus Museum

The Ephesus Museum is open daily and admission for foreigners is €10 (as of September 2024). It’s divided into several different sections depending on subjects and findings. I’ve visited both before the renovation in 2011 and several times after starting in 2022. All photos on this website are post-renovation. Visit the official website for more info.

Hall of the Fountain Findings at the Ephesus Museum

The first section of the museum in Gallery 1 covers items found at important fountains excavated at Ephesus. Displays include statues from the Hydrekdocheion, the Pollio Monument and Fountain of Domitian, and the Fountain of Trajan. Busts of Hermes and Lysimachus also feature.

Hydrekdocheion at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Hydrekdocheion

Pollio Monument and Fountain of Domitian

Fountain of Trajan at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Fountain of Trajan

Statue of Dionysus from the Fountain of Trajan; 2nd century

Dog with the statue of Androklos from the Fountain of Trajan; 2nd century

Busts of Hermes (2nd century BC, left) and Lysimachus (c. 300 BC, right)

Hall of the Terrace House Findings at the Ephesus Museum

Next in Gallery 2 is the Hall of the Terrace House Findings, which features several of the best artifacts discovered in the Terrace Houses.

Statues, Busts, and Large Furnishings

The first section includes a handful of statues and busts.

Bust of Menander (4th century) at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Bust of Menander (4th century)

Bust of Marcus Aurelius (2nd century) at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Bust of Marcus Aurelius (2nd century)

Bronze snake found in Dwelling Unit 7 (1st century) in the Hall of the Terrace Houses Findings at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Bronze snake found in Dwelling Unit 7 (1st century)

Nearby are household furnishings, such as columns, a floor mosaic, and a marble table. All three items date to the 2nd or 3rd century.

Mosaic (2nd-3rd century) at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Mosaic (2nd-3rd century)

Unique Finds

In the center of the gallery are some of the more unique items found in the Terrace Houses. One is a bronze statue of an Egyptian priest dating to the 6th century BC. Other items include a statue of Artemis, a head of a philosopher, an oinochoe, and a figure of Eros riding a dolphin.

Bronze statue of an Egyptian priest (6th century BC) in the Hall of the Terrace Houses Findings at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Bronze statue of an Egyptian priest (6th century BC)

Archaic-style Artemis (Marble, 2nd century) in the Hall of the Terrace House Findings — Archaic-style Artemis (Marble, 2nd century)

Oinochoe (Bronze, 470 BC) in the Hall of the Terrace House Findings — Oinochoe (Bronze, 470 BC)

Eros riding a dolphin (Bronze, 2nd century BC) in the Hall of the Terrace House Findings at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Eros riding a dolphin (Bronze, 2nd century BC)

A 2nd century ivory frieze is one of the most impressive pieces. It depicts Emperor Trajan and the Roman army in a victorious campaign against the Dacians or Parthians. It was found in a burnt layer of the Terrace Houses and may have been part of a lintel or a piece of furniture.

Ivory frieze in the Hall of the Terrace Houses Findings at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Ivory frieze

Roman army on the ivory frieze in the Hall of the Terrace House Findings — Roman army

Roman soldiers on the ivory frieze in the Hall of the Terrace House Findings — Roman soldiers

Dacian or Parthian soldiers on the ivory frieze in the Hall of the Terrace House — Dacian or Parthian soldiers

End of the ivory frieze in the Hall of the Terrace House Findings — End of the ivory frieze

Everyday Items

Many of the artifacts in the display cases along the walls give a good glimpse into everyday life in ancient Ephesus. They include votives, medical tools, glass bottles, trays, jewelry, utensils, toys, statuettes, and more. These items are displayed in glass cases around the walls. They date from the 1st through 4th centuries.

Jewelry and glass items in the Hall of the Terrace Houses Findings — Jewelry and glass items

Glass tray in the Hall of the Terrace Houses Findings at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Glass tray

Statuettes and busts in the Hall of the Terrace Houses Findings — Statuettes and busts

Fertility votive in the Hall of the Terrace House Findings at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Fertility votive

Ancient Coins at the Ephesus Museum

Gallery 3 features ancient coins. The coins are presented in glass cases in chronological order.

The first case contains coins of Ephesus dating from the 7th and 6th century BC to the reign of Saloninus in the 3rd century. Among the most prominent are coins featuring Alexander the Great.

Coins of Ephesus at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Coins of Ephesus

Coins of Alexander the Great — Alexander the Great

Next are Roman imperial coins from the reign of Augustus in the early 1st century through Theodosius II in the early 5th century.

The exhibit continues with Byzantine coins starting with Anastasius I in 491. Ottoman coins from the reign of Murad I to Mehmed VI round out the exhibit. Some coins from the early Turkish Republic and the 14th century Aydinid period are also on display.

Byzantine coins at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Byzantine coins

Byzantine coins from the reign of Justinian I

Ottoman coins at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Ottoman coins

Ephesus Through the Ages

The Ephesus Museum continues in Gallery 4 with a section called Ephesus Through the Ages. It begins with a fascinating timeline of the history of Ephesus.

Ephesus Through the Ages at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Ephesus Through the Ages

After the timeline, more artifacts unearthed at Ephesus are on display in chronological order. These include many everyday items similar to those found at the Terrace Houses.

Daggers and pottery in Ephesus Through the Ages — Daggers and pottery

Ceramics (8th to 6th century BC) in Ephesus Through the Ages at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Ceramics (8th to 6th century BC)

6th to 4th century BC in Ephesus Through the Ages at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — 6th to 4th century BC

Jewelry (4th century BC to 4th century AD) in Ephesus Through the Ages — Jewelry (4th century BC to 4th century AD)

Glass, ceramics, and jewelry (4th century BC to 4th century AD) in Ephesus Through the Ages — Glass, ceramics, and jewelry (4th century BC to 4th century AD)

1st century BC to 3rd century AD in Ephesus Through the Ages — 1st century BC to 3rd century AD

Figurines and votives (1st century BC to 3rd century AD) in Ephesus Through the Ages at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Figurines and votives (1st century BC to 3rd century AD)

Glass bottles and stones (1st century BC to 4th century AD) in Ephesus Through the Ages — Glass bottles and stones (1st century BC to 4th century AD)

Glass bottles (1st century BC to 4th century AD) in Ephesus Through the Ages at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Glass bottles (1st century BC to 4th century AD)

Statue of Eros with a rabbit (2nd-3rd century) in Ephesus Through the Ages at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Statue of Eros with a rabbit (2nd-3rd century)

Bowls, ossuary, and instruments (3rd to 7th century) in Ephesus Through the Ages — Bowls, ossuary, and instruments (3rd to 7th century)

Crosses and icons (3rd to 7th century) in Ephesus Through the Ages at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Crosses and icons (3rd to 7th century)

Stone Artifacts at the Ephesus Museum

Outside in the courtyard of the Ephesus Museum are several large stone artifacts. They include column capitals, statues, and grave stelae as well as sarcophagi and reliefs. One of the oldest statues is a 6th century BC kouros.

Courtyard at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Courtyard

Courtyard at the Ephesus Museum — Courtyard

Kouros (marble, 6th century BC) in the courtyard at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Kouros (marble, 6th century BC)

Grave stele of Olympias (marble, 2nd century)

The reliefs are on display against the walls. They depict or are dedicated to gods and goddesses. Others feature battle scenes or gladiators.

Relief of Artemis and Serapis (marble, 3rd century)

Relief of god and goddess (marble, Roman period) at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Relief of god and goddess (marble, Roman period)

Gladiator relief (marble, Late Roman period)

One of the more interesting pieces is the Sarcophagus with Muses. It dates back to the 3rd century and was made of marble. A sundial and ancient game board, similar to backgammon, also caught my eye.

Sarcophagus with Muses, (marble, 3rd century) in the courtyard at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Sarcophagus with Muses, (marble, 3rd century)

Sarcophagus with Muses, (marble, 3rd century)

Sundial in the courtyard at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Sundial

Cult of Cybele at the Ephesus Museum

After reentering the building through the courtyard is Gallery 6. It covers Ephesus and the cult of Cybele. Cybele is a mother goddess of nature and fertility with origins in Anatolia. Greek colonists in the region adopted and adapted her cult from the Phrygians and spread it to other Greek colonies and mainland Greece. The Romans adopted the cult at a later time.

Finds from the Temple of Artemis at the Ephesus Museum

In the center of Gallery 7, there’s a scale model of the Temple of Artemis, which was one of the most important temples of the ancient world. It was eventually dismantled for building materials after it was closed by early Christians. The Isa Bey Mosque and the Basilica of Saint John contain fragments of the temple.

Scale model of the Temple of Artemis in the Finds from the Temple of Artemis at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Scale model of the Temple of Artemis

Around the walls of the gallery are findings from the Temple of Artemis. It was discovered in 1869 by English archaeologist John Turtle Wood (1821-1890) in an excavation sponsored by the British Museum. Items on display include pottery fragments, jewelry, pendants, and figurines.

Pottery fragments from the 7th century BC in the Finds from the Temple of Artemis at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Pottery fragments from the 7th century BC

Jewelry in the Finds from the Temple of Artemis — Jewelry

Figurines, pendants, and pins (8th-7th century BC) in Finds from the Temple of Artemis — Figurines, pendants, and pins (8th-7th century BC)

Figurines in the Finds from the Temple of Artemis — Figurines

Statuette of a goddess (gold, c. 580 BC) in Finds from the Temple of Artemis at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Statuette of a goddess (gold, c. 580 BC)

Ephesian Artemis at the Ephesus Museum

Perhaps the star exhibit at the Ephesus Museum is in Gallery 8. It features two stunning statues of the Ephesian Artemis that were found during excavations on September 18, 1956. The first is the Great Artemis Statue, which dates to the 1st century. It depicts Artemis with a polos crown (headdress) in the form of a three-story temple. She’s wearing earrings and a pearl necklace. The four rows of globules on her chest represent fertility and fruitfulness. Animal figures are present in the six rows below her waist.

Great Artemis Statue at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Great Artemis Statue

Face of the Great Artemis Statue at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Face

Globules and animal figures on the Great Artemis Statue — Globules and animal figures

Opposite the Great Artemis Statue is the Beautiful Artemis Statue, which dates to the 2nd century. It’s similar to the Great Artemis Statue, but with a polos crown featuring animal figures.

Beautiful Artemis Statue at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Beautiful Artemis Statue

Animal figures on the Beautiful Artemis Statue — Animal figures

Roman Imperial Cult at the Ephesus Museum

Gallery 9 is the final gallery at the Ephesus Museum. It includes findings related to the Roman imperial cult.

Roman imperial cult at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Roman imperial cult

Temple of Domitian

A huge head and arm of Emperor Domitian greet visitors to the gallery. They were carved in the late 1st century and came from the Temple of Domitian, located on Domitian Square. Nearby is the altar from the temple.

Head and arm of Emperor Domitian at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Head and arm of Emperor Domitian

Altar of the Temple of Domitian at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Altar of the Temple of Domitian

Temple of Hadrian

Next is the frieze from the Temple of Hadrian on Curetes Street. Emperor Theodosius I added the frieze around the inside along the top of the door frames in the late 4th century. The reliefs depict the foundation of Ephesus as well as Apollo, Athena, and several members of Theodosius’ family. The frieze reliefs on the actual temple are replicas.

Blocks 1 and 2 on the frieze from the Temple of Hadrian — Blocks 1 and 2

Blocks 3 and 4 on the frieze from the Temple of Hadrian at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Blocks 3 and 4

Busts and Statues

Many busts and statues unearthed at Ephesus are on display at the Ephesus Museum. They depict politicians, emperors, and empresses, including Commodus and Julia Paula.

Busts of Commodus (late 2nd century, left) and an imperial cult priest (1st century, right)

Bust of Empress Julia Paula (3rd century) at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Bust of Empress Julia Paula (3rd century)

The most interesting statues for me personally were those of Augustus and his wife, Livia. They were found in Ceremonial Hall of the Basilica just north of the State Agora and date to the 1st century. The statues have crosses carved into the foreheads, which was a common practice of early Christians.

Statues of Emperor Augustus (left) and Empress Livia (right) (1st century) at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Statues of Emperor Augustus (left) and Empress Livia (right) (1st century)

Cross carved into the head of Emperor Augustus

Cross carved into the head of Empress Livia

Parthian Monument

At the rear of Gallery 9 are the reliefs of the Parthian Monument. It’s situated near the Library of Celsus. They depict Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus in the war against the Parthians. All of the other remaining pieces of the Parthian Monument are at the Ephesos Museum in Vienna.

Pedestal with garland from the Parthian Monument — Pedestal with garland

One scene depicted on the monument include Antoninus Pius adopting Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus while Hadrian stands with them. Others include Roman soldiers fighting the Parthians, a female figure symbolizing the city of Carrhae (today’s Harran), and Selene with Apollo Helios.

Antoninus Pius adopting Marcus Aurelius (age 17) and Lucius Verus (age 8), with Hadrian on the right from the Parthian Monument at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Antoninus Pius adopting Marcus Aurelius (age 17) and Lucius Verus (age 8), with Hadrian on the right

Roman soldiers fighting the Parthians from the Parthian Monument at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey — Roman soldiers fighting the Parthians

Female figure symbolizing the city of Currhae holding a vexillum (flag)(left) and Selene and Apollo Helios (right) from the Parthian Monument — Female figure symbolizing the city of Currhae holding a vexillum (flag)(left) and Selene and Apollo Helios (right)

Statue of Proconsul Stephanos

Finally, before exiting the Ephesus Museum to the gift shop, is a statue of Proconsul Stephanos made in the 6th century. It was found in 1923 at the lower end of Curetes Street near the Scholasticia Baths. Stephanos was from the island of Naxos and was a judge or games official.

Map with the Ephesus Museum

Author nomadicniko

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.