The main street of Ephesus,lined with triumphal arches and statues,leads past important buildings. Don’t let the monumentality distract you from the detail,however. Look for sculpted flourishes such as grape leaves and flowers,ruts made by passing chariots in flagstones,the shattered remains of fountains,and chiselled lists that describe marketplace goods. Some building blocks are initialled by the stonemasons who worked on them,and walls have hollows that once held oil lamps.
Detour to the first-century toilets
The Baths of Scholastica are fronted by the headless statue of the woman who paid for their restoration 400 years later. The social club for the city’s elite boasted the latest underfloor heating through terracotta pipes,some of which survive. So do the fancy marble latrines,which make for amusing photo poses. Next door is claimed to be a brothel,with a delightful mosaic floor that depicts women enjoying a drink while a mouse eats crumbs under their table.
Check out the posh Roman houses
A series of ruined first century BC luxury villas built into a hillside off busy Curetes Street is less visited because it attracts an additional entrance fee. That’s a shame. Although only foundations remain,the terrace houses give a wonderful insight into the lives of wealthy Ephesians. The first villa,which belonged to Gaius Aptius,features 35 types of marble inlaid into floors and walls,an onyx fountain,and sophisticated plumbing and steam-heating systems. Elsewhere you can admire fabulously preserved frescoes and mosaics.