Why go
Use this history to connect the Library of Celsus and the Church of Mary inside the archaeological site with the Temple of Artemis and St. John's Basilica near Selçuk. They are related parts of Ephesus's story, but they are separate visits rather than one continuous ruin field.
The full story
Greek Ephesus grew on the Ionian coast, and the city later prospered under Roman rule. The monumental streets and the Library of Celsus belong to that Roman urban centre. As the harbour silted up, the relationship between the city and the sea changed; the ancient harbour area now sits well inland. Christianity added another layer. The Church of Mary marks the importance of Ephesus in early Christian history, while the Basilica of St. John on Ayasuluk Hill belongs to the later settlement around modern Selçuk. The Temple of Artemis tells an older story again: its sanctuary made Ephesus famous long before the Roman monuments most visitors photograph, although only fragments survive. Seeing these places together reveals a city that shifted in location and purpose over centuries, rather than a single moment preserved in stone.