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artemision

artemision


   
The temple of Artemision is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Antic world. It has been built in the areas of Ephesus on a flat area which has over the centuries turned into a swamp. Today one can only see the ruins of the foundations of this marvelous construction of the Hellenistic Age, entirely made of marble and full of sculptured columns' capitals and shafts. The most beautiful remaining of this temple are today exhibited in the London British Museum.

   The oldest remaining found date back till the VIth century BC. It was surrounded by 36 huge columns, later enlarged upon the orders of the Lydian King, Kreisos, during the VIth century BC. Most of the exhibits in the London British Museum belong to this period.

   The new Artemision has been rebuilt in the IInd century BC. Located on top of the previous one, it had tremendous dimensions: 127 columns of each 17,5 meters high. Unfortunately this one has also been destroyed by fire, reconstructed and again demolished by earthquakes, rebuilt and at last looted by Goths one year later.

   The statue of many-breasted Artemision was the symbol of the temple but also of abundance, hunting and wild life. The genuine statue of Artemision, removed during the fire, is today exhibited in the Selcuk Museum. Many copies of this statue found during the latest excavations date back from the Roman period.

How to go?... Artemision is located 18 km away from Kusadasi, in the entrance of Selcuk. As it is close to Ephesus and The Basilica of Saint John, it may be a stop on your excursion. There is easy transportation to Artemision by minibuses from Kusadasi in every 15 minutes. The road takes about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can join to daily tours provided by almost every agencies in Kusadasi for a better knowledge about the area.

You can book a private tour to the Artemision with OTTI's Ephesus Tours

Kusadasi Guide