Ephesus welcoming more than one million every year, thanks to its modern cruise port, used to welcome even more people back in ancient times back in ancient times. Port of Ephesus used to be the most important income of Ephesus City in its golden times. Port of Ephesus was the place where exchanges used to take place. All Asia Minor’s exports, such as gold, marble, wine, and leather, were shipped from Ephesus to Europe. Ephesus’ importance as a commercial center declined as the ancient port of the city was slowly silted up by the Cayster River (Küçük Menderes). Currently, Ephesus City is five kilometers (3 miles) inland and a little swamp stands where they had the ancient port. There is a project to open the ancient port since 2012 and the port is expected to be opened for modern cruise ships in near future.
