How Many People Actually Lived in Roman Ephesus?
A figure of 225,000 was repeated for a century, propped up by an inscription that actually says 1,040. What the real estimates are, and why Ephesus was still one of the great cities of Rome.

Short, honest, practical pieces from the guides — one new post every week.
A figure of 225,000 was repeated for a century, propped up by an inscription that actually says 1,040. What the real estimates are, and why Ephesus was still one of the great cities of Rome.
A prince guided by an oracle, a general who flooded people out of their houses, and two freed slaves who paid for the finest gate in the city. Who actually built Ephesus.
The ruins you photograph are the excavated sliver of a much larger city. What has been dug, what is still buried, and how a railway architect found the lost temple in the first place.
Capital of Roman Asia, a silting harbor, a temple that counted as a wonder of the world — and a famous facade that did not exist yet. The first-century city, reconstructed.
Taught for two years (or three), sparked a riot, maybe fought "wild beasts," possibly did jail time — here is exactly what Acts 19-20 record about Paul in Ephesus.
Ephesus is genuinely one of the safest heavily-visited sites in Turkey. The real hazards are heat, footing and pickpockets in ticket queues — not what most worried travelers imagine.
Yes, you can — entry is easy and paths are clear. What you give up, what you gain, and the honest arithmetic, from people who sell the alternative.

Tell us who is traveling and what you love, and we will suggest the day that fits — then make it happen.