Ephesus Museum in Selcuk

The Ephesus Museum stands in the centre of Selcuk, two kilometres from the ancient site itself, and gathers finds from the excavations that have been carried out here for more than a century and a half. The display is arranged by the origin of the material: separate halls are given over to the terrace houses, the fountains, the gladiators' necropolis and the sanctuary of Artemis. The main exhibits are two Roman-period marble statues of Artemis of Ephesus, found in the prytaneion. The goddess was depicted in a tall headdress, with rows of protuberances on her chest that are interpreted variously as breasts, as eggs or as parts of sacrificed bulls, while the lower part of the figure is covered with tiers of reliefs showing animals and bees. Displayed alongside are the head of Zeus, friezes from the Temple of Hadrian, a bronze statuette of Eros on a dolphin and a model of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the world, of which a single reassembled column remains on the site. There is also a gladiators' hall with tombstones and traces of combat injuries on the bones. The building was rebuilt in the 2000s, with new lighting and climate control added. A separate section is devoted to coins, lamps and small sculpture from the town's houses.

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