On his return journey from Corinth, Paul came to the city of Ephesus to fulfill his promise after a short visit, and he came back and Paul stayed in Ephesus about 2.5 years between 53-56AD.

During the excavations at Ephesus, more than 3,500 inscriptions have been found. Some of the most interesting are in a small cave on the slope of Bülbül Mountain (Nightingale Mountain).  According to a local legend, when St. John brought the Virgin Mary to Ephesus from Jerusalem, they had no place to stay.  John found this cave and hid Mary there for her safety.  It was not until some time later that John located a more suitable home for Mary higher up on the mountain, known as Panaya Capoulu.  In more recent years, the cave has been re-named “the Cave of St. Paul” due to the frescoes and inscriptions on the walls which refer to St. Paul. 

The cave has been a Christian sacred site since the 1st or 2nd century. The walls were decorated with frescoes and inscriptions and white-washed several times, then re-painted with new images. Discovered under plaster on the walls are important 5th-century frescoes, with inscriptions, depicting the Virgin Mary, St. Paul and St. Thecla (a female disciple of Paul). This is the only known depiction of St. Paul at Ephesus and the earliest known appearance in the world of Paul and Thecla together.

The cave was discovered by a group of priests in 1892, while looking for the tomb of the Virgin Mary. Under the layers of plaster on the corridor walls are Greek phrases such as “the hidden of Mother of God” and “Paul help your servant”-written in charcoal and chalk. To protect these delicate and ancient wall frescoes, the cave is not open to the public. Unfortunately this site can not be visited during the tours of Ephesus.

​The first Christian congregation in Ephesus was founded by St John the Apostle and expanded by St Paul. On his return journey from Corinth, Paul came to the city of Ephesus to fulfill his promise after a short visit, and he came back and stayed for about two and a half years between 53-56AD. Most likely St. Paul wrote the Corinthians No.1 letter in Ephesus at this time period. When Paul came to Ephesus, he preached the gospel in the synagogue of Ephesus and the hall of Tyrannus. Tyrannus was an owner of a lecture hall at Ephesus. All this information is  mentioned in the New Testament, in the book of Acts of the Apostles (19:9).  The Ephesus Church, leaded the Seven Churches in the Asia Minor (Western Turkey today).

What happened to Paul at Ephesus?
​By St. Paul’s efforts, in a short time, Ephesus became the third important city of Christianity after Jerusalem and Antioch. Christianity quickly gained popularity in Ephesus. The popularity of this new religion concerned some people in Ephesus. The silversmith Demetrius and others, who made a living by selling and making silver statues of Mother Goddess Artemis, were very upset. Demetrius and his colleagues provoked thousands of people and met them at the Ephesus theater and started a big riot in 56AD. The crowd was shouting "The Great Artemis of Ephesians". St Paul wanted to face the crowd, but the disciples didn't let him. Finally, the city clerk calmed down the crowd. Probably St. Paul was jailed in Ephesus for a while before he departed to North. 

It is obvious that Ephesus had an important role in Christianity.  Both St. John and St. Paul was in Ephesus but neither of them were in Ephesus at the same time. 

In the New Testament, there are 13 letters of St. Paul. During his house arrest in Rome in 61 AD, St. Paul mailed 3 letters to the city of Ephesus: Timothy No.1, Timothy No. 2 and Ephesians. Paul's letters tended to be written in response to certain crises. Ephesus Church, most probably was facing major difficulties and St. Paul was aware of these.
​
Timothy was one of the disciples of St. Paul. St. Paul met with Timothy during his missionary journeys in Lystra. Afterwards Timothy joined Paul and Silas, and they travelled together to the city of Ephesus. After Paul had to leave the city of Ephesus. Timothy became the head of the Christian Community in Ephesus. He is considered to be the first bishop of Ephesus. Although not stated in the bible, according to some apocryphal gospels, Timothy was martyred in Ephesus in 97AD when he was 80 years old. Probably Timothy met with St. John the Apostle , although there is no mention of this in the New Testament.

• Aristarchus and Gaius: Gaius and Aristarchus were Paul's travel companions who were captured by the angry mob in the Great Theater at Ephesus.
• Timothy: A travel companion of Paul from Lystra. Paul wrote two letters to Timothy from Rome which are mentioned as Timothy 1 and Timothy 2. Timothy became the first Christian bishop of Ephesus.
• Luke the Evangelist: He is the author of the Third Gospel and Acts, and his writings have been historically verified. Luke was also a doctor. He was probably Greek and was born in Antioch. Paul speaks of Luke, the "the beloved physician"
• Silas: He traveled with Paul through Anatolia and Greece.
• Epaphras: The churches in Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodicea was founded by Epaphras. Paul calls him “the faithful minister” Epaphras was from Colossae. The believers learned from Epaphras, who learned from Paul during his days in Ephesus.
• Trofimus and Tychius: Both were Gentile Greeks and native of Ephesus. Accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey. Mentioned as "Asianoi", meaning the native of the Roman province of Asia.
• Priscilla and Aquila: A Jewish Christian married couple who were deported from Rome by Claudius Caesar. Paul stayed in Corinth with them. They lived, worked, and traveled with the Apostle Paul. Paul described them as his "fellow workers in Christ Jesus". Like St. Paul they were also tent makers. 
• Apollios: An Jewish Christian from Alexandria. Played an important role in the early development of the church of Ephesus. Apollos arrived Ephesus before Paul. Priscilla and Aquila, instructed Apollos the Christian baptism, since Apollos "knew only the baptism of John". 
• Tyrannus: He owned a lecture hall (school) in Ephesus, where Paul preached.  Probably one of Paul's early converts in Ephesus.​

We offer private biblical tours of Ephesus, focused on St. Paul and conducted by expert Ephesus tour guides. For more information, please contact us.

Documentary of Cave of St. Paul in Ephesus:

For the faithful travelers who are interested to know the biblical history of Ephesus, we offer private Full Day Biblical Ephesus Tours with expert local tour guides.​ Ephesus has a major importance in biblical history. Numerous names mentioned in the New Testament lived in Ephesus such as: St. Paul, St. John, Timothy, Epaphras, Demetrius the silversmith, possibly Virgin Mary... and many more.

During the tour you will be taken to the Biblical Highlights of the area such as Ancient City of Ephesus, The Grand Theater of Ephesus, Basilica of St. John, Temple of Artemis, House of Virgin Mary, Church of Mary in Ephesus ...

We offer Private Full Day Biblical Ephesus Tours from

• Kusadasi Port 
• Kusadasi Hotels
• Selcuk Hotels
• Selcuk Train Station
• Izmir Port
• Izmir Hotels​
• Izmir Airport

After reaching Selcuk.  Your first stop on this fascinating tour is at the House of Virgin Mary where Virgin Mary is believed to spent hear last 9 years. Afterwards, you will continue on to visit ancient city of Ephesus, one of the most magnificent and best-preserved ancient sites in the world. See the Odeon, the Market Basilica, Curetes Street, Bath, Celsus Library, Marble Street and visit the Great Theater  of Ephesus where a mentioned in Acts Chapter 19 where a riot started against St. Paul by the merchants of Ephesus. The Grand Theater of Ephesus had a seating capacity of 25,000 people. Enjoy a traditional Turkish Lunch. After lunch visit the  Basilica of St. John and see the Temple of Artemis, one of the wonders of the  ancient world.
(At House of Virgin Mary, Holy Mass is held every day, from Monday to Saturday at 5:15 pm (November to March) and 6:15 pm (April to October). The Sunday Mass is held at 10:30 am. Our guests have the option to attend the Holy Mass.)

We offer private excursions of Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary from Kusadasi Cruise Port with Italian speaking, licensed tour guides. Our Italian speaking tour guides know what people like to see in Kusadasi and Ephesus area. Our Italian speaking tour guides are all university graduates with many years experience and licensed by the ministry of culture and tourism. They are fluent in Italian and have received very good professional training in tour guiding, history and archaeology. They love their work and ready to offer you an excellent service.

Recommend excursion and costs are as follows:
HalfDay (4.5 hours) Temple of Artemis + Ephesus  + House of Mary
After meeting your guide drive through the fertile lands. Your first stop will be the Temple of Artemis, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Afterwards proceed to the mountain where Virgin Mary is believed to spent her 9 years. The house is approximately 1000 feet above sea level and running as an active chapel. Roman Catholics believe that Virgin Marycame to Ephesus with Saint. John 5 years after the crucification. At the age of 63 she is assumed to heaven. Altough there is no fact that Virgin Mary lived here approximately 1.5 million people visit the site each year. After 30 minutes visit to the House of Mary, drive to ancient city of Ephesus. You will be dropped at the upper gate of Ephesus with yourtour guide. Start exploring the city. You will be walking down the hill approximately 1.5hrs. You will see the Odeon, the basilica, domitian square, fountain of Trajan, Celcus library, Terrace Houses (optional),Marble street, the Grand Theater of Ephesus and the Harbour Street. You will be endng your tour at the bottom gate. Your driver and tour guidewill take you to another site or drop you at the desired location.


Cost of private excursion of Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary with an Italian speking tour guide from Kusadasi Cruise Port:

• MPV for 1-6 people: 210 Euros
• Mercedes Minibus for upto 7-11 people: 240 Euros
• Mercedes Minibus for upto 12-15 people: 255 Euros
• Bus for upto 30 people: 380 Euros

* If you agree to have an English speaking tour guide, we can offer you a minimum discount of 30 euros. For costs please contact us.

Rates Cover:

• Services of an excellent Italian speaking tour Guide 
• A/C vehicle. 
• All transportation costs.
• Tax, service charges.
• Pick up and drop off from/to Cruise Port of Kusadasi

Rates Do Not Cover:

• Entrance & Parking fees to the sites.

(Except Terrace Houses, there is no admission fee for children under 11 years old. For the proof of age, please bring passport copies with you.)

Approximate cost of entrance fees:
Ephesus: 12.5 euro per person (40 Turkish Lira)
House of Mary: 6.5 Euro per person (20 Turkish Lira)
Temple of Artemis: Free of Charge

Important Notice:
There is no prepayment required for the reservation. To avoid disappointment, we recommend to make your private Ephesus tour reservation at earliest possible.

Payment Terms:
Payment can be made in Euro or US Dollar cash at the end of the tour. There is no prepayment required. If you would like to pay with a credit card. We accept credit card payments via Paypal. Therefore we ask the payment to be made at least 1 week prior to the service date.

Cancellation Policy
You can cancel a tour 72 hours in advance of your tour departure without any charges. If you would like to cancel a tour, simply send us an email and we will  be happy to assist you. Once you are within the 24 hour tour departure window,  the tour becomes non-refundable. This is because our guide and vehicle have set  aside space to accommodate your request and will often not be able to  fill that  space with another customer so close to departure.

For more information contact us.

Selcuk is the nearest town to the ancient city of Ephesus.
Selcuk is the modern name of Ephesus. A small agricultural town, having a population of 35000 people. Due to the proximity to the ancient city of Ephesus, some travelers prefer to stay in Selcuk town. Selcuk has many small hotels. For travelers who will stay overnight in Selcuk town, we recommend visiting the farmers market on Saturdays.

Ephesus Ancient City is the highlight of the area. Ephesus is an incredible place and worth visiting, an Ancient Greco-Roman city. A person can easily spend half a day here just wandering around the ancient streets. Ephesus is a remarkably preserved UNESCO world heritage site.

Selcuk is accessible by trains from Izmir or Denizli (Pamukkale). Modern trains are operating between İzmir – Izmir Airport – Selcuk – Denizli. It is a comfortable and cheap way to travel on this route. For more information about the trains schedules to Selcuk, please visit the following link: 
Izmir, Izmir Airport - Selcuk Town (Ephesus) Train Schedules

How do you get from Selcuk to Ephesus?
Ephesus is 4 km walking distance from Selcuk. It takes approximately 30 minutes to walk from Selcuk to Ephesus Ancient City. We recommend entering from the North gate and exit from the south gate. Walking back would be tough therefore the best is to take a taxi back to Selcuk town. For the travelers who are interested we offer private walking tours of Selcuk Ephesus.

Can I tour Ephesus on my own?
Yes, you can tour Ephesus on your own. Kindly note that there is very little information in Ephesus describing what you are looking at. If you want to know more about what you see, you really need a tour guide or an audio guide.

Is Selcuk worth visiting?
​Selcuk is one of the most beautiful, perhaps world-renowned towns of Izmir. Of course, the fact that it is home to the Ancient City of Ephesus has a big share in this. But not only that, Selcuk is the place to visit and its beauties. It is a complete getaway with many historical attractions nearby.

For travelers who stay in Selcuk town or travel to Selcuk by train, we offer private airport transfers from Izmir airport and private Ephesus tours and private walking tours of Selcuk Ephesus.. For travelers who travel with rent a car, we also provide tour guide only services where our tour guide meets you in your hotel in Selcuk or in front of Basilica of St. John or Selcuk Bus Station or Selcuk Train Station. 
​For Ephesus tour guide only services, please visit: Ephesus Tour Guide Only

On certain dates we offer %20 discount. To see these dates please visit: Discounted Ephesus Tours

* If you do not have a rental car and staying in Selcuk or coming to Selcuk with train. We offer private walking tours of Ephesus, including visits to Basilica of St. John, Temple of Artemis and Ancient City of Ephesus. For more information, please visit Ephesus Walking Tours and contact us.

Suggested Ephesus Tours from Selcuk are as follows:

SELCUK - No:1
Half-Day Ephesus Tour from Selcuk​ (4 hours)
Temple of Artemis, Ephesus, House of Mary
After meeting your Ephesus local guide, drive through the fertile lands. Your first stop will be the Temple of Artemis, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Afterwards proceed to the mountain where Virgin Mary is believed to have spent her 9 years. The house is approximately 1000 feet above sea level and runs as an active chapel. Roman Catholics believe that Virgin Mary came to Ephesus with Saint. John 5 years after the crucifixion. At the age of 63 she was taken to heaven. Although there is no fact that Virgin Mary lived here, approximately 1.5 million people visit the site each year. After a 30 minute visit to the House of Mary, drive to the ancient city of Ephesus. You will be dropped at the upper gate of Ephesus with your tour guide. Start your Ephesus Walking Tour exploring the ruins. You will be walking down the hill approximately 2 hours. You will see the Odeon, the basilica, Domitian square, fountain of Trajan, Celcus library, Terrace Houses (optional), Marble street, the Grand Theater of Ephesus and Harbor Street. You will be ending your tour at the bottom gate. Your tour guide will take you to another site or drop you at the desired location.

SELCUK - No:2
Full day Ephesus Tour from Selcuk - Christian Ephesus (6 hours)
Meet with your guide in Selcuk. After a short drive, your first stop on this fascinating tour is the Basilica of St. John. From the Basilica of St. John, see the earlier settlements of Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis and the remains of the tomb of John the Apostle. Afterwards, you will continue on to visit the ancient city of Ephesus, one of the most magnificent and best-preserved ancient sites in the world. See the Agoras, Odeon, the Basilica, Curetes Street, Bath, Celsus Library, Marble Street and the Great Theater with a seating capacity of 24,000 people. Continue to the House of Virgin Mary where Virgin Mary is believed to spend her last 9 years.
​
SELCUK - No:3
Full day Ephesus Tour from Selcuk
Ephesus and Sirince Village (7 hours) 
Meet with your guide in Selcuk. Drive to one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world: Temple of Artemis. After seeing the Temple of Artemis drive to the magnificent ancient site of  Ephesus. Ephesus is the best preserved of the Greek/Roman cities in Anatolia  and  while you are visiting the ancient ruins of this magnificent site, your tour guide  will bring them alive. You will see the beautiful Celsus Library, restored and reconstructed according to its original form by the architect Friedmund Hueber  in the 1970's. The most spectacular building of Ephesus is the Grand Theater,  built during the Hellenistic age to hold 25,000 spectators. It is there that St. Paul preached. Opposite the Temple of Hadrian are the Terrace Houses, homes of  Ephesus' wealthy citizens. The city was also the hometown of great philosopher  Heraclitus. After a visit to Ephesus Antique Site, you will arrive at Sirince Village. This old Orthodox Village, 10 km from Selcuk, was once "Cirkince"(ugly). Indeed its inhabitants gave this name on the purpose as they  did not want to be bothered by foreigners nor to share the beauty of their village. Still after years, visitors understood that the village was not ugly and called it "Sirince" (pretty). Today the village is a perfect synthesis of Turkish-Greek culture as of the 1920's; after the Turkish Independence War, people exchange between Greek and Turks has occurred and all those typical Greek  houses, though they kept their original outside characteristics, have received  the local layout inside. At Sirince Village you will have a chance to see the  local life at a village and purchase some small local souvenirs and  handicrafts. The village is also famous for its local grape and other fruit wines. 

For more information and private Ephesus tour costs and availability please contact us.

Train travel to Ephesus (Selcuk)
* For travellers who will be staying at hotels in Basmane district in Izmir, we recommend them to take the 7.10am train from Basmane train station which will arrive to Selcuk at 8.34am. Our tour guide and vehicle can meet you at Selcuk train startion. After the tour you will be dropped back to Selcuk train station for your return journey. Return train will leave Selcuk at 4.04pm and arrive Izmir Basmane Train station at 5.30pm. Fortrain schedule between Izmir and Selcuk, please visit: 
Izmir, Izmir Airport - Selcuk Town (Ephesus) Train Schedules

Miletus was located by the river Meandros where English word meandering also originated from. The length of the Meandros River is 550 km. Sourced from Denizli Province and has been silting up the bay where Miletus and Priene cities are located.

First settlement dates back to 1600 BC by Minoans and Mycenaeans. According to the legend, the city was founded by Neleus, son of King Codrus of Athens. The residents were Carians and Cretans who moved here from a city having the same name. Neleus came to settle with his men and killed the resident males, forcing the women to marry the newcomers. After this took place the women swore not to sit at the same table with their husbands and also not to call them by their names and this became a tradition for the next generations. The city is also mentioned in the Hittite inscriptions as Milawanda.

In the 11th century BC Ionians came to Miletus, and by 7th century BC Miletus was at its peak which was to last for more than two centuries. Miletus colonized over 90 cities such as Sinope, Amissos, Trapezos... located at the Black Sea shores of Anatolia.

With other cities of Ionia in 499 BC, Miletus rebelled against the Persians, who had captured, burned it to the ground and enslaved its surviving population. This last battle was that of Lade (Island of Lade) in 494 BC, just outside the harbor of Miletus where the Persian fleet of 600 warships defeated the Ionian force. The role of Miletus was significant in the defeat of the Persians at the Mycale battle in 479 BC. Shortly after the battle, Miletus joined the Delian Confederacy with a contribution larger than that of Ephesus. Miletus joined this alliance with 80 ships while Priene was joined with 12 ships. Upon an agreement between the Persian Satrap and Athens, Miletus and other Ionian cities of Anatolia came under the rule of the Persians again. At the end of the 5the century BC Miletus, was ruled by the Carian satraps. Captured by Alexander the Great after a siege in 334 BC. Miletus were among the cities who fought with Persians against Alexander's Army and defended their land. After being ruled by the Seleucid Dynasty in the following years, Miletus remained an important trade center in Roman times.

In the Hellenistic period, Miletus was one of the largest cities in Anatolia with a population of between 80,000 and 100,000. Highly prosperous, it founded many colonies and was the home of the 6th century BC philosophers Anaximander, Anaximenes, and Thales, the town planner Hippodamus and architect Isidorus. Miletus seems to have produced geniuses the way Aphrodisias produced sculptors. Anaximander known as the father of geography by drawing the first map of the world. Thales was the most important among them. He was considered to be one of the 7 geniuses of the Ancient World as well as Bias of Priene and Solon of Athens. In 585 BC by calculating the solar eclipse, he became very famous. He believed that the source of life and living creations is out of water. He also calculated the height of the pyramids. Furthermore, he managed this by checking up with help of the length of a person's shadow. In the day time when a person's shadow was equal to his height, he made the calculations with the Pyramids.

We offer private tours of Miletus and Didyma. In these private tours, besides Miletus we also stop at Ancient City of Priene or Domatia (Doganbey) Village. For more information, please contact us.