Discover Ephesus and Top Destinations in Western Turkey with an expert tour guide and a TripAdvisor Winner for 12 consecutive years.
History of Priene - Private Priene ToursPriene is located 40 minutes drive from Kusadasi. An ancient Ionian city founded on the slopes of Mount Mycale (Samsun Dag). Samsun name is derived from the word "Sampson" which Preiene used to be called in the middle ages. The ancient harbor city of Priene probably changed its location when the silt of the Meander River threatened to bury it. Now it is nearly 10 miles from the sea. The original place of the city has never been found but it was probably a peninsula with two harbors. Priene was a small settlement with about 4 or 5 thousand inhabitants and never of great political significance it shared the same history as the other Ionian cities. Priene was laid out on a Hippodamian system of grid plan at the foot of a spectacular cliff on Mount Mycale and contained many famous examples of Hellenistic art and architecture. All the streets intersect at right angles forming insulas (blocks). The city consists of 80 equal insulas. The distance between the insulas are same. Insula sizes were 120 feet by 160 feet. Each block had 4 or 8 houses (30 feet x 80 feet = 2400 feet2) with highly developed drainage system. The houses in Priene are very similar to Pompeii houses (Pompeii was under the flames of Vezuvius in 79AD). Like buildings in warm climates houses had very high ceiling between 15-20 feet. They do not have any windows. Door rooms opening the courtyard helped for lighting. During the Roman period, houses had many changes. Some were combined. It is believed that the founder of the city is Aegyptus, son of Belus, grandson of Kodros. The followers of Aegyptus were the inhabitants of an abandoned Ionian city of the same name in 350BC. The first foundation of the city goes back to 9th century BC. The reasons of the migration most probably silting of the port and maleria caused because of swamp fields. City was ruled by the Lydian empire till 545BC. In 545BC Persians took the control of the city. In 499BC Priene was in Attika-Delos Alliance against the Persians. It joined in the Battle of Lade with 12 ships in 494 BC against Persians. Alexander the Great assigned the city to watch the unreliable city of Miletus. He also lived in the city and paid for the construction of the Athena Temple. The house which is believed to be inhabited by Alexander the Great is House No. 22. After A staue of the Alexander is found here which is displayed in Berlin today. After Alexander left Priene, house was used as a sacred place for worship. After flourishing during the Hellenistic and passing through the Pergamene Kingdom periods the city declined under Roman rule. Excavation began at the site in the early years of the 20C and the city has been partially restored. Acroplis is 230m over sea level. There are 3 main entrances to the city. The city is organized in four districts, the religious (Athena Temple), the political (bouleterion and prythaneion), the cultural (Theater) and the commercial (agora). In addition to the Athena Temple, the people of Priene built shrines dedicated to Zeus, Demeter and Egyptian gods. The Theater is a 4 or 3C BC building and one of the finest extant theaters of the Hellenistic world. Although it was rebuilt in the Roman period it still remains as typically Hellenistic as the city of Priene itself. The theater was carved into the hillside and held a capacity of 6,500 people. Five marble seats with arms were provided for priests and dignitaries. These seats were built in 2nd c. BC. Each has writing saying " These honour seats were dedicated to Dionysus by Nisios, the son of Diphilos the Agonothes". Agonothes were in charge of theatrical plays, musical performaces, races, competitions and feasts dedicated to Dionysos. The artists were considered as under the protection of Dionysos because of this they were considered such as a religious group or sect. They had tax and security prividledges. In the middle of the prohedria there was an altar which was sacred to Dionysus. Performances used to start with sacrificial rites. The proskene is well-preserved and consists of a colonnade supported with 12 Doric half-columns. The skene had an upper floor which no longer stands. Plays during Hellenistic period were held at the orchestra. During Roman peiod one storey was added to the skene. Plays were held at the 2 second floor of the skene. Political speeches were also made here, each speech was limited by the help of a water clock. Archeolgits still have doubts how the water clock was working. The Bouleterion is the most intact in Anatolia today. It was used for meetings of the town council. The bouleterion consisted of seats on three sides with a capacity of 640 people, and was covered with a wide wooden roof. The sacrificial altar was placed in the middle of the arc of seats. The Prytaneion is located to the east of the bouleterion. It was the seat of the elected city administration and housed official receptions. Rooms were set around the courtyard. The shrine of Hestia was in an inner chamber where the eternal sacred flame was burned. The Temple of Athena Polias was rebuilt in 334 BC as a gift from Alexander the Great and was a standard Ionic structure with eleven columns along its sides, six at the ends (peripteros) and two in antis. Alexander`s name was encarved on the front side of the pro-naos walls. Today this encarving is located in British Museum. Athena Polias was the goddess of Priene and protectress of the city. The proportions of this temple were taken as a classical model. The architect of the Athena Temple was Pytheos who also built the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. In side the temple in the cella, over the cult was Athena`s statue which was the copy of the Athena Porthenos statue of Parthenon in Athens. The statue was made of marble and ivory gold and brass plated. Agora, did not only serve for trade but also feasts and political discussions. Statues of the the important people were erected in the agora. Sacred gallery was donated by the Royal family. The rents from the shops in the sacred gallery were used for the construction of Athena temple. Macellium (Meat & fish market) was located on the west side of the agora having two stone tables. Port of the city (Naulokhos) was located 3 miles away from the city. The city had 2 gymnasions named as Upper and Lower. Both had bath complexes. On some stones names of the ephebos (young male students) can still be seen. Most of important person who was born in Priene is Bias who lived in the city in 6th c. BC and considered among the 7 most genius of the ancient world. After he died, the city constructed a temple dedicated to him as Biantion. Same is practiced for Alexander. Alexander the great is believed to stay in the city of Priene in 334BC. It is not known how long Alexander the Great stayed here. The house he lived later on named as Alexeraion. Archaeologists also discovered a synagogue from 4th century AD. Menorah of the syanaggue can still be seen today on one of the remaining columns. Panionion was in the territory of Priene. It was the religious alliance of 12 Ionian cities but not a political one. The temple was dedicated to Poseidon. This was the reason that Ioanian cities never got united. President of Panionion was always from Priene. Panionion : is the place where 12 allied Ionian cities gather their meetings. In the locality there is a Poseidon Temple which started being used in 8th c. BC. Ionian cities were gathering in Pananion to discuss political and reliogous subjects. There were also festivals made here, during the festivals there were competions and games were organized. The territory was ruled by Priene. Always Priene leaded the alliance. One can notice an odeon and a small theater as well as the Poseidon Temple. We offer custom private tours to Ancient City of Priene. These private tours can be combined with Miletus, Didyma and/or Doganbey Village. For more information please contact us. Pictures from the Ancient city of Priene.
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Private Ephesus Shore Excursions for Royal Caribbean Cruise PassengersKusadasi is a very popular port of call for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. In 2023, 29 port of calls will be made by Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships: Odyssey of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas. Odyssey of the Seas of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line will have several port calls to Kusadasi Port in 2023. During the 12 Night Greece, Turkey, Israel Cruise with Overnight In Athens and 7 Night Greek Isles Cruise, Odyssey of the Seas will be calling to Kusadasi Port. Kusadasi is the gateway to the famous archaeological site of Ephesus. We are proud to announce that we provide exclusive private Ephesus shore excursions for Royal Caribbean passengers from Kusadasi Port. Our tours are better value than Royal Caribbean Ephesus Shore Excursions. All of our private tours are guided by local licensed tour guides. There is no prepayment required to book a private Ephesus shore excursion. You can book your shore excursion by filling us a the contact form or sending us a WhatsApp message. By booking your private Ephesus shore excursion with us. You will avoid waiting in the lines and make the most out of your visit with 5-Star Ephesus Shore Excursions. Let’s discover together the Top Highlights of Ephesus.. A guided tour will make your visit alive in order to appreciate the best experience of Ephesus. How far is the cruise port in Kusadasi from Ephesus? The direct drive from Kusadasi to Ephesus is 12 miles (18 km) and should have a drive time of 25 minutes. There is almost never any major traffic. How much is a taxi from Kusadasi to Ephesus? For more information and recommended tour programs contact us or visit: Private Ephesus Tours from Kusadasi Private Tours of Ephesus and Pamukkale for Windstar Cruises Passengers: Wind Star, Star Pride and Star LegendWindstar cruises will start making 7 Days Athens to Athens cruises and will call to Kusadasi Port. Wind Star, Star Pride and Star Legend of Wind Star Cruises will call to Kusadasi Cruise Port. First Call will be on May 7th by Wind Star during 7 Night Treasures of the Greek Isles Cruise.
We provide exclusive private tours of Ephesus and private tours of Pamukkale (Hierapolis) for Windstar Cruises Passangers from Kusadasi Port. For more information please click the following links: Ephesus Tours from Kusadasi Port Pamukkale Tours from Kusadasi Port Besides Kusadasi, Wind Star will also call some of the Greek Isles such as Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes and Turkish port of calls such as Bodrum and Istanbul. If you need dependable tour operator contacts, we may assist you in finding some names since we co-operate with tour operators all over the world. For more information, please contact us. Private Ephesus Tours with Japanese Speaking Tour GuidesWe are offering private tours of Ephesus with Japanese speaking tour guides. We do pick ups and drop offs from Kusadasi Cruise Port, Kusadasi Hotels, Izmir Cruise Port, Izmir Hotels and Izmir Airport. With this Ephesus tour, Japanese speakers can visit ruins of Ephesus, with a Ephesus private guide. Guests will have time to admire the ancient temples, baths, and Roman villas. Explore the excellent ruins of Ephesus in Japanese. Learn about the history of this ancient Roman city with an Ephesus private guide. Visit the temples, thermal baths, library, theater and Roman Villas. All of our Ephesus private guides are licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Tourism. We will assign you a fluent Japanese speaking tour guide. You will explore Ephesus in your native language. How long is the Ephesus tour? Ephesus walking tour takes generally 2.5 hours in the Ancient city of Ephesus. Ephesus is a very big archaeological park and so far only %12 of the site has been excavated. Where is modern day Ephesus? Modern day Ephesus is located in Selcuk, Turkey. The modern name of Ephesus is Selcuk. Selcuk is a small town located in the Izmir Province of Western Turkey. For more information about private Ephesus tours with Japanese speaking tour guides, please contact us. Ephesus Tour with Turkish BreakfastHave breakfast like Turkish people do. In this private tour we will take you to Kirazli Village to a venue where locals and visitors meet, eat and have fun. This breakfast tour will tempt you with traditional Turkish breakfast delights. Enjoy Western Turkey from a local perspective. Tour Program After meeting with your tour guide at the Kusadasi Port or hotel in Kusadasi, drive through the agricultural fertile fields to Kirazli Village. Relax and enjoy a traditional Turkish breakfast at the grounds of a village house. Enjoy organic gozleme (filo dough stuffed with feta cheese and spinach), home made jams, honey, organic butter, tomatoes, cumcumbers, cage free eggs, Turkish tea... Chat with locals, learn about Turkish traditions. After this feast drive to downtown Kirazli village to wander through the streets of the village. See local people and traditional Turkish Village life. Afterwards drive to Ephesus and ancient city, the highlight of the area. Walk through the archeological park of Ephesus for 1.5 hours. See the Odeon, Domitian Temple, Agora, Hadrian Temple, Trajan Fountain, Celcus Library, Grand Theater of Ephesus, Harbour Street.... Depart Ephesus for the Temple of Artemis, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world before heading back to the Port of Kusadasi. For more information, contact us.
Private Ephesus Tour for Malaysian Celebrity Chef Wan
Today, we had the pleasure to serve a Malaysian Celebrity Chef and his friends. Chef Wan, chose our services. It was a great pleasure to meet with Chef Wan. We provided a private tour of Ephesus, visiting Ephesus ancient city, House of Virgin Mary and the Basilica of St. John. Below please find the comments of Chef Wan on instagram about our services.
We offer Private Ephesus Tours for Malaysian travellers. For more information about our private Ephesus tours, please visit: Ephesus Private Tours and contact us.
Ancient Pottery and Ceramic Arts Tour of EphesusPottery has been made in Ephesus since 6000 BC. Explore extensive ancient history of Ephesus and traditional crafts on a private tour from Kusadasi, Selcuk and Izmir. Ephesus Pottery Tour is designed for enthusiasts, potters and anyone interested in ancient art. On this journey you will discover the ancient historical sites and the incredible pottery and ceramics of Ephesus. Ephesus Pottery and Ceramic Arts Tour is the perfect for pottery lovers and those curious about crafts to see and handle thousands of pots besides visiting the highlights of the area such as: Ephesus Ancient City, Temple of Artemis and House of Virgin Mary. Learn and practice Ancient Greek PotteryYou will discover unique cups, plates, vases and teapots, as well as decorative vases and sculptures. You will visit a local potter and learn about Ancient Pottery and Cini (Iznik Pottery) Art of Ottoman empire. The ones who are interested will have an opportunity to make a pot on a kick wheel like in the ancient times. You will have the opportunity to create your own handmade piece of art.
The renowned gallery of pots and other ceramic products are also presented on the spot, The range of high quality crafts will inspire you! Maybe you're looking for a one of a kind gift. Perhaps you need a distinctive piece of ceramic to serve your favorite main dish. Or an amazing vase to display fresh flowers. Ephesus Pottery Tour offers a variety of art pieces to choose from. For more information about Ephesus Pottery and Ceramic Arts Tour please contact us. Частные экскурсии в Эфес из Паломы Паши и клуба Marvy в Оздере с русскоговорящими гидами.У вас есть прекрасная возможность посетить древний город Эфес, пока вы находитесь в прекрасном городе Оздере в Измире. Мы заберем вас из вашего отеля в Оздере и поедем в Эфес. У вас будет дневная экскурсия по Эфесу и Деве Марии, которая включает в себя профессионального русскоговорящего гида, обед и роскошный транспорт. По окончании программы мы доставим вас обратно в отель в Оздере. У вас есть прекрасная возможность посетить древний город Эфес. Если вы ищете выдающееся открытие Эфеса. Частный тур может быть для вас правильным вариантом. Все наши туры могут быть адаптированы в точном соответствии с пожеланиями наших клиентов.
Наши опытные русскоговорящие гиды и роскошные автомобили позволят вам стильно посетить все районы. Наши гиды с радостью поделятся своими знаниями о турецкой культуре, истории и археологии, чтобы наши гости могли пройти незабываемый, интересный и информативный частный тур. Наша цель - организовать ваш тур по Эфесу и дать вам возможность познакомиться с Эфесом удобным и гибким способом. Свяжитесь с нами сегодня, чтобы получить дополнительную информацию. WhatsApp: +90 536 22 55 658 Private Christian Heritage Tours of EphesusMake a Devotional Excursion to the Sites of Faith in EphesusThe land we now call Turkey was once known as Asia Minor. There are many references to the sites in Asia Minor in the new and old testaments. Since its inception licensed tour guides and comfortable modern vehicles have been taking hundreds of visitors on pilgrimage to discover and enjoy their rich Christian heritage and biblical history in the Ancient City of Ephesus. Experience Ephesus from a unique perspective! See how God has stamped His indelible mark on the landmarks, monuments and memorials. You will carry away an unforgettable appreciation of what God's men and women have achieved in laying the foundations for christianity. Capture the deep, rich, Christian heritage of Ephesus and the people who founded it such as St. Paul, St. John the Apostle and Virgin Mary...Our licensed tour guides have long experience of guiding Christians through their heritage in Ephesus. Ephesus has been a hotbed of spiritual and philosophical genius for centuries. Come and find out about the people who changed the world. Ephesus Travel Guide Christian Heritage Tours have a large range of itineraries for those wishing to explore the roots of Christian faith. There is no greater feeling than standing at the very sites where major religious events took place - Grand Theater of Ephesus, where a riot started against St. Paul by silversmith Demetrius and the first church dedicated to Virgin Mary which housed the third ecumenical council. When you travel with Ephesus Travel Guide Christian Heritage Tours, you know that your trip is designed and organised by people with an intimate knowledge of Christian travel and years of experience in arranging specialised tours. Through our excursions, we seek to show that Christianity was and still is a living faith with the power to change people and shape history. Check our selection of private Ephesus tours which combine faith based travel while experiencing the local culture and cuisine. Learning about the lives of the most beloved and influential Christians is another magnificent way to deepen your faith. For more information about Christian Heritage Tours please contact us. Ephesus Private Tour Review by Harris ArmstrongWe have just received the following Ephesus Tour Review by Harris Armstrong whom we served in December: Dear Denizhan, Private Ephesus Tours for Princess Cruises Passengers: Enchanted Princes and Island PrincessEnchanted Princess and Island Princess of Princess Cruises will call to the Port of Kusadasi in 2021. First call will be made by Enchanted Princess on October 17th during 11 Night Grand Mediterranean Cruise. It is our pleasure to be in service to Princess Cruises passengers for their needs of private tours to Ephesus from Kusadasi Port. We organize custom made private guided tours of Ephesus with English, Spanish, Russian and German speaking tour guides at competitive prices. For more information please contact us. Ephesus Tour Review by Alan J RewJust received the below e-mail from a client that we served last month. We are very gald that our guests are pleased with our services.
Hello Denizan, Firstly I would like to say how pleased all our group were with Sam (Sami) as our tour guide on September 28th. He was very knowledgeable on subjects we talked to him about and on the sites themselves. He was also a lot of fun to be with. The bus size was perfect for our 12 and it was in excellent condition. Also it was punctual. Ephesus, was a real surprise and a highlight to the group, we talked about it a lot. We had a lovely Gozleme lunch at a small village which everybody enjoyed. And we got back in time for the girls to spend some time shopping in the bazaar. Some may even want to return to Turkey, at varying times, as a result of the visit and the service we received. Please pass on our expressions of thanks, from all of our group to Sam (we had to teach him Aussie, Aussie Aussie), and let him know that if he is in Perth (which I believe he may be) he is welcome to contact us. My details below. We would be happy to recommend your company to any fellow travellers. I also did a review on Trip Advisor per below. Kind Regards Alan J Rew Financial Controller Galaxy Resources Limited Tripadvisor Review about our Ephesus Tour Guide: Mehmet CibikciWe have just receved the following tripadvisor comment for our Ephesus Tour Guide : Mehmet Cibkci and driver Samet : We almost have 200 reviews on our tripadvisor page. If I had to pick one favorite day of our one month vacation in September 2013, it would be our day at Ephesus we booked with Denizhan Pekoz TransBalkan Tours. Our group of 4 able adults docked at Izmir Port and only had a 5.5 hours stop. Since Izmir is 1 hour 15min drive to Ephesus, we only had 3 hours to tour. Many ship and private tours could/would not accommodate my request. We wanted to see the Ancient City of Ephesus, INSIDE the Terrace Houses with a very short stop at Mary's house or Temple of Artemis. We did not want the carpet or leather factory tour or lunch since our time was short. Our driver was Samet and guide was Mehmet. They were both very nice. कुसदासी और इज़मिर से अंग्रेजी बोलने वाले टूर गाइड के साथ भारत के यात्रियों के लिए इफिसुस का निजी दौरा।
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Ephesus Travel Guideby TransBalkan Tours is a fully licenced tour operator since 1963 and a member of TURSAB. Ephesus Tour from Kusadasi Port
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Ephesus Travel Guide by TransBalkan Tours is a fully licenced tour operator and a member of TURSAB. License: A 776.