Two thousand years ago, one of the most magnificent buildings on earth stood on the edge of what is now Selçuk: the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Today almost nothing remains — and that contrast is exactly what makes visiting it so moving. If you're exploring the region, it pairs naturally with our Ephesus guide.
A Wonder of the Ancient World
The Temple of Artemis (the Artemision) was the largest building in the Hellenistic world — larger even than the Parthenon in Athens — and the first monumental structure built entirely of marble. It had 127 columns, each around 18 meters tall, and drew pilgrims and traders from across the Mediterranean. The ancient writer Antipater of Sidon, who compiled the original list of Wonders, said it outshone all the others.
Destroyed, Rebuilt, Destroyed Again
The temple's history is turbulent. It was rebuilt several times over the centuries, most famously after 356 BC when a man named Herostratus burned it down purely to make his name remembered (which, frustratingly, worked). Rebuilt grander than before, it was later damaged by Gothic raids and gradually abandoned as Christianity spread and the harbor silted up. Over the centuries its marble was quarried away for other buildings.
What You'll See Today
Be honest with yourself before you go: what survives is a single reconstructed column, assembled from fragments found on the site, standing in a green, often marshy field — frequently topped by a stork's nest. That's it. There is no grand ruin here. But standing before that lone column, imagining 126 more just like it holding up a roof of marble, is a genuinely powerful way to grasp how much has been lost to time.
Visiting Information
Location: About 1 km from Selçuk town center — a 15-minute walk or 5-minute drive. Note that it is not inside the main Ephesus archaeological park; it's a separate, open site.
Entrance: Free. Open daily, roughly 08:30–17:30.
Time needed: 15–20 minutes is plenty.
Make It Part of a Bigger Day
Because the temple itself is a quick stop, combine it with Selçuk's other sights: the Basilica of St. John, the excellent Ephesus Archaeological Museum, and of course the ancient city itself. See how to get to Ephesus and Selçuk, and the nearby House of the Virgin Mary.
Standing before a ruin and want to know what it once was? TravelEye is a free iOS app that identifies places from a photo and translates menus and signs while you travel.