Ancient Ephesus
Walk a city named in Acts and Revelation without fastening every biblical event to a surviving wall.
- Location
- Selçuk, Turkey
- 37.9414° N · 27.3406° E
- Type
- Biblical city and archaeological landscape
- Hellenistic and Roman urban remains with later Christian monuments
A city named in Scripture
The stone streets and theatre give scale to the city where the Gospel was preached amid the commerce and worship of Roman Asia. Acts names Paul, Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos here. Revelation addresses the church of Ephesus. Read those texts as you walk, then let the ruins show the size and texture of the city rather than asking any one stone to prove a verse.
From the Acts of the Apostles to the later Church
Paul came to Ephesus with Priscilla and Aquila; Apollos was instructed there. Acts 19 places Paul’s extended ministry in the city and describes a crowd rushing into its theatre during the dispute over Artemis. The Great Theatre still defines the ancient urban landscape, though no particular surviving seat or stage can be identified as the exact fabric of that episode.
In Acts 20, Paul summons the Ephesian elders to Miletus. His farewell takes place there, not in Ephesus. Revelation 2 addresses the church of Ephesus. Later Christian monuments, including the Church of Mary, belong to subsequent centuries. Saint John’s Ephesian association rests on early Christian tradition rather than on a New Testament account of his burial.
Enter through one of the current gates and take the city on foot. The theatre opens toward the old harbor road; other public buildings show the reach of Roman civic life. Their surviving fabric spans periods, repairs, and restorations. The Church of Mary introduces a later Christian layer without turning the Roman city into a single-period backdrop.
Scripture in a real city
Let Acts and Revelation interpret the ground without turning archaeology into a verse map.
- 01 Acts 18–19 Remember Paul’s ministry and the work of Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos in this city.
- 02 The theatre Acts 19 names a theatre, but the visible structure has a long history of rebuilding.
- 03 Miletus Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders occurred at Miletus after they traveled to him.
Spiritual Significance
Pray for the Church to remain faithful to its first love, the appeal made to Ephesus in Revelation 2.
How to Visit
Allow several hours on uneven, exposed ground. The site has more than one entrance and may operate seasonal or special evening access. Check Turkish Museums for the live arrangements.
Walk the city with current access in hand
Turkish Museums lists more than one entrance and seasonal arrangements. Check its live page before choosing a gate or setting the day’s pace.
- Access
- Confirm current gates, hours, ticketing, and any conservation closure
Before arrival
Confirm which of the current gates best fits your visit and whether any areas are closed.
- Allow time for exposed, uneven ground and seasonal heat.
Continue Your Pilgrimage
Map
USCCB Acts 18–20 and Revelation 2; UNESCO Ephesus; Turkish Museums current visitor listing.
September 25, 2026
Photo credits
- Hero. Roy Egloff / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Source. CC BY-SA 4.0.