The city, situated in Selçuk in Izmir Province of Turkey has been axcavated for more than one hundred years. The extensive remains are predominantly from the later Roman Period.

Its location as a starting point for the Royal Road via Sardis to Susa, its protected harbor and the Temple of Artemis which was one of the 7 wonders of the world made Ephesus the most famous city in the ancient world.

It was the second largest city of the worl with the population of 250.000 in the 1st C BC. The city has been located at different places in different times;

Ephesus I was located on Ayasuluk Hill and inhabited by ancient Anatolians, Carians and Lelegians.

Ephesus II was on the North slope of Panayir Dagi (Mt. Pion). It came to be ruled by Croesus of Lidia in the mid 6th C BC as with other cities of the Agean Coast of Anatolia then past to the Persians in 546 BC. It joined the Delian League after the Persian wars. In 334 BC it fell to Alexander the Great and to his successors, Lysimachus and Seleucid rulers.

Ephesus III was located between Panayir and Bülbül mountains. It was moved to this location by Lysimachus in the 4th C BC. Later it was controlled by Pergamon eventually passing into Roman hands in 133 BC.

Ephesus IV was located on Ayasuluk Hill due to the persisting silting up of the harbor and Arab invasions.