Ephesus by flight

General information

Destination	Category
Antalya, Turkey	Attractions/Entertainment

Program details

Ephesus: Embark on a journey into the past. Ephesus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of Turkey's biggest attractions. Once known as extremely wealthy and magnificent harbor city, today in Ephesus you can see one of the best preserved settlements of the ancient times. The Temple of Artemis, also known as "Artemision", was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Particularly interesting are the Grand Theatre, St. Mary's Church, the famous Celsus Library, the hillside houses with well-preserved mosaics and murals, the Temple of Hadrian, the Odeon, marvel paved streets, a large fountain and bath facilities.


The House of the Virgin Mary "Mother Mary's House") is a Catholic and Muslim shrine located on Mt. Koressos ("Mount Nightingale") in the vicinity of Ephesus, 7 km from Selcuk. The house was discovered in the 19th century by following the descriptions in the reported visions of “Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich” 1774-1824, a german Roman Catholic nun and visionary. The Catholic Church has never pronounced in favour or against the authenticity of the house, but nevertheless maintains a steady flow of pilgrimage since its discovery. Anne Catherine Emmerich was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 3, 2004.



Catholic pilgrims visit the house based on the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken to this stone house by Saint John and lived there until her assumption (according to Catholic doctrine) or dormition (according to Orthodox belief). The shrine has merited several papal apostolic blessings and visits from several popes, the earliest pilgrimage coming from Pope Leo XIII in 1896, and the most recent in 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI. The village of Sirince: In ancient sources, the village is called "Ephesus in the mountains" or "the old Ephesus". The people of Ephesus fled in the summer from the malaria-causing mosquitoes in the small Menderes delta. So Sirince was the summer residence of Ephesus citizens. Nowadays it is an old picturesque village whose houses differ markedly in external appearance of other villages in Turkey: White brick stone houses with large windows and tiled roofs, which are listed as historical monuments. Time seems to stand still here.


The women of Sirince offer natural olive soaps, olive oil, syrup, freshly picked fruit, herbs from the area, homemade goat cheese, wine and handicrafts. Stroll through the village, keep your camera ready to make memorable photos and taste the offered delicacies or have a good glass of wine.


Meeting/pick-up point: Pick-up at the hotel.

Duration: Full day.

Start/opening time: Between 7am and 7.30am.

End/closing time: Between 11.45pm and 1am.

Languages: English and German.

Others: Minimum 8 people, otherwise the tour could be canceled