Tag: Private guided Ephesus tours

Private guided Ephesus tours – Terrace Houses complex
Private guided Ephesus tours – the Terrace Houses complex in Ephesus consists of luxurious residential villas, located on the northern slope of Bulbuldagi Hill, next to Curetes Street and opposite the Temple of Hadrian. So far, two housing complexes – Eastern and Western – have been excavated.
They were built according to the Hippodamian plan where the roads transect each other at right angles. The excavation work of the Terrace Houses started in 1960. The restoration of the houses is an ongoing process and every year there is something new to admire there.
In the classical period (from the 6th to the 4th century BC), the area was used as a graveyard. Three terraces were established around 200 BC on the slope of the latter Terrace Houses, by using massive stone walls. On the northernmost terrace, a representative dwelling house was already built in the 1st century BS, whereas on the other ones a handicraft quarter developed. In the course of the erection of the Roman Dwelling Units, the Hellenistic constructions were demolished and leveled.
Several wall paintings of the Terrace Houses feature drawings and graffiti which offer an insight into the everyday life of the inhabitants. The drawings mainly show gladiators, caricatures, and animals. The graffiti include names of persons, poems, and the declarations of love. Especially interesting is a group of 30 lists referring to goods and necessities of everyday life, including their prices (e.g. onions – 3 asses, caraway – 1/2 ass, entrance the thermal baths – 12 asses)”Private guided Ephesus tours”