"Ephesus (Efes) and Nearby Selcuk" a Ephesus Travel Page by Paul2001

Ephesus is generally considered to be the best preserved Roman ruins in the Eastern Mediterranean. This makes the site one of the most important attractions in Turkey and for certain, one of the most crowded.
The history of Ephesus begins with actually serving as a port for in ancient times, the seacoast was much further inland than it is today. During these times it was sort of a prosperous city-state. Unfortunately, the locals were not all that keen on military affairs and envious neighbors attacked and destroyed the place. The city was rebuilt but fell under the political control of the series of invaders that dominated the region. Eventually the city fell under the control of the Romans. They much admired the city and its premiere attraction, the Temple of Artemis. Each succeeding emperor would do what he could to enhance its beauty, hence such stunning buildings like the Library of Celsus were built. The city fell into decline when its port began to silt up. By the 7th century A.D. it was basically nothing more than a provincal town.
Thankfully, as in the case of the most great ruins, because the city was essentially ignored over the centuries, the ruins were not built over by other buildings. Therefore the city survived relatively well preserved. Today it is visited by hordes of tourists in the busloads. This means that you should visit the city early in the day. It is open from 8am to 7pm during the tourist season. It cost $10.00 for admission.