Ephesus
Turkey

Ephesus is one of the largest and best preserved classical cities in the Mediterranean and certainly the best in Turkey. A successful and affluent trading town with a well developed religious following since around 600BC, Ephesus is associated with many famous names over the years, including King Croesus of Lydia, Alexander the Great, Emperor Hadrian and St Paul.
The city was promoted to provincial capital by the all-conquering Romans and at that point really spread its wings with huge new building projects - many visible to this day. The downfall of this Asian metropolis was the silting up of the harbour and the retreat of the sea, terminating its superb trading position.
The downfall of the substantial remains of the town is tourist overload. Try to go out of season, or very early or very late, before the packaged people arrive/leave and avoid the extreme heat of midday. You will probably need three or four hours, or a whole day if you are an ancient ruin yourself.

The pleasant town of Selcuk is about 3km [nearly 2 miles] away and offers reasonable accommodation and restaurants, though carpet touts can be a pain unless you are firm with them. The local museum is well-designed and interesting while various other ancient bits and pieces are scattered around the town.
A shady 40 minute walk will get you to Ephesus or there are plenty of private and public buses on the route.

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