View of the main road in Ephesus, which still bears the marks of chariot wheels. The Library of Celsus may be seen at the foot of the hill. The background is the site of the silted up harbor.

Image of the goddess Nike (Victory) in Ephesus, an important Greek and later Roman city in Asia Minor. Its fortunes declined because of invasions, earthquakes, and the silting up of its harbor. It was abandoned in the 15th century.

The Library of Celsus in Ephesus was built between A.D. 100 and 110 by Gaius Julius Aquila in memory of his father, Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaneanus, a former governor of Roman Asia, who is buried under the library. The library held 1,200 scrolls and was built facing east to make the best use of morning light; it was destroyed by an earthquake in A.D. 270. The facade was reconstructed between 1970 to 1978.

Ruins of the public bath in Ephesus. The city had several bath complexes erected by the Romans in different part of the city. Its aqueduct system was one of the most complex in the ancient world with multiple aqueducts of different sizes supporting various functions.

The public toilets in Ephesus were located in the public baths and had running water. Servants were often employed as seat warmers before the patrons used the cold stone seats. An inscription on a wall reads: "Close your eyes, count slowly to 10, and it will come."

The Great Theater in Ephesus was based on an original Greek structure. In the Roman period, it was expanded under the reigns of Domitian (A.D. 81 to 96) and Trajan (98 to 117). One estimate gives the theater's capacity as 44,000 spectators and as such it would have been the largest in the ancient world. While generally used for theatrical performances and public assemblies, it was also used for gladiatorial contests in the later imperial period.

The Great Theater in Ephesus was based on an original Greek structure. In the Roman period, it was expanded under the reigns of Domitian (A.D. 81 to 96) and Trajan (98 to 117). One estimate gives the theater's capacity as 44,000 spectators and as such it would have been the largest in the ancient world. While generally used for theatrical performances and public assemblies, it was also used for gladiatorial contests in the later imperial period.

Seating estimates for the Great Roman Theater in Ephesus vary between 25,000 and 44,000. Regardless of actual capacity, the theater was in continuous use until the 5th century A.D. According to tradition, Saint Paul preached against paganism at this site. Today, partially restored, it is used for an annual festival of culture and art.

Ruins of the Temple of Hadrian in Ephesus. The temple dates to the 2nd century A.D.; it underwent repairs in the 4th century. The structure has been partially reconstructed from surviving architectural fragments.

Terrace homes in Ephesus built on a hill opposite the Temple of Hadrian. The wealthy families lived here in six multi-family homes built on three terraces. Most homes were highly decorated and were heated by use of hot water flowing through pipes in the floors and walls. The roof of one house formed the patio or terrace of the house above it. Work on restoring the houses began in 1960.

Terrace homes in Ephesus built on a hill opposite the Temple of Hadrian. The wealthy families lived here in six multi-family homes built on three terraces. Most homes were highly decorated and were heated by use of hot water flowing through pipes in the floors and walls. The roof of one house formed the patio or terrace of the house above it. Work on restoring the houses began in 1960.

Terrace homes in Ephesus built on a hill opposite the Temple of Hadrian. The wealthy families lived in six multi-family homes built on three terraces. Most homes were highly decorated; they were heated by use of hot water flowing through pipes in the floors and walls. Work on restoring the houses began in 1960.

Floor mosaic in a terrace home in Ephesus built on a hill opposite the Temple of Hadrian. The wealthy families lived here in six multi-family homes built on three terraces. Most homes were highly decorated and were heated by use of hot water flowing through pipes in the floors and walls. The roof of one house formed the patio or terrace of the house above it. Work on restoring the houses began in 1960.

View of the port of Kusadasi on the Aegean Sea. The name Kusadasi means "Bird Island." In Byzantine times it was called "Ephesus Neopolis" and "Scala Nova" under the Genoese and Venetians. Its current name was officially adopted at the beginning of the 20th century by Turkish authorities. Kusadasi is the gateway to the Roman ruins at Ephesus. Some 95 km (57 mi) south of Izmir, it has grown since the late 1970s from a fishing village into a major tourist center serving thousands of tourists. A statue of Kemal Ataturk, the first president of Turkey and the founder of the Turkish Republic, stands on a hill overlooking the city.

View of apartment buildings in the resort town of Kusadasi on the Aegean Sea. The population of the town increases from 65,000 to 500,000 during the tourist season. Kusadasi is about a 20-minute drive from the Roman ruins at Ephesus.

Pigeon Island (Guvercin Adasi) in the harbor of Kusadasi. The island is connected to the mainland by a causeway. The fortress dates from the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1834, the castle was rebuilt and the garrison expanded. The island became the focus of the town to the extent that people began referring to the whole town as Kusadasi (Bird Island).

View of the restored castle on Pigeon Island (Guvercin Adasi) in the harbor of Kusadasi. The fortress was the center of the town's activities in the late 19th century.

Swirls of color ranging from deep olive green to bright turquoise were created by a massive phytoplankton bloom that covered the entire surface of the Black Sea on this image taken 20 June 2006. Many of Europe's largest rivers, including the Danube, the Dnister, and the Dnipro (Dnieper) dump fresh water into the sea. The sea's only source of salty water is the narrow Bosporus Strait (in the southwest), which connects it to the Mediterranean Sea through the Sea of Marmara. Northern Turkey makes up the southern shore of the sea. The diamond-shaped landmass that projects into the sea from the north is Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. Photo courtesy of NASA.

The Bosporus (near the center of the photograph), a strait that connects the Black Sea to the north with the Sea of Marmara to the south, stands out in this low-oblique, north-looking photograph. One of the world's most strategic waterways, the strait separates European Turkey to the west with Asiatic Turkey to the east. Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), one of the great historic cities of the world, sits near the Bosporus entrance to the Sea of Marmara. Photo courtesy of NASA.

A view of Istanbul as taken from the International Space Station. The metropolis of 15 million occupies both sides of the entrance to the narrow, 32 km- (20 mi-) long Bosporus Strait connecting the Mediterranean and Sea of Marmara (south, on the right) to the Black Sea (north, on the left). When this image was taken, strong currents carried turbid coastal waters from the Black Sea through the Strait and into the Sea of Marmara. The sinuous waterway and harbor on the western shore are known as the Golden Horn. Image courtesy of NASA.

The city of Gallipoli (Gelibolu in Turkish; light gray to pink area in center of photo) sits at a crossroads between the Sea of Marmara (to the right) and the Dardanelles Strait (which leads to the Aegean Sea). Water in the Strait flows in both northeast and southwest directions due to opposite surface and undercurrents. Several ships are visible in the Strait to the southwest of Gallipoli (center left). Image courtesy of NASA.

This image includes many of the islands of the East Aegean as well as part of mainland Turkey. The largest modern city in the Aegean coast is Izmir, Turkey, situated about one quarter of the image length from the top. The city is the bright coastal area near the greenish waters of Izmir Bay and southeast of the roughly triangular-shaped island of Lesvos. The lengthy island at the bottom of the photo is Crete. North of Crete, the small broken ring of islands are the remnants of the collapsed caldera of Santorini Volcano. Image source: NASA.

This northeast-looking view shows the Ataturk Reservoir and Dam, presently the largest man-made lake in Turkey. Located in south central Turkey on the Euphrates River, Ataturk Reservoir was completed in the early 1990's. The meandering Euphrates River (dark line) can be seen exiting the scene below the left center of the image. Smooth lake waters appear as dark blue, while wind-roughened waters appear light blue. The light area to the west of the dam (left center) is where rocks were quarried for the construction of the dam. Photo courtesy of NASA.

A southwest-looking photograph of south-central Turkey and northwest Syria. The Plain of Adana, an extensive agricultural region, is located northwest of the Gulf of Iskenderun (the roughly rectangular-shaped gulf near the center of the photo) and is irrigated by the Seyhan River. Adana, the largest city in the region, can be seen midway between the Gulf and the Taurus Mountains to the west. The coastlines of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel are visible along the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The island of Cyprus can be seen off the Turkish and Syrian coasts. Photo courtesy of NASA.

Mount Ararat (5,166 m, 16,949 ft) is the largest volcano in Turkey, but is not currently active. It is located in extreme northeastern Turkey, near the borders with Iran and Armenia. Southwest of the main peak lies Lesser Ararat (3,896 m, 12,877 ft). Ahora Gorge is a northeast-trending chasm dropping from the top of the mountain. Claims by different explorers to have found remnants of Noah's Ark on Mount Ararat have led to continuing expeditions to the mountain, many focusing their searches on the gorge area. Photo courtesy of NASA.

A view of Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey through the fog. The highest of its two peaks, Greater Ararat, is the tallest mountain in Turkey at 5,166 m (16,949 ft). Although located some 32 km (20 mi) from the Armenian border, the dormant volcano dominates the skyline of Yerevan, Armenia's capital. This photo was snapped after take off from the Yerevan airport.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque) in Istanbul is the national mosque of Turkey.

"Fairy chimneys" create a surreal landscape in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. Created by volcanic eruptions and shaped by centuries of wind and rain erosion, each of these structures consists of a soft cone topped by a layer of harder rock. They reach heights of up to 40 m (130 ft).

Distinctively shaped volcanic cones in the Cappadocia region of Turkey were shaped by centuries of wind and rain erosion. The soft rock is easily carved and hardens like concrete when exposed to the air. Many of these structures have been transformed into domestic dwellings.

Seagulls come to rest on one of the colorful fishing boats anchored on the shore of the Bosporus Strait in the heart of historic Istanbul.

The Topkapi Palace courtyard in Istanbul. The Palace was the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains many holy relics of the Muslim world. Construction was begun in 1459, and at its height, the complex housed 4,000 people. In 1924, a governmental decree transformed the Palace into a museum of the imperial era.