We visited Ephesus in the spring of 2013 on a private guided tour from Izmir. 

We first made a quick stop at the House of the Virgin Mary. A walk up a wooded path leads to a small brick building. The three memories which come to mind are pilgrims placing thin lit candles outside, the water running out of the house believed to have healing powers, but mainly the tour guide suspiciously spying on her boyfriend simultaneously giving a tour to a single woman! On the way down, there is a lovely view over the landscape, with Ephesus tucked in below the hillside.

After the main event (but before the obligatory tour guide trip to a rug factory!), we were brought to the (few) remains of the wonder-of-the-world Temple of Artemis, with mosque-and-castle views in the background.

We entered a temperate, busy but not-overcrowded Ephesus at the south entrance. I remember being fascinated on the walk down the colonaded street at the explanations of the guide on the plumbing of the city, how the columns were manufactured and how far the sea had retreated from where it once was. As well as the aforementioned brothel carving, mosaics and other obviously more detailed artistic sculpture, we also enjoyed the Roman board game carved into the stone. A well preserved Odeon was outshone for me by the even better preserved bathroom facilities!

The first crowning glory that the layout of Ephesus leads you to is the Library, which, as I understand it, is the largest extant Roman library in the world. I suspect that even for a seasoned Roman ruins traveller, it would still be memorable. The second highlight is the massive theatre seemingly taking over the whole hillside with a good section of the stage still preserved. We left then through the more northerly entrance. A more detailed visit was probably in order but it was our last day and when one is at the mercy of the tour guide …

The outstanding value here is reflected in, as the UNESCO text puts it, the “grand monuments of the Roman Imperial period".