• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • About Tammilee
    • About John
    • Blog Bucket List
    • Advertise/PR Requests
    • Contact Us
    • Disclosure/ Privacy Policy
  • 🍹Cocktails
  • ✈️ Travel
    • Cruise Travel
  • 🌮 Recipes
  • ❤️ Holidays
    • New Years
    • Valentines Day
    • Mardi Gras
    • St. Patrick's Day
    • Easter
    • Cinco De Mayo
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Best Crock Pot Recipes
  • Travel
  • Cleaning and Organization
  • Product Review
×

Home » Travel » Europe » Turkey

TerraCotta Houses of Ephesus Turkey

Published: Aug 12, 2015 · This post may contain affiliate links

During our Mediterranean cruise, we had the chance to visit the TerraCotta Houses of Ephesus in Turkey. This was our second time visiting Ephesus and we honestly can't wait to go back again. Each time we have visited Ephesus we have learned more about the history of the location along with just falling in love with the area.

It is hard to imagine as you walk through the TerraCotta Houses that they were first built in the 1st century BC. They were rebuilt in the 2nd century BC. These houses had running hot and cold water along with other amazing innovations.

Outside of Terra Cotta Houses

Contents

  • TerraCotta Houses of Ephesus Turkey
    • Travel tips for visiting the TerraCotta Houses in Ephesus
    • Additional Mediterranean Cruise Articles

TerraCotta Houses of Ephesus Turkey

The TerraCotta Houses are now under a viewing cover to help protect them from the hot Turkish sun, wind, and other elements. We visited on an excursion from the cruise but you can also purchase tour tickets on-site to view the houses.

Work on Terra Cotta Houses from the iside

Restoration inside Terra Cotta Houses

As funding is available archaeologists and researchers are actively working in the houses. It looks like a giant jigsaw puzzle of clay pieces that they are trying to put together. There are literally thousands and thousands of pieces of materials that the researchers are working on inside the terracotta houses.

looking inside Terra Cotta Houses

Looking down inside Terra Cotta Houses

The TerraCotta Houses of Ephesus were built on the slopes of Bulbul Mountain opposite of Hadian's Temple. These houses were for the rich and important citizens of Ephesus. They had hand painted wallpaper decorations and gorgeous mosaic rugs built into their houses.

The houses are three levels with hot and cold water running through them. Our guide told us that many of the water pipes could still hold water to this day without leaking.

lion Terra Cotta House

Lion on floor of Terra Cotta House

Beautiful tile work in Terra Cotta Houses

The mosaic rugs were my favorite part of the tour. It is hard to believe how intricate the designs are and how old they are.

Clay pots inside Tera Cotta Houses

Glass Walkways inside Terra Cotta Houses

Travel tips for visiting the TerraCotta Houses in Ephesus

If you are taking a cruise excursion your ship may offer different tours to Ephesus. The TerraCotta House is normally a separate tour within the Ephesus Tour. You may have the choice of visiting the TerraCotta houses or the House of the Virgin Mary depending on the cruise line.

There are stairs to access the three levels of the TerraCotta Houses. The stairs leading down from the houses are not perfectly even and may be difficult if you have any mobility restrictions.

You can purchase tickets to view the TerraCotta Houses at the main entrance of Ephesus if you are visiting on your own.

There is not a lot of shade while visiting Ephesus be prepared with sun protection, hats, and other coverings.

The pathway leading to the TerraCotta Houses is not even. Comfortable sturdy shoes are recommended to walk through Ephesus. If it rains the pathway is slippery.

Additional Mediterranean Cruise Articles

Cats of Greece

Epic Guide to Sunset in Santorini

Athens Greece Travel Tips

Visiting Mykonos by Cruise Ship

St. Johns Monastery and the Cave of the Apocalypse -Patmos, Greece

Check out all of our Mediterranean Cruise Guides

More Turkey

  • Photo tour of Ephesus Turkey
  • Cats of Greece and the Mediterranean

About Tammilee

Lifestyle blogger who travels the world and drinks too much Chai tea. Travel blogger, award winning photographer, sunset hunter, Birkenstock girl, bird nerd
You can find Tammilee on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shaney Vijendranath

    August 13, 2015 at 12:21 pm

    Wow, I've never heard about this place. My husband visited the country years ago. He took out some stunning pictures! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    Reply
  2. HilLesha

    August 13, 2015 at 9:41 am

    I love how most of it is fully intact. Simply beautiful! Turkey is one place that I'd love to visit someday. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Erin

    August 13, 2015 at 9:37 am

    Wow! I would so love to see Turkey! Its just beautiful there! I never thought it would be so lovely.

    Reply
  4. Uplifting Families

    August 13, 2015 at 8:50 am

    This looks like a neat place to visit. It is amazing how different the houses are built in different areas. Thank you for sharing your visit.

    Reply
  5. Jesica H

    August 13, 2015 at 6:07 am

    This was so interesting to read! I love the photos! It would be so amazing to see before and now photos, or take a walk through back then!

    Reply
  6. Annemarie LeBlanc

    August 12, 2015 at 9:15 pm

    It is really amazing to be able to view these things that existed long long time ago. The intricate designs, the engineering marvels are just stunning.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Footer

  • About Us ~ Tammilee Tips
  • Advertise/PR Requests
  • Disclosure/ Privacy Policy
  • Frequently Asked Questions


Copyright Tammilee Tips LLC 2022 Log in