The famous Ephesus Library was situated to the south of the Agora. This elegant monument was built in A.D. 135 by Julius Aquila In memory of his father, Celsus Polemaeanus of Sardis, Roman Senator and Proconsul of the province of Asia.
After passing through a marble-paved courtyard twenty-one meters wide one reaches the main reading-room by nine wide marble steps. There are four bases for statues at the top of the staircase The floor of the main reading room is built on arched vaults and the inner and outer walls are separated by a corridor, thus protecting the library from damp.
The walls and floor of the room were completely faced with colored marble. Across the main reading room there was an exactly placed niche for offerings; to the right and left of the round niche and on the side walls were square niches containing cupboards to hold the rolled manuscripts. On the front of the Library of Ephesus there was a two-storied gallery.
A section sixteen meters high was very richly decorated with a raised column, door ornaments and sculptural architectural monuments, carving and decoration. These carvings are to be seen in the Vienna Museum.
In a burial chamber in the lower part of the library can be seen a decorated white marble tomb in which Gaius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus was buried. The life of Celsus is related in Greek and Latin on the bases of the statues on each side of the library staircase.
History
The Library of Celsus was comissioned by the Consul Julius Aquila as a mausoleum for his father, Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, Roman governor of the Asian Provinces. It may be that Celsus was granted heroic honors, which would furthur justify the expense.
The monument was constructed between 110 and 135 AD, after which Celsus was buried in a niche on the right side of the back wall.
With a few centuries of its construction a fire destroyed the reading room and the library fell into disuse. Around 400 AD, the courtyard below the exterior steps was converted into a pool. The facade collapsed in an earthquake in the 10th century.
The Library of Celsus was raised from the rubble to its present splendid state by F. Hueber of the Austrian Archaeological Institute between 1970 and 1978.
What to See
Located next to the south gate, the Library of Celsus is 21m wide and over 16m high with a 2.4m-deep portico. The mausoleum-library originally had three stories, with galleries in the upper two stories.
Scrolls and codexes were stored in the niches, dispensed by a librarian. In total, 30 bookcases held about 12,000 scrolls. The reading room faced east in order to take advantage of the best light.
The lower niches of the facade contain four statues, which are through to represent Wisdom, Knowledge, Destiny, and Intelligence. These are replicas of the originals that are now in Vienna.
Latin and Greek inscriptions can be seen among the ruins of the library.
Quick Facts
- Names: Celsus Library; Library of Celsus
- Type of site: Mausoleum
- Faith: Roman
- Status: Ruins
- Dates: 110-35 AD
- Architecture: Classical
One of the sites that I wanted to see was the Celsus Library. Once you pass the entrance gates you go straight and downhill on the main street. After about 1/5 mile you will see the three story façade of the library.
Celsius or Celsus library is the star attraction of Ephesus which is more like an open air museum – the excavation site of what was once a great metropolis in the class of Rome and Athens before the the Mediterranean withdrew and various earthquakes buried this place to remained preserved for centuries.
This is really a review of Ephesus as a whole as we felt the place was just so impressive as an entirety we couldn't really single out specific areas. We went there as part of a two day Thomson's excursion whilst visiting Turkey in the Summer. The site really was one of the most impressive I've been to.
Amazing sight and very impressive. If we hadn't seen anything else this would have been worth a visit on its own.
Beautiful buildings, a lot of interesting stories about powerful people who lived in Ephesus. According to our guide to the library are allowed only by men. But they were bringing prostitutes through a secret passage.
We enjoyed a private tour of the Ephesus Ruins, and marveled at the sight of the library during the visit to the ruins. This area is a must-see.
This magnificant building was a highlight for me. definate photo opportunity. Our tour guide told us some facinating fact about thid library, dont forget to ask about it!
it's what i always imagined the library of Alexandria would look like, the building is stunning – so well preserved, you want to go in and find a book…if only!
This is a relatively intact ancient sight and a must see while in Turkey. The guides are very knowledgable and the walk through is moderately easy, however, tennis shoes are a must. Great craftsmanship and detail work on the Library.
This was an excellent site to visit and explore, just amazing! A definite must-see. It is really a site to behold… So well preserved.