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
A real peace of history and you get such a feel for what the city must have been like in its heyday.
This site was the absolute highlight of my recent trip. It is such a stunning place to visit. Walking through these historical sights transports me to another time and this place and this was the best ever. The entire site is spectacular but of course the library is the crowning glory. It is so incredible to be in a place…
You thought the building is not symmetrical but it was designed to look that way.
As you begin your walk down through the market towards the Terrace houses, you can see this magnificent facade of what was once the Celsus Library. there are so many photo ops as you walk down. there are areas where you can climb up and get a fantastic shot from a distance.
When you tour Ephesus this is a must to see. As an American we just don't see history like this in our country. A true memory that will stay with us.
This place is extraordinary ! I recomend it to everyone! Although it was very hot and there aren,t many places where you can hide from the sun everyone should visit it.
This library is well known, and one of the top attraction in ephesus. This is the only attraction which most of the building part stands still, and the architectural details even in this library columns are spectacular.
When you see the plaques and realize what they have done, where they started, how they did it, you will be amazed.
Ephesus is a must see and certainly an easy to imagine thriving city of 250,000 people in it's better days. To think it was a major trading city with a port close to the city's Agora, the marbled streets and buildings would have wowed the senses and their clean running water for public toilets and richer houses delivered through earthenware…
This is the highlight of the day in Ephesus – this is the thing to see. We were there on a cruise – we were in port in Izmir. I don't normally like to do the excursions from the cruise ships, but we did for this one because Ephesus is quite a distance from the port.