One of the biggest ancient cities of the Mediterranean Ephesus, is now undergoing important restoration. The marble hall of the palace-like house in which the city’s Roman consul lived in A.D. 275 has begun to be restored, putting back together 350-square-meter walls that are now broken into 120,000 pieces.
The deputy supervisor of the ongoing excavations in Ephesus, Sabine Ladstatter, said this method was used in Italy once before, but with such a large-scale assembly will be the first in history. Excavations have been ongoing in this city for 138 years. Terrace Houses where the richest people lived are seen as the most exciting sites for excavation and restoration.
Considered to be the most important of the Terrace houses, the palatial house of Gaius Flavius Furius Aptus, the city consul, is drawing attention as a focus of excavation and restoration projects. Its magnificent 178-square-meter salon, whose walls were clothed with marble, is witnessing a major restoration. The plan is to begin with the restoration of the salon’s walls.
The walls had sunk deep into the soil over time due to numerous earthquakes. The pieces of the walls have been found through the extensive excavations, which have been going on for years. Presently the there are about 120,000 pieces that are going to be used for the restoration.
Ladstatter said they believe those pieces constitute 90 percent of the walls. She added that they are going to use laser screening to find the proper piece to put into the proper place in the wall. “What we are going to do here now is an effort to complete a puzzle composed of 120,000 pieces,” Ladstatter summarized. The restoration is expected to cost $300,000.
World’s biggest puzzle made in Terrace Houses at Ephesus,
I debated including these in our tour since there is an admission charge. DO NOT HESITATE. This was perhaps the highlight of our tour of Ephesus, which was maybe our best port of call. It's fascinating to imagine these ancient "condos" in use.
I wasn't sure what to expect but this place was amazing! It's fascinating to see how homes were in ancient times and all the time and effort used in excavation but the sights it yields. I would reccomendation this! Even the kids we were with – 9-14 enjoyed it.
When visiting Ephesus you have the opportunity of purchasing an extra ticket to enter The Terrace Houses. You would be doing yourself a disservice if you don't buy it. Whilst most ruins in Ephesus are shops, & other municipal buildings the Terrace Houses is a residence & gives you a true impression of life. The site is well protected.
Really neat place. Some of the colors on the walls are stil present which was neat. It was also soooooo hot it was nice to get into the shade. This was a big place. It does have stairs as you climb up everything. Excavaition underway makes this a really neat place.
This can compare with Pompeii and Akropolis, with it's fantastic details in mosaics and wallpaintings. If you visit Ephesus, I advice you to buy an extra ticket to get into this museum (which lies inside the Ephesus open air museum). We did a private tour to got there before the crowds from the cruiseships…
I was told about 12 years ago that these houses were going to be opened "shortly". My next 3 visits resulted in disappointment as they weren't open yet. Finally, we got in. It is absolutely spellbinding. It's like stepping back 1700 years into peoples' front rooms. And what rooms they are! This is not how ordinary people lived in Ephesus…
We booked a privatetour while on a cruise. We requested a visit to the Terrace Houses and we are glad we did. It was very interesting to see how the rich lived in ancient times. Most large tour groups don't tour the houses because they are not set up for large groups.
These are a must. Well worth the extra, a bit of a climb, but the effort is rewarded. That the original owners moved house, or redecorated is illustrated by the original frescos covered by marble.
Beautifully preserved and still a work in process. Very difficult vertical walk but well worth the visit. The area is completely covered so weather is not an issue.
Though the economically-built cover makes the visit comfortable, it really distracts from the visual enjoyment of these beautifully-preserved ruins. One can imagine the life of well-off families living here in those times. Taking photos here is facilitated by the well-planned elevated walkways. Carrying a small digital camera makes it easier to take some photos one-handed in between the scaffolds.