Where were we? Ah yes, the Terraced Houses of Ephesus. When you bear in mind that Ephesus had the first street lighting in the world and its theatre could accommodate 28,000 people it is no wonder that the row of terrace houses facing the Temple of Hadrian and built into the very rock of the slope behind were built by the rich and famous who then lived in them at their considerable leisure. The work of archaeological restoration has been carried out under Austrian supervision and the money has been sourced by Austrian companies over the last fifteen years. In the summer you can see the work being carried out beneath the artificial roofs and inside the air-conditioned surroundings that the remaining houses find themselves in.
The mosaics are magnificent, such incredibly detailed work which has survived for over two thousand years, most of it beneath a deep player of mud and dirt. At many site of antiquity we have seen mosaics covered by sheeting with a layer of soil on top. Clearly it works.
The houses, often referred to as the "Houses of the Rich" were built according to the Hippodamian plan where the roads transect each other at right angles. The excavation work of the Terrace Houses started in 1960, but the Austrian funding came some considerable time later. The restoration of the houses is an ongoing process and every year there is something new to admire there.
In the classical period (from the 6th to the 4th century BC), the area was used as a graveyard! They don't even do that in Manchester! Three terraces were established around 200 BC on the slope of the latter Terrace Houses, by using massive stone walls (I mean massive, ten ton blocks). On the northernmost terrace, a representative dwelling house was already built in the 1st century BC, whereas on the others a handicraft quarter developed. In the course of the erection of the Roman Dwelling Units, the Hellenistic constructions were demolished and levelled.
Several wall paintings of the Terrace Houses feature drawings and graffiti which offer an insight into the everyday life of the inhabitants. The drawings mainly show gladiators, caricatures, and animals. The graffiti include names of persons, poems, and the declarations of love. Especially interesting is a group of 30 lists referring to goods and necessities of everyday life, including their prices (e.g. onions - 3 asses, caraway - 1/2 ass, entrance the thermal baths - 12 asses). One pissed-off soldier has even written how boring his guard duty is; somethings never change.
The Eastern Complex, occupying an area of about 2500 square metres, consists of private houses, built on three terraces. The most prominent building is called a domus that is a villa inhabited by wealthy individuals and several houses belonging to the middle-class citizens. The beginning of the complex dates back to the first century AD, and the houses were inhabited until the 7th century AD. Of course, in the meantime, they underwent extensive repairs and reconstructions. Each of the houses had a separate entrance from the street and was equipped with running water.
The domus was a two-storeyed house that belonged to a wealthy family. It is situated on the second terrace. Several rooms of this house have been preserved, including a courtyard, a hall, a dining room, and a private basilica. The courtyard (peristyle), surrounded by Ionic colonnades, was built at the beginning of the 1st century AD. It was restored after the AD 37 earthquake and modified around AD 300 when coloured marble revetments and a fountain in the southern part of the peristyle were added. The hall (oikos) contains a niche with a fountain covered with more coloured marble plates. The room to the south of the hall has been identified as a private basilica.
The Western Complex consisted of at least five luxury villas with peristyles or inner courtyards, perfectly preserved to our times. Many of the rooms are still decorated with frescoes and works of art, discovered during archaeological works. Also in this section, all the houses had running water, and the traces of bathrooms equipped with bathtubs have been found. There were houses in my home village that did not have running water until the 1980s...now I am not saying we are backward in Devon, but...
This complex comprises the largest collection of ancient mosaic floors from the Roman period in Western Turkey. Most of the mosaics, dating from the beginning of the 1st century to the first half of the 3rd century AD, feature geometric patterns using small black and white stones - a clear link with mosaics from Italy. Few multicolored and figurative mosaics depict Triton, Nereids, Dionysos, Medusa and a lion.
Now for some pictures!
