The foundation of Ephesus goes back to Neolithic period which is 6000 BC.  Archeologists found out that there were inhabitants during the Hittite Period where the Temple of Artemis stands today. The city was called Apasas which was the capital of the Kingdom of Arzawa.

Some sources say that the city was founded by the Amazons in the 3rd millennium BC. The inhabitants of this small settlement were Amazons, Carians, and Lelegians. The Amazons were a race of women warriors who lived in Anatolia. We see the mention of Amazons in the epic of Iliad and Odyssey by Homer. According to Epic of Odyssey, Amazons fought with the Trojans against the Mycaneans and Spartans in the Trojan War. 

Ephesus was famous for the Temple of Artemis (Diana). Great crowds of people were attracted to Ephesus by the cult of Artemis and her famous temple.Temple of Artemis is considered to be one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Turkey houses another wonder, which is 120 miles away from Ephesus in the Carian city of Halicarnasus. "Mausoleum of King Mausolus"

Today the modern name of Ephesus is Selcuk. A small Turkish town which has a population of 36.000 people and is located in Western Turkey. The main industry of Selcuk is agriculture. Selcuk is 60 km south of Izmir and 18 km away from Kusadasi Port.

Ephesus is one of the most preserved Greco-Roman cities of the world. It is the largest archaeological park of Turkey. Visited by 200.000 travelers annually. It is one of the main highlights of Türkiye.