This library is one of the most beautiful structures in Ephesus. It was built in 117 A.D. It was a monumental tomb for Gaius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, the governor of the province of Asia; from his son Galius Julius Aquila. The grave of Celsus was beneath the ground floor, across the entrance and there was a statue of Athena over it. Because Athena was the goddess of the wisdom.

The scrolls of the manuscripts were kept in cupboards in niches on the walls. There were double walls behind the bookcases to prevent the them from the extremes of temperature and humidity. The capacity of the library was more than 12,000 scrolls. It was the third richest library in ancient times after the Alexandra and Pergamum.

The facade of the library has two-stories, with Corinthian style columns on the ground floor and three entrances to the building. There are three windows openings in the upper story. They used an optical trick that the columns at the sides of the facade are shorter than those at the center, giving the illusion of the building being greater in size.

The statues in the niches of the columns today are the copies of the originals. The statues symbolize wisdom (Sophia), knowledge (Episteme), intelligence (Ennoia) and valor (Arete). These are the virtues of Celsus. The library was restored with the aid of the Austrian Archaeological Institute and the originals of the statues were taken to Ephesus Museum in Vienna in 1910.

There was an auditorium ,which was for lectures or presentations between the library and the Marble Road, was built during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian.
#History Photo Contest
#ancient
#InStone
#Lifeatexpedia
#UNESCO World Heritage sites
#culture

Chalets in Izmir

Compare and save

Change your mind
Book hotels with free cancellation
Treat yourself
Sign in to save 10% or more on thousands of hotels
Sign in
Be picky
Search almost a million properties worldwide

Check prices for these dates

In two weeks

In two months

In three months

In four months

Our top choices for Izmir chalets

Mor Salkım Konağı

Alaçatı

Batyr

View all properties

Find holiday rentals that suit your style

Aparthotels

Villas

Save an average of 15% on thousands of hotels when you're signed in

Top Izmir Hotel Reviews

Kaya Izmir Thermal And Convention

10/10 Excellent

"Harika temiz"

ALVES HOTEL

10/10 Excellent

"Very nice hotel with all that is required for a short stay. This property is ideal as a base to visit nearby Ephesus and other interesting sites. It is located near the Izmir main station and about 10 min walk to the down town water front area. There are many take aways around serving Turkish food. The hotel is good value for money / quality"