Temple of Artemis

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Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, Turkey

The Temple of Artemis, One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is among the most important historic sights around Ephesus, rebuilt at least five times, the Temple offered Sanctuary to those who took Refuge here.
Artemis Temple is located around 1,5 kms. inland from Ephesus Ancient City.
The location was one of the former settlements of Ephesus. 

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The massive marble temple covered an area of 10.000 square meters nearly 2,5 acres of land with 425 feet length and 220 feet width.
Temple of Artemis had 128 columns .
Artemis Temple was the product of 220 years of work.

An English engineer named Wood, who was employed on construc­tion of the Izmir-Aydin railway in the 19th cen­tury, spent his spare time excavating at Selçuk, and it was he who uncovered the Temple of Artemis in 1869. ​

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While on Ephesus Tours visitors may only view the Single standing column from the whole temple. Some of the finds from Temple of Artemis are in exhibition at Ephesus Archaeology Museum. These include some of the finest jewelry worn by the priestesses of the Temple.
So if you book a Private Tour of Ephesus including Ephesus Archaeology Museum, you are able to see these amazing pieces.

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 The original Artemision was burnt down two hundred years after it was built by a madman named Herostratus who wished his name to go down in history at any price. This act of arson is said to have occurred on the night of Alexander the Great's birth in 356 BC. ​ ​
​Five centuries later in 265 AD the temple was destroyed for the last time by the invading Goths. 
One of the seven wonders of the world, this temple was destroyed and rebuilt at least five times over the centuries.

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Those who took refuge in the Tem­ple of Artemis enjoyed protection so long as they remained and property placed here was similarly inviolate. One of these refugees was believed to be the the Sister of Cleopatra Arsinoe. She was sheltered in Artemis Temple and suggested to be buried in Ephesus City at a Place called the Tomb of Arsinoe.
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This facilitated the temple's secondary function as a bank, which both safeguarded deposits and made loans to the public from its own store of riches.

Adversities of history have treated the temple badly, however, and little remains of this monument which was once the largest and most splendid structure in the Hellenic world.