One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was in its final form one of the largest buildings of the ancient world — more than four times larger than the Parthenon in Athens, with 127 columns each 18 metres high. The goddess worshipped here was not quite the Greek Artemis but a local Anatolian deity associated with fertility, depicted with multiple breast-like protuberances on her torso. Her cult drew pilgrims and traders from across the Mediterranean.
Almost nothing remains above ground today except a single reconstructed column standing in a marshy field just outside Selçuk — a deeply anticlimactic sight given the scale of what once stood here. The Ephesus Archaeological Museum in Selçuk holds two magnificent marble statues of Artemis from the site, along with friezes and architectural fragments, and is essential context for understanding the temple. Allow an extra hour for the museum. To find the column, walk or take a taxi about 1 km northwest from Selçuk's main square.