The Terrace Houses are a separately ticketed section of the Ephesus archaeological site, enclosed under a modern protective roof on the south side of Curetes Street. Seven Roman houses — built into the hillside in terraced rows from the 1st century BC through the 3rd century AD — preserve frescoed walls, mosaic floors, marble inlay, and even some original wooden door fragments.
These were the houses of the wealthy: priests, magistrates, merchants. Walking through them on the elevated glass walkways gives you something Ephesus otherwise cannot — domestic Roman life rather than civic ruins. The extra ticket roughly doubles the cost of entering Ephesus and is worth it.