Ephesus Museum, Selçuk

The Ephesus Museum, in the centre of Selçuk, is where the movable treasures of the ancient city are kept. Run by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, it holds around eighty thousand artefacts across archaeological and ethnographic sections, as well as the Saadet Hatun Baths, a sixteenth-century Ottoman bath that is part of the complex. The collection includes the marble statues and reliefs from the monuments of Ephesus, small domestic finds from the Terrace Houses, coins, glass and jewellery, and the celebrated statues of Artemis of Ephesus, the many-breasted goddess whose cult drew pilgrims from across the ancient world. A visit here is the best preparation for the open-air site, because you see the carving, the fresco fragments and the everyday objects up close, with the labels and context that the ruins lack. The museum is small enough to see in an hour or so, it is cool and shaded on a hot day, and it is typically far quieter than Ephesus. The Ministry lists it as open every day, with an audio guide available.

The Artemis statues are the stars, and they are worth lingering over. The goddess was the great mother figure of Ephesus, worshipped in the vast temple that counted among the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the statues show her with a distinctive tiered, ornamented torso that scholars still debate. Other highlights include reliefs, portrait busts of Roman emperors and notables, mosaics and the bronze and glass objects that bring the city to life. Display design is modern, with clear labels in English, and the museum has been developed with new sections open to visitors.

Use the practical details. The Ministry lists hours from early morning until late afternoon, with the ticket office closing about half an hour earlier, and no closing day, but seasonal hours change, so confirm on the official page. Foreign visitors buy a separate ticket from the Ephesus site, though some regional museum passes cover both. It is a short and easy walk from many Selçuk hotels, the Basilica of St John, the Isa Bey Mosque and the station, which makes it an ideal stop for the end of an afternoon or for a rainy day.

The best order is to visit the museum first, then Ephesus, so that you recognise the objects in their original setting, or the reverse if you want to see the finds that answer your questions. If you are on a tight schedule, prioritise the Artemis statues, the Terrace Houses finds and the small gallery of everyday objects. The museum is also the easiest way to understand why Ephesus mattered, so it rewards visitors who like to read labels and look closely.