The Commercial Agora in Ephesus Ancient City is located at the end of Arcadiane Street, also known as Harbor Street. So that the merchants who came to the port with their ships could easily reach the commercial agora to trade. Ephesus Commercial Agora, formerly known as the Tetragonos Agora meaning square market, has a length of 110 meters. In addition, Ephesus Commercial Agora has three main gates to Harbor Street that facilitate access. The most magnificent and well-preserved of these three gates is the Mazaeus and Mithridates Gate, located southeast of the Ephesus Celsus Library. Don’t forget that it’s one of the highlights of our Private Ephesus Tours 🙂
The Commercial Agora of Ephesus was founded in the Hellenistic period in the 3rd century BC, as evidenced by the fragments of the western gate in the Ionic order. The location of the Ephesus commercial Agora, built on a large area, was chosen especially close to the port. Since the terrain of the agora is uneven, it is estimated that the ground was leveled when it was built.
Connection of Agora with Amazons
However, the area where the commercial agora was built was used before. Interestingly, excavations in Ephesus carried out in the Commercial Agora since 1987, have unearthed evidence of an early settlement of Archaic Ephesus, six meters underground. Archaeologists suggest that these may be traces of the city’s Smyrna quarter that Strabo spoke of. The Ephesians were citizens of the Smyrnaeans in ancient times when Ephesus was called Smyrna. Smyrna was an Amazon Queen who captured Ephesus, and therefore both its inhabitants and the city were named Smyrna.
Excavations of Ephesus Commercial Agora
During excavations of Ephesus Ancient City, archaeologists uncovered five successive building phases dating back to the 8th century BC. These buildings were built on stone foundations with clay walls. Over time, they were converted from one-room houses to large houses. They were abandoned in the middle of the 6th century BC, possibly due to rising sea levels. We see that a pottery kiln was built inside these houses in the 6th century BC.
Architectural Features of the Agora
The Ephesus Commercial Agora was surrounded by colonnaded porticoes, which were significantly improved during the Roman period. Although the agora first took the shape of a square in the 1st century BC, it was reconstructed many times. The Hellenistic Agora, excavated in 1977, was three meters below the current ground level. Archaeologists found a 3rd-century BC warehouse in the southwest corner, with a stoa behind it and porticoes near the west door.
Restorations of the Ephesus Agora During the Reign of Emperor Augustus
During the reign of Emperor Augustus, some changes were made in the plan of the Commercial Agora in Ephesus Ancient City. The stoas, which surrounded the commercial agora of Ephesus until that time, is two-storied, as can be seen from the stair remnants found in various places. Behind the columns were about 100 rooms that mainly served as shops but were also used as workshops, warehouses, and meeting places for guild troops. The columned rows surrounding the four sides of the -Commercial Agora in Ephesus are decorated with hundreds of statues of orators, philosophers, athletes, and officials. Only its foundations have been preserved, including the inscriptions giving valuable information about the social life in Ephesus. The agora of Augustus was severely damaged in an earthquake around 23 AD. It was quickly rebuilt and became operational 20 years later when the statue of Emperor Claudius was sponsored by Roman merchants.
Restorations of the Ephesus Agora During the Reign of Emperor Caracalla
Extensive restoration works of the Commercial Agora in Ephesus was carried out during the reign of Emperor Caracalla when new stoas with two naves were built in the early 3rd century. The Agora was damaged again in an earthquake at the end of the 4th century AD and was later repaired during the reign of Emperor Theodosius I. In this restoration, all the main structural elements of the square were repaired using architectural pieces collected from beginning to end. In the 6th century AD, the north stoa of the Commercial Agora in Ephesus Ancient City was rebuilt as a massive retaining wall supporting the artificial hill behind it. The Agora remained in use until the 7th century AD, keeping its general plan. However, it lost its original function and was used as a place for workshops such as glaziers.
What is Agora in Ancient Rome?
The word agora comes from the Greek word “agorazo” which means to bring together and in Ancient Rome it was the center of public life. The Agora was a marketplace, but it also served as a theater, council chamber, and even church. It was an important meeting place where people would gather to discuss events happening in their city or to share information. Also, people would come to the Agora to buy and sell anything from food to clothing to slaves. It would not be wrong to say that today’s big shopping malls are for Agoras.
Agora of Athens Cinematic Footage
If you would like to explore the Commercial Agora in Ephesus on-site with us, you can reach us at the links below.
Private Ephesus Tours from Kusadasi Port