Curetes Street in Ephesus Ancient City

Curetes Street in Ephesus, in addition to being the most famous main street, has a wonderful view. So it is one of the spots where our guests take the most photos in our Private Ephesus Tours organized by Best Ephesus Tours. Curetes Street extends from the Ephesus Celsus Library to the Gate of Hercules. You can consider Curetes Street of Ephesus as a link between the political and commercial parts of Ephesus. So that the Hercules Gate is the entrance to the political area of Ephesus Ancient City. The reason why there are Hercules reliefs on the gate is the show power and instill fear in those who want to access the political part of Ephesus.

Curetes Street in Ephesus Ancient City
Curetes Street in Ephesus Ancient City

Curetes Street in Ancient Times

In ancient times, Curetes Street was called Embolos, which means a wedge, since this name is confirmed not only in literary sources but also by inscriptions found on the street and in the area of ​​​​the Commercial Agora. This name is probably due to the street’s location in the narrow valley between two hills. The current name of Curetes Street comes from the priests named Curetes, who took care of the eternal flame of Hestia in the Prytaneion, where their names are written.

Virtual Reconstruction of Curetes Streeet in Ephesus
Virtual Reconstruction of Curetes Streeet in Ephesus

Older Than 1000 Years Old!

Surprisingly, Curetes Street is at least a thousand years old, as evidenced by the excavations. The oldest archaeological traces of the Curetes Street in Ephesus excavations date back to the 3rd century BC. During this period, the lower street consisted only of a gravel road. However, during the Roman period, the street was paved with marble stones. As can be seen from the virtual reconstruction above, once there were statues, fountains, and shops along Curetes Street and some of those were two stories high. There was also a very well-developed sewer system under Curetes Street.

Curetes Street Ephesus in Summer
Curetes Street in Summer

Earthquakes in Ephesus

When you look at Curetes Street today, you might see some architectural confusion. The main reason for the confusion in architectural styles in Curetes Street in Ephesus is that it was frequently damaged by earthquakes in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. For this reason, the buildings along Curetes Street were damaged many times and then renovated again and again. After the earthquake in the 4th century AD, the collapsed columns were replaced with columns collected from Prytaneion (Town Hall) and various parts of the city.

360° Video of Curetes Street in Ephesus


If you would like to explore Curetes Street in Ephesus on-site with us, you can reach us at the links below. Best Price, %100 Satisfaction Guaranteed!

Private Ephesus Tours from Kusadasi Port

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