As a booklover, I adore libraries, and I spend many happy hours working and researching in my local library.
Libraries have been around since ancient times, and today I thought I’d highlight the Library of Celsus at Ephesus in Turkey. This is one of the best preserved ancient libraries, and it was built to commemorate Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus.
Over the centuries the library was damaged by earthquakes and locals plundered the materials to build their homes and other buildings. While some of the facade has been rebuilt, the Library is still very impressive. The first glimpse a visitor receives is down a long avenue.
This is the avenue leading down to the Library of Celsus. This is a very popular tourist attraction and it’s very busy with people year around.
Close up views of the Library of Celsus. (Click on photos to see a larger view) The facade is decorated with reliefs – the same fashions in use in Rome at the time. The building was both a library and a mausoleum for Celsus who is buried in a stone sarcophagus below the library.
A bit different from my local library but definitely fascinating.
Wow, those pictures are amazing.
Thanks, Mary. It’s a really interesting place. When it was at its peak, the sea came right up to Ephesus, but it has now receded.
Great pictures, but I wonder how the wifi connection is. ha ha!
LOL – nope, no wi-fi there!
Those pictures are amazing. Can you imagine what it was like when it was first built?
Very impressive, I’d say. It’s still impressive in its ruined state.
How pretty! I wish they still built things like that these days. Our library…not so impressive. lol
LOL – our library isn’t quite as impressive either!