State Agora of Ephesus

The administrative agora of Ephesus (State Agora) was an ancient agora of the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor, in present‑day Turkey. It was the administrative centre of the city at least from the early Roman imperial period, and it was surrounded by the main administrative buildings. The remains of the agora form part of the archaeological site of Ephesus, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The administrative agora of Ephesus should not be confused with the commercial agora of Ephesus.

History

The earliest finds at the site of the later administrative agora date from the Archaic period c. 600‑500 BC. A street and tombs of that period have been found, suggesting that the place was originally used as a cemetery. By the end of the Hellenistic period, at the latest, an agora already existed on the site.

It was the administrative centre of Ephesus from the Roman period, in the time of Emperor Augustus. It was used mainly as a meeting place rather than as a commercial centre. In the Late Roman period, between the years 200 and 300 AD, it continued to be rebuilt.

Buildings and structures

It was located in the southern part of the city, in the valley between the mountains Peion and Preon, the present‑day Panayır‑dağ and Bülbül‑dağ. It measured about 160 metres in length and 58 metres in width. A large embankment had been built for the agora in order to create a flat area.

The north wing of the agora was bounded by a large basilical stoa of three aisles in Ionic style. To the north were the bouleuterion and the prytaneion. On the south side of the agora there was a colonnade of two aisles. At its eastern end there was a Doric‑style gate. In the centre of the agora was the so‑called Temple of the Administrative Agora and to the west the Temple of Domitian. The street on the west side of the agora is known as Domitian Street, in honour of this temple, and the street on the south side as Magnesia Gate Street. The Curetes Street originated at the north‑west corner of the agora.