Ephesus to meet sea soon

İZMİR

The countdown has begun for the first phase of the Ephesus Ancient Canal Project, which is set to make the ancient city reunite with the sea again after 2,500 years in İzmir’s Selçuk district.

The ancient canal project, carried out in the ancient city of Ephesus, is expected to make a great contribution to the country’s tourism.

The State Hydraulic Works (DSI) official Saadettin Ceylan said that 94 percent of the project had been completed.

“The first phase of the project covers the area between the Pamucak Coast and the İzmir-Kuşadası Highway. We are building a 600-meter-long canal and a 250-meter-long marina with a width of 100 meters that will provide short-term accommodation for excursion boats. We achieved a physical realization rate of 94 percent in its construction. Our goal is to complete the first phase of the Ephesus Ancient Canal Project by the end of April,” he said.

The ancient city of Ephesus and its harbor were located at the starting point of the royal road where western and eastern cultures intersected for thousands of years. However, in 2,500 years, due to the alluvium brought by Little Maeander and Marna’s watercourse, the ancient city moved 9 kilometers away from the sea and took its present form.

Noting that the works at the construction site continue at full speed, Ceylan said, “We drove 1,430 bored piles for the canal entrance and marina. At the same time, we have completed the concrete production of walkways. We have laid 7,000 square meters of the 10,000 square meters of marble coating work. The project is set to be finished in three months.”

The project is made up of two phases. In the first phase, it will be constructed a 600-meter-long canal entrance and a marina. In the second phase, the area from Pamucak Beach to Ephesus Harbor will be cleaned and cut stones suitable will be laid in accordance with the historical texture along the canal. Finally, the landscaping will be organized.

With the project, it will be possible to travel to Ephesus, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on boats once again after 2,500 years.

The goal is to increase the number of tourists coming to Ephesus every year and make it one of the most important destinations in Türkiye.