Library of Celsus
Library of Celsus features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Ephesus. Give it roughly ~45 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type landmark
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Ephesus Ephesus guide
About Library of Celsus
The iconic two-storey marble facade of Ephesus fronts a Roman library that was also a tomb; the elevation standing today is a careful reconstruction from the 1970s.
The Library of Celsus was built in the early second century AD as both a public library and a monumental tomb honouring Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, a Roman senator, consul and proconsul of Asia. It was commissioned by his son, and Celsus himself is buried in a marble sarcophagus in a vaulted crypt directly beneath the floor. The reading hall is estimated to have held around 12,000 scrolls.
The two-storey marble facade uses deliberate optical tricks, with staggered columns, enlarged central bays and a slightly curved base, to appear larger than it is. Four niche statues personify the virtues of Celsus; the figures on site are casts, the originals held in Vienna. The interior was ruined in antiquity and the facade later toppled in an earthquake. The elevation standing today is an anastylosis carried out between 1970 and 1978, in which Austrian archaeologists re-erected the original fallen fragments.
Did you know? The famous facade is not an untouched ancient survival. It collapsed long ago, and between 1970 and 1978 archaeologists rebuilt it from the original fallen blocks, an approach known as anastylosis.
How long is a visit to Library of Celsus?
Set aside roughly ~45 min for Library of Celsus. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Library of Celsus worth your time?
Library of Celsus is among the 18 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Ephesus, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Ephesus
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Library of Celsus and read more:
Day 1 of the Ephesus in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Library of Celsus
Preview the Ephesus tour free in the Gingerguide app.