Marble Street (Marble Road)
Marble Street (Marble Road) is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Ephesus audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~30 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Ephesus Ephesus guide
About Marble Street (Marble Road)
A marble-paved stretch of the Sacred Way whose pavement holds a famous carving that popular tradition, though not proof, reads as the world's oldest advertisement for a brothel.
Marble Street runs from the Great Theatre south past the Commercial Agora to the Library of Celsus, forming part of the Sacred Way that continued toward the Temple of Artemis. Its marble paving dates to the first century AD and was re-laid in the fifth century. A raised platform along the western, agora side, built under Nero, served as a pedestrian walkway separated from the wheeled traffic below. Statues of prominent citizens once lined the street, and imperial letters were carved into marble blocks for passers-by to read.
Set into the pavement near the library is a carving of a left foot, a woman's head and a heart, popularly called the world's oldest advertisement and read as directions to a brothel. This interpretation is a popular tradition rather than established fact: scholars regard both the identification of the nearby building as a brothel and the reading of the carving as far from proven.
Did you know? The carving near the library, a left foot beside a woman's head and a heart, is popularly read as directions to a brothel, but scholars consider that interpretation unproven rather than fact.
How long should you spend at Marble Street (Marble Road)?
Plan about ~30 min at Marble Street (Marble Road). That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Marble Street (Marble Road) worth visiting?
Marble Street (Marble Road) is one of the 18 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Ephesus, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Ephesus
Day 1 of the Ephesus in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Marble Street (Marble Road)
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