TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS IN EPHESOS, TURKEY

The Temple of Artemis in Ephesos is one of the 7 Wonders  of the world and the first marble temple of the Ancient world. Like all the  other Artemis temples, it was faced to the west. The Temple was designed and constructed in the 6th c. BCE. Early construction was built at the expense of  Croesus, the wealthy king of Lydia.
The rich foundation deposit of more than a thousand items has been recovered: it includes what may be the earliest coins of  the silver-gold alloy, electrum. Marshy ground was selected for the building site as a precaution against future earthquakes. The temple became a pilgrimage site and tourist attraction, visited by merchants, kings, and travelers. Many paid homage to Artemis in the form of jewelry and various goods.

The temple was a widely respected place of refuge, a tradition that was linked in tradition with the Amazons who took refuge there, both from Heracles and from Dionysos. The temple  of Artemis in Ephesos was destroyed on July 21, 356 BC in an act of arson  committed by Herostratos. According to the story, his motivation was fame at any cost, thus the term 'herostratic fame'. That very same night, Alexander the Great  was born. A noble Ephesian remarked that Artemis was too busy with Alexander's  delivery to save her burning temple. Years later, Alexander offered to pay for the  Temple's rebuilding, but the Ephesians refused. Eventually, the temple  was  restored after Alexander's death, in 323 BCE. This reconstruction was itself destroyed during a raid by the Goths in 262.The Ephesians rebuilt the temple again. Following the next two centuries, the majority of Ephesians converted to Christianity. In 401, the temple was finally destroyed by a mob led by St. John Chrysostom, and the stones were reused in construction of other buildings. Including the Church of Hagia Sophia located 450 miles north of Ephesus in the city of Constantinopolis (Istanbul today). Some of the green columns located in Hagia Sophia originaly belonged to the Temple of Artemis.
Most of the physical description and art within the Temple of Artemis comes from Pliny,a traveller who visited Anatolia, Greece and North Part of Africa in the 3rd century BCE. He wrote a book describing the 7 largest buildings of the ancient world and named them as the "7 wonders of the  ancient world". Pliny described the temple as 377 feet long and 180 feet wide- as large as a soccer stadium and made almost entirely of marble. The Temple  consisted of 127 Ionic-styled columns, each 60 feet in height.

The Temple of Artemis housed many fine artworks. Sculptures by  renowned Greek sculptors adorned the temple, as well as paintings and gilded columns of gold and silver. The sculptors often competed at creating the finest sculpture. Many of these sculptures were of Amazons, who are said to have founded the city of Ephesus.The Temple of Artemis was located at an economically  robust region, seeing merchants and travellers from all over Asia Minor. The  temple was influenced by many beliefs, and can be seen as a symbol of faith for  many different peoples. The Ephesians worshipped Cybele, and incorporated many  of their beliefs into the worship of Artemis. Artemisian Cybele became quite  contrasted from her Roman counterpart, Diana. The cult of Artemis attracted  thousands of worshippers from far-off lands. They would all gather at the site  and worship her.
Artemis is the Greek goddess, daughter of Zeus and Leto, the twin sister of Apollo. Believed to be born in Ephesus. She is the goddess of fertility and birth. Many breasts which are considered to be bulls' testicles of her denote her fertility. The Greek Artemis was dressed in a long garment, holding a bow and arrows like her brother Apollo, which killed the pregnant woman. Each year a feast was organized in the spring,dedicated to Artemis. During the feast days, there were live sacrifices, athletic games and speech competitions. The feast was also a national holiday for the Ionians of the Asia Minor.

Today, visitors at the site can see only a column  which has been re-erected by the Austrian Archaeologists. It is a spiritually  important site. You would see 3 different religions meeting in the same block. A  Greek  temple, christian church (basilica of st. John) and a muslim mosque (isa bey mosque).

SOURCE: ephesustravelguide.com