Temple of Artemis

The goddess Artemis was known for her virginity; oversaw childbearing, marriages and child-rearing; and was the goddess of the hunt and the transition into manhood. Many figurines representing the goddess in her Ephesian incarnation have been recovered from this site. Common aspects of these characteristic figurines include the goddess's outstretched arms, the two animals at her sides, and the iconic globular clusters around the body (what these represent has long been debated by scholars).

The massive Archaic and Hellenistic temple, built in the Ionic order, was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The magnitude of the temple was an homage both to the deity and to the 6th-century BC King of Lydia, Croesus, who contributed to the construction of the temple's Archaic iteration.This earlier temple was decorated with bulls, lions, elaborately-dressed women, and armored warriors throwing spears and on chariots. It is suggested that a battle scene recovered depicts the Trojan War, and other sculptures may represent  the adventures of Herakles are depicted. Also present were Harpies and Gorgons.

A man named Herostratos burned down the temple in the 4th century BC in a bid to become famous. A new version was constructed on the same spot from the late 4th century on. Sculptures from the temple of the Hellenistic period and later are more complex and elaborate than those of the earlier temple. In addition to Artemis, the gods Hermes, Pluto, and Aphrodite, the Muses, and Herakles were represented.