The Octagon, Ephesus, Izmir, Turkey

The Octagon, vaulted burial chamber, 1st century BC, Ephesus, Izmir, Turkey. The chamber rests on a rectangular base and holds the skeleton of a young woman in a marble sarcophagus. It is thought to be a monument to Ptolemy Arsinoe IV, the youngest sister of the famous Cleopatra VII, who was murdered in Ephesus in 41 BC. Two letters written by Emperors Valens, Valentinianus and Gratianus in the 4th century AD to the people of Ephesus are carved on the blocks which face the road on the lower part of the podium, on Curetes Street. Ephesus was an ancient Greek city founded in the 10th century BC, and later a major Roman city, on the Ionian coast near present day Selcuk. Picture by Manuel Cohen

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Arsinoe Crack Curetes Efes Ephesian Ephesos Ephesus Ionia Ionian Izmir Octagon Ptolemaic Ptolemy Sarcophagus Selcuk

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