The Marble Street

The "Sacred Road" along Mt. Panayir is called the "Marble Street" between the Celsus Library to the Great Theater.  It is perpendicular to the Arcadiane.

It was paved with large, smooth marble blocks, which was laid down in the fifth century A.D. at the expense of a wealthy Ephesian named Eutropius.  The marble way was designed as a thoroughfare for wheeled vehicles, whose tracks can still be seen in the pavement with pedestrians using a raised walkway on the west side under a Doric portico.  The relief panels depicting gladiators that we see alone the walkway where brought here from other places in Ephesus.  There are crude carving on the pavement, showing a woman’s head, a pubic triangle and foot, the latter indicating the direction to a brothel at the southern and of the marble way.

Like the Curates' Avenue, the western edge was lined with a porch that was two meters high in the time of Nero (54-68 AD).

Various figures of gladiators from all parts of the city were on display along this porch.

In sections that were restored in early times tracks from chariots are visible.