Library of Celsus, Ancient Roman library ruins in Selçuk, Turkey
The Library of Celsus is an ancient Roman library ruin in the Ephesus archaeological site, featuring a two-story marble facade with columns, statues and rich ornamentation. The facade dominates an open plaza and still displays the deliberate order of Roman architecture with symmetrical elements and detailed reliefs.
The library was constructed between 110 and 135 AD as a gift from Gaius Julius Aquila to his father, whose tomb lies beneath the building. It once housed thousands of scrolls and served as a major center of learning until its destruction by an earthquake in the 10th or 11th century.
The female figures in the facade niches stand for wisdom, virtue, thought and knowledge, representing Roman ideals of learning. Today the building serves as a symbol of how education was celebrated in the ancient world, and visitors see in it the reverence that society held for intellectual achievement.
Access to the facade requires climbing nine steps, and visitors cannot enter the interior hall but can walk around the exterior and the front courtyard freely. Early morning or late afternoon offers better light for photographs and fewer people gathered in front of the structure.
A deliberate gap between the inner and outer walls maintained constant temperature and humidity to protect the delicate scrolls. This architectural detail shows how advanced knowledge of material preservation was in ancient times.
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