Located in the Selçuk district of Izmir and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the ancient city of Ephesus has begun to vividly bring the golden age of the ancient city to life through an innovative approach to museum presentation. The Ephesus Experience Museum, inaugurated by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy at the beginning of October, utilizes immersive technologies to enable visitors to personally experience daily life, architecture and art in ancient Ephesus.
"Immersive" technologies envelop spectators in a rich and comprehensive auditory and visual experience, making the stories come alive as if they were real.
Under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, developed and operated by DEM Museology, the Ephesus Experience Museum is situated within the ancient city directly opposite the famous ancient theater. The museum tells the story of Ephesus' establishment, its evolution into one of Rome's most powerful cities and its disappearance from history through compelling visual and auditory shows within three separate halls.
The museum stands out as a successful example of the emerging trend of experiential museums worldwide, being the first application of this kind of approach in Türkiye.
Reviving Ephesus' golden age designed by a broad team, including leading architects, curators, designers, artists, technology experts, historians and archaeologists from Türkiye and prominent global institutions, the museum offers visitors a firsthand experience of daily life, trade, art and architecture during Ephesus' golden age.
Visitors within the museum's three different halls meet the famous figures of the city, from Androclus to Cleopatra, from Mark Antony to Artemis. They visit temples, stroll through marketplaces, walk the Arcadian Way and experience life in the terrace houses.
Through collaboration with leading design and technology firms, the creative concept of the Ephesus Experience Museum, centered on "immersive" storytelling, was developed by DEM Museology in collaboration with the world's leading architectural, visual design and technology companies, drawing upon nearly 30 years of experience in audiovisual technologies. DEM Museology completed the construction of the museum, including all its elements, in a remarkably short period of one year.
The design and production of the sounds welcoming visitors to the museum were created using pieces from four different composers specifically produced for the museum. The story of Ephesus is narrated by famous Turkish artists Selçuk Yöntem and Gülen Karaman in Turkish and by renowned British artists David Schofield and Olivia Williams in English.
