Ephesos Museum
The existing since the end of the 19th century collection of Ephesus Museum belongs to the inventory of the antiquities collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Since December 1978 it has independent offices in the Neue Burg. Before the Ephesus Museum was established, the existing show pieces were exhibited temporarily at several places, at times also in the Theseus Temple of the Public Garden.
The Ephesus lying on the Turkish Aegean coast was one of the greatest cities of the ancient world and is today one of the most visited tourist destinations in Turkey. Since 1895 research Austrian archaeologists, interrupted only by the two world wars, under the leadership of the Austrian Archaeological Institute ( ÖAI ) in the ruins of the city. Sultan Abdulhamid II, Emperor Franz Josef through some of the detected objects as a gift, and allowed the creation of internationally important collection of Ephesus Museum. By the Turkish Antiquities Act came after 1907 no new objects more to Vienna. Another of the ancient city dedicated museum is located close to the excavation in Selçuk.
The Collection
Between 1896 and 1906 met a total of seven transports with finds from Ephesus in Vienna. At the beginning of the 20th century finds were exhibited at various locations, including the Lower Belvedere and in the antiquities collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. 1911 had to be canceled due to damage to the showpieces the temporary exhibition at the Temple of Theseus. From 1934 to 1944 he was but used again for the exhibition of a selection from the entire stock. From 1947 to 1978 some sculptures were shown in the Ephesian peristyle of the Corps de Logis in the Neue Burg. In 1978 all temporaries were replaced by the newly designed Ephesus Museum in the Neue Burg. As an annex to the museum architecture and architectural sculpture are connected by the mysteries sanctuary the Greek island of Samothrace. In the entrance area of the museum, the architecture of the late classical Artemision altar is built. Topped leads into a large hall containing the Frieze of the Parthian. Other important pieces include a model of the ancient city of Ephesus in scale 1:500 and numerous sculptures, including the bronze statue of the athlete.
The Ephesus Museum offers the opportunity also in Central Europe apart from the ancient centers to be able to visit not only of sculpture but also architecture in ancient originals. In Ephesus excavations are being carried out with Austrian participation today. The scientific analysis of museum holdings, carried out in collaboration with the relevant Vienna University Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Austrian Archaeological Institute.
Theater
Some important exhibits
In the 6th century BC, the counting of the seven Wonders of the World Temple of Artemis was built. After this had been burned, was surrounded in the course of the construction in the 4th century BC, the sacrificial altar of Artemis Ephesia front of the temple with a magnificent enclosure. From this comes the top of the wounded Amazon.
The Parthian is the most important relief image of Roman time in Asia Minor. It glorified in five themes the Roman emperor Lucius Verus, who had set up his headquarters at Ephesus during a Parthia 161-165 AD. The reconstruction of the individual panels is not quite secure because they have been found in the second or third use. In a reconstruction proposal, the plates were arranged in the form of a monumental altar. From the figure Friesen, who had a length of around 70 meters, 40 meters are issued.
A composite of 234 fragments of Roman copy of a Greek original from the last quarter of the 4th century BC, showing a young athlete when cleaning his dredge, which was used after a competition to cleanse the body ( Apoxiomen ). The statue can be attributed to any specific Greek artists, but was a well-known and popular motif in ancient times.