Temple of Artemis

Ephesus used to earn fabulous sums of money from pilgrims paying homage to the Ephesian fertility avatar of Artemis. The Temple of Artemis, at the western end of Selçuk, was in its day the largest in the world, eclipsing even the Parthenon at Athens, and thus earning a spot on the list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Today, you're more likely to wonder where it all went. Only one of its original 127 columns remains, often as not topped by a stork's nest; a poignant testament to the transitory nature of human achievement. Still, it's a lovely tranquil place, the enormous pillar giving you some indication of the vast size of the temple.