Curetes Street: History, Location & Major Facts
Curetes Street, also known as the Street of the Curetes or Curetes Way, was one of the prominent streets in the ancient city of Ephesus, located in what is now modern-day Turkey.
Curetes Street in Ephesus was a crucial thoroughfare that linked two significant parts of the city: the political and commercial districts. It began at the Lower Agora and guided visitors uphill to the Upper Agora, which served as the political hub of ancient Ephesus.
Here are some key details about Curetes Street:
Location
Curetes Street was situated in the city of Ephesus, which was one of the most significant and prosperous cities in the Roman Empire during its heyday. Ephesus is located near the Aegean Sea, in the western part of modern Turkey.
Ancient Greek city Ephesus is about 3 kilometers southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey.
Role
Curetes Street was one of the main streets in Ephesus, and it played a central role in the city’s urban layout. It was known for its grandeur, lined with impressive buildings, statues, and monuments.
Name
The street was named after the priests known as “Curetes” who served in the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and a significant religious site in Ephesus.
Site of the Temple of Artemis in the town of Selçuk, near Ephesus (present-day Turkey)
Architectural Features
Curetes Street featured a well-paved road, colonnades with columns on either side, and a raised sidewalk. The facades of the buildings along the street were adorned with elaborate ornamentation and sculptures.
Monuments and Statues on Curates Street
As visitors strolled down Curetes Street, they would encounter various monuments, statues, and dedicatory inscriptions that celebrated the city’s prosperity, rulers, and benefactors.
Library of Celsus
One of the most famous structures along Curetes Street was the Library of Celsus, a magnificent library built in honor of Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus. The library’s facade was adorned with statues and inscriptions.
Built in the 2nd century AD to commemorate the Roman Senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, the Library of Celsus was designed more as a grand mausoleum than a conventional library. Nevertheless, it did contain over 11,500 scrolls. Image: Library of Celsus in today’s Turkiye
READ MORE: Greatest Libraries of the Ancient World
Theater
Near the eastern end of Curetes Street was the Grand Theater of Ephesus, one of the largest and best-preserved ancient theaters in the world. It could accommodate around 24,000 spectators and was used for various performances and gatherings.
Commercial and Social Hub
Curetes Street was not only a thoroughfare but also a commercial and social hub. It was lined with shops, vendors, and workshops, making it a bustling place for trade and interaction among residents and visitors.
Beyond its practical function, Curetes Street held greater importance as it formed part of the ceremonial route used to honor the city’s primary goddess, Artemis. Furthermore, much like the Arcadianne, Curetes Street was intentionally designed as a magnificent boulevard, intended to awe visitors and highlight the opulence of Ephesus.
Curates Street during the Byzantine Era
In the early Byzantine era, Ephesus witnessed a building boom thanks to its newfound prosperity. As a result, Curetes Street underwent extensive renovations, which involved restoring and rebuilding the magnificent fountains situated in its lower segment.
Concurrently, during this period, the street was made inaccessible to traffic with the construction of the Hercules Gate at its eastern terminus.
Curetes Street continued to be in use until the 6th century, and potentially even into the 7th century AD. This is substantiated by the unearthing of taverns and workshops dating from this era in the vicinity of the street.
Tourist Attraction
Today, Curetes Street is a popular tourist attraction and part of the archaeological site of Ephesus. Visitors can walk along the well-preserved street, admiring the remnants of its grand architecture and imagining the vibrant life that once filled it.
Popular Questions and Answers about Curates Street
Curetes Street, one of Ephesus’s three primary thoroughfares, stretches between the Hercules Gate and the Celsus Library.
Here’s what you need to know:
What was the significance of the street in ancient times?
This ancient street originally served as an archaic Processional Way, a sacred route leading to the Temple of Artemis.
Where did it get its name?
The name of the street pays homage to the Curetes, who were not only figures of mythology but also a group of priests and priestesses in Ephesus.
Who were the Curetes?
The Curetes were originally a group of six priests who had a vital role in reenacting the birth of Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt. Over time, their numbers expanded to nine. Initially, the term “Curetes” specifically referred to priests associated with the Artemis cult. However, during the Roman era, it also included the priestesses of Hestia, the goddess of the hearth.
These priestesses had a significant responsibility: they cared for the sacred fire kept in the Prytaneion, which symbolized the heart of Ephesus. This sacred flame was a central and revered element in the city, representing its vitality and continuity.
READ MORE: The Three Maiden Goddesses in Greek Mythology
How far back does Curates Street go?
It’s generally believed that Curetes Street in Ephesus was established during the Hellenistic period, but it differed from the conventional city grid layout of the time. Instead of following the standard practice of running perpendicular to other streets, Curetes Street took a diagonal path across the grid.
It must also be noted that frequent earthquakes in Ephesus affected the street, leading to numerous repairs using materials salvaged from other collapsed structures in the city. These differences in design can still be seen on the columns today, showcasing the street’s reconstruction after a 4th-century earthquake.
What else was on the street?
Curetes Street in Ephesus was also known for its abundance of fountains, monuments, and statues. For example there are monuments like the Statue of Hercules, the Fountain of Trajan and the Temple of Hadrian.
The houses that lined the sloping street were opulent homes for the city’s wealthy residents. Below these houses, there were thriving colonnaded galleries and shops with beautifully designed mosaic-tiled floors. The rooftops of these homes served as shelter for pedestrians, protecting them from the harsh elements, whether it was the intense sun or rain. This combination of grandeur, commerce, and practicality made Curetes Street a vibrant and noteworthy part of Ephesus.
