Die Palastanlage oberhalb des Theaters von Ephesos

For the cityscape of ancient Ephesus, the urban topography of the city quarter around the great theatre, facing the harbour, was of particular importance. Its structure to date is largely unknown. This is also true for the area above the theatre, which was occupied by an impressive building complex in a particularly prominent position within the urban fabric. Based on new field research, this volume is the first to systematically address the largely unresolved questions of the history of this monumental complex and its embedment in the surrounding urban landscape. Its analysis sheds new light on the monumentalisation of the cityscape already in Hellenistic times. From an urban planning perspective, the complex, which probably from the beginning was conceived as an administrative residence, illustrates the rise of ancient Ephesus to become the most important political and economic centre of the region. In the Roman imperial period, the residence covered an area of more than 10,000m² and shared many characteristic features with the few governor's residences of the Roman Empire that are archaeologically confirmed. It can thus also serve as a starting point for an analysis of how architecture and urban planning were used as political instruments in the planning of the palace and the surrounding urban area.