Izmir (Turkey), Aug 25 (EFE).- A hand raises a torch. Moments later, flames consume the columns of an ancient temple. Amidst the smoke, a goddess stands: Artemis.
This is the 3D show that Turkey hopes will help attract more tourists to the ancient Greco-Roman city of Ephesus, one of the best preserved in the country, located near the Aegean coast and about 50 kilometres south of Izmir.
Built in the 10th century BC and inhabited until the first Christian centuries, Ephesus impresses with its rows of columns, its Roman theatre – the largest in Turkey, with 30,000 seats – and the façade of its enormous library, erected in the 2nd century AD.
The monumental complex attracts some 1.8 million visitors a year, but this season’s figures will be higher, explains Eda Bildiricioglu, manager of DEM Museums, creators of the 3D audiovisual show, to a group of journalists during a trip to which EFE was invited by the Turkish Ministry of Culture.
Increase in tourists
“With 1.44 million visitors in the first seven months of 2024, Ephesus is the most visited archaeological site in Turkey. Last July, 663,000 foreign tourists arrived, an increase of 10% compared to the same month last year,” says the manager.
The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s ‘Museum Night’ initiative, which has allowed a dozen monuments to extend their opening hours until 10:30 p.m. since May, has contributed to this increase.
In the ancient Greco-Roman city, the ruins are illuminated at dusk, creating a magical atmosphere that attracts locals and visitors alike.
Night show
As night falls, the road leading to the historic complex is packed with cars, while at the entrance crowds young and old, mostly Turks, many of them families with children.
“Foreign tourists usually come during the day, especially those arriving by cruise ship to Kusadasi – a popular port 20 kilometres away – as they have to return on board for dinner. At night, the Turks come,” those responsible for the group explained to EFE.
For Turks with a museum card, entry to the archaeological site is free, although they must pay an additional fee for the 3D show.
Foreign visitors pay 40 euros for full access, which includes the immersive screening of DEM Museums.
The show, projected in three rooms of a building constructed next to the ruins, envelops spectators in a symphony of music, thunder and colours.
Clouds and smoke crystallize to form temples, crowded markets, gladiators, statues and goddesses that then vanish into thin air.
The story is told through headphones, available in 17 languages, from Spanish and Portuguese to Thai and Indonesian.
When the lights of the great Library go out at 10:30 p.m., night envelops the steps, columns and statues, while hundreds of visitors, trapped in the darkness, move towards the exit.
This concludes what has become a unique audiovisual experience in Ephesus.
DEM, winners of the international Mondo-DR Awards 2024 in the museum category for their Ephesus show, is offering a similar experience for the Hagia Sophia basilica, now a mosque, in Istanbul, which has been planned since last summer.
While in Hagia Sophia the projection takes place in a nearby building, the installation in Ephesus, according to Bildiricioglu’s account to EFE, It was quite a challenge as it was not possible to lay foundations due to the numerous historical artifacts lying underground.
The organizers plan to launch two more immersive experiences soon, one in Hierapolis, in Pamukkale, and one in Cappadocia, under the coordination of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. EFE
