The Library of Celsus
The Library of Celsus is one of Ephesus' most beautiful buildings. Its interior is approximately 180 square meters. Library of Celsus was constructed in 117 A.D., serving as a massive tomb for Gaius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, acting governor of Asia's province. But he never saw the building; his son, Gaius Julius Aquila erected it after his father's demise in 110. Celsus' grave lies under the ground floor, along the entrance, plus a statue of Athena stands over it, since Athena was the goddess of wisdom.
The scrolls of ancient manuscripts were stored in cupboards in hidden niches across the walls. There were two walls standing in the rear of the bookcases for preventing potential damage from the excessiveness of humidity and temperature. The library had the capacity to hold over 12,000 scrolls. It was at the time the third wealthiest library after Alexandra and then Pergamum.
The library's facade has two floors, with distinctive Corinthian style columns standing on the ancient ground floor as well as three entries to the structure. The upper floor has three window openings. They cleverly utilized a visual trick that made the columns along the facade's sides appear shorter as compared to those at the middle, providing the neat illusion of the ancient structure being larger in size.
However, all the statues found in the columns' niches now are only replicas of the originals. Each statue symbolizes something, for example, one symbolizes wisdom, second knowledge, a third intelligence, and a fourth valor, all representing Celsus' virtues. The Austrian Archaeological Institute helped restore the library, and the statues' originals were transported to Vienna's Ephesus Museum in 1910.
Moreover, an auditorium, serving for either presentations or lectures between the Ephesus Marble Road and the library, was constructed throughout Emperor Hadrian's reign.
The Library of Celsus reconstruction occurred between 1970 and 1978, with a campaign led by the German archaeologist Volker Michael Strocka.
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