Ephesos Museum

The Ephesos Museum in Vienna is an independent department of the Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the Kunsthistorisches Museum and houses a significant collection of finds from the ancient metropolis of Ephesus on Turkey's Aegean coast. The collection traces back to excavations that have been carried out since 1895 under the direction of the Austrian Archaeological Institute. Emperor Franz Joseph received some of the objects discovered as a gift from Sultan Abdülhamid II, which formed the foundation of this internationally renowned collection. After years of provisional display in various locations, including a stint in the Theseus Temple in the Volksgarten, the museum moved into its present home in the Neue Burg in 1978.

Here you can see not only sculptures but also original architectural elements that offer a rare glimpse into the building art of antiquity beyond the classical centers. The late Classical altar of the Artemision stands in the entrance area, while a large hall houses the frieze of the Parthian Monument, one of the most important relief works of the Roman era in Asia Minor. Other highlights include a detailed 1:500-scale model of the ancient city as well as numerous sculptures. Particularly noteworthy is the bronze statue of an athlete, a Roman copy of a Greek original, which shows a young man cleaning his body after a competition. The exhibition is rounded out by architectural sculpture from the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on Samothrace.