Ephesus was once the largest tourism and commercial port city of the ancient period. Thanks to the port, the population of the city reached 250 thousand during the Roman period. In terms of location, it was a very preferred port of the Ionians in Athens. The most important products traded through the Mediterranean were olive oil, small and cattle, glass, cereals, ceramics, iron, copper, lead, gold and slaves. The port of Ephesus has been filled with alluvium over the centuries and has reached its current position 6 km inland. The area where the port of Ephesus is located has turned into a swamp and caused an increase in mosquitoes. When the increasing number of mosquitoes caused an increase in diseases, the Ephesians left the region over time. Although the earthquakes destroyed many structures, the structures that remained standing were not damaged because there was no settlement in the region for a long time due to diseases.

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