Located behind the shops on the slopes of Mount Coressus (Bulbuldagi), Terrace Houses were the houses of the rich Ephesians. Built based on the Hippodamian plan in which roads divide each other at exact angles, Terrace Houses are significant in that they give us an idea about how the life was.
Of the six residences found at the site, the earliest one dates back to 1 BC, continuing till 7 AD. Enclosesdwith the high and protective roofs, Terrace Houses of Ephesus are similar to typical Roman dwellings. As a general description, they were two-floored houses, having an open air courtyard, dining room, separate bathroom and toilets, bedrooms without windows. Usually, there were halls for the guests on the bottom floor and private rooms on the upper floor.
They were primarily heated by the central heating system “Hypocaust System” as in a typical Bath complex. Inside the walls or under the ground were the baked clay pipes heating the air inside the houses. Terrace Houses residents owned both cold and hot water, separate, which proves the fact that they had amazing facilities. As the rooms had no windows, it was only open air courtyard to get the light.
Some of the rooms at particular dwellings hold key reagrding their prominent features like the Theatre Room having the frescoes of some theatre scenes or Marble Hall which was a huge dining room greatly ornamented by a variety of marble types. Ceilings and upper floors were generally damaged, mosaics on the ground and frescoes on the walls are to be repaired.
The excavations at Terrace Houses started in 1960s which partially still carry on in order to make it representable for the visitors. Some of the findings of Terrace Houses are exhibited at Archaeological Museum of Ephesus today.