House of Pleasure, Ephesus
The House of Pleasure, also referred to as the Love House or brothel, is one of the most intriguing sites for modern visitors exploring the ancient city. Dating back to the first century AD, this building was centrally located near Curetes Street and closely connected to other key public structures, including the Baths and the Celsus Library. The complex featured a main hall surrounded by multiple rooms, each believed to have served a specific function related to leisure, companionship, and sensual entertainment. Its advanced heating and cooling system鈥攁n early version of modern air conditioning鈥攕peaks to the comfort and sophistication of Roman architecture and social life.
Much of the fascination with this site stems from the famed marble foot carving nearby, believed to be one of the earliest known forms of advertising. The carving shows a foot, a woman's head, and a heart, interpreted by many as a directional sign pointing men toward the Love House. Inside the building, floor mosaics depicting Dionysian festivals have further fueled the belief that the building was a brothel. While such depictions were common throughout Roman art and do not definitively identify a building's function, the sensual themes and images of female figures鈥攑ossibly representing the working women鈥攕upport this interpretation.
Prostitution in the Roman Empire was widespread and tolerated, though often associated with the lower social classes. Most prostitutes were enslaved women, freedwomen, or poor girls with limited life choices. Despite this, Roman society viewed prostitution as a necessary part of urban life and did not seek to outlaw or drive it underground. Brothels were typically found near public gathering spaces, such as theaters and baths, and were openly advertised.
The Love House was more than a mere brothel鈥攊t also contained wine granaries, large ovens, bedrooms, pools, and perhaps even meeting halls or salons, indicating that it was a center of social and leisure activity. Its proximity to the Celsus Library may have symbolized the Roman ideal of a balance between mind and body.
Much of the fascination with this site stems from the famed marble foot carving nearby, believed to be one of the earliest known forms of advertising. The carving shows a foot, a woman's head, and a heart, interpreted by many as a directional sign pointing men toward the Love House. Inside the building, floor mosaics depicting Dionysian festivals have further fueled the belief that the building was a brothel. While such depictions were common throughout Roman art and do not definitively identify a building's function, the sensual themes and images of female figures鈥攑ossibly representing the working women鈥攕upport this interpretation.
Prostitution in the Roman Empire was widespread and tolerated, though often associated with the lower social classes. Most prostitutes were enslaved women, freedwomen, or poor girls with limited life choices. Despite this, Roman society viewed prostitution as a necessary part of urban life and did not seek to outlaw or drive it underground. Brothels were typically found near public gathering spaces, such as theaters and baths, and were openly advertised.
The Love House was more than a mere brothel鈥攊t also contained wine granaries, large ovens, bedrooms, pools, and perhaps even meeting halls or salons, indicating that it was a center of social and leisure activity. Its proximity to the Celsus Library may have symbolized the Roman ideal of a balance between mind and body.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Ephesus. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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House of Pleasure on Map
Sight Name: House of Pleasure
Sight Location: Ephesus, Turkey (See walking tours in Ephesus)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Ephesus, Turkey (See walking tours in Ephesus)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Ephesus, Turkey
Create Your Own Walk in Ephesus
Creating your own self-guided walk in Ephesus is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Selcuk Introduction Walking Tour
Sel莽uk is a town near Izmir, in western Turkey. It鈥檚 the gateway to Ephesus, a vast, ancient city with the remains of a large theater and the Library of Celsus. South is the House of Virgin Mary, a domed chapel and religious shrine. Near Sel莽uk, a marble column is one of a few remains of the Temple of Artemis. The Ephesus Museum has more items from the temple, plus other artifacts excavated... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.3 Km or 2.1 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.3 Km or 2.1 Miles
Ephesus Introduction Walking Tour
Ephesus, the most important Greek city in Ionian Asia Minor, the ruins of which lie near the modern village of Sel茍uk in western Turkey. Ephesus is one of the largest and most impressive ancient cities in the world and is one of T眉rkiye鈥檚 most significant ancient cities. Its cultural and historical significance was highlighted in its addition to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2015. The... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles