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The Ancient Library of Celsus

By , About.com Guide

Ornaments at the Library of Celsus
Celsus Library in Ephesus, Turkey

Celsus Library in Ephesus, Turkey

Photo © Jackie Craven
The vaulting, two-story gallery was lavishly decorated with door ornaments and carvings. The floors and walls were faced with colored marble. Low Ionian pillars supported reading tables.

The interior of the library was burned during a Goth invasion in 262 AD, and in the 10th century, an earthquake brought down the facade. The building we see today was carefully restored by the Austrian Archaeological Institute.

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