Terrace House 1 (Ephesus)

Terrace House 1 is a Roman residential complex dating to the 1st century AD, built into the hillside above the Curetes Street in ancient Ephesus. It belonged to the city's wealthy elite, and its surviving rooms reveal elaborate frescoes, geometric mosaic floors, and a central peristyle courtyard that rank among the finest domestic Roman interiors in Asia Minor. The structure was repeatedly remodeled during the Byzantine period before being abandoned after a 3rd-century earthquake. Less visited than its neighbor Terrace House 2, it offers a rawer, more excavation-in-progress atmosphere — parts of the site are accessible under a protective canopy while archaeologists from the Austrian Archaeological Institute continue active fieldwork on site.