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Nighttime museum tours have begun at the ancient city of Ephesus in Izmir, allowing visitors to explore the UNESCO-listed site in the cooler evening hours under special lighting.
Located in Selcuk district, the ancient city has reopened for evening visits as part of a program carried out by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Under the practice, Ephesus will welcome visitors between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., while the site will be cleared from 11 p.m.
The program is designed to make the ancient city easier to visit during the warmer months, when daytime temperatures can make long walks through the archaeological site difficult.
Several of Ephesus' best-known areas, including the Library of Celsus, Agora Square, Curetes Street, the Temple of Domitian, the ancient theater and the Terrace Houses, have been supported with special lighting.
A projection show on the facade of the Library of Celsus, which began last year, will also continue this season. The nighttime museum program is expected to run until Oct. 1.
On the first evening of the new season, many visitors waited for the lights to come on before walking through the site and taking photographs.
Ephesus Museum Director Murat Kaleagasioglu told Anadolu Agency that officials aim to exceed last season's visitor numbers.
He said nighttime visits will be held on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, adding that the program is planned to continue until Oct. 1.
Kaleagasioglu said last year's evening program drew strong interest, noting that visitors enjoy walking through Ephesus at night because of the cooler weather and the atmosphere created by the lighting.
He also noted that the opera and ballet festival will begin on June 27 and continue until around July 15.
On days when performances are held inside the archaeological site, nighttime museum visits will be suspended, while the program will continue on other days.
According to Kaleagasioglu, Ephesus received more than 2.5 million visitors last year, and officials aim to approach 3 million this year.
For nighttime visits alone, they plan to pass 300,000 visitors.
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