Since these
houses are located in the town center they were
obviously occupied by important people. The
area is therefore
called the "Rich Houses" or "Hillside Palace".
Every terrace on
the stepped street was a home entrance. All
were
 peristyle
(with
a small pool in the center) and the rooms were
arranged around the pool. Most houses were
three-story not higher than 20 or 25 m. Columns
were
on all sides and the floors were marble. There
was
running water to the houses, either from a
fountain or along the
side. In some houses there were even cisterns
and wells. Light
came in from the open peristyle, but not enough
to keep the
houses from being dim, since there were no
windows. The houses
were lighted like the baths were. The floors
were mosaic, the
walls had frescoes or colored marble. The
precious finds from the houses are on display in
the Ephesus Museum.
The houses
were built up the first century AD and were used
as late as Heraclius' time (611-641) doubtless
with multiple restorations.
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