Temple of Ephesus turns into swamp due to neglect

 

The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, it was the first and largest structure made of marble in the ancient times.

The ancient temple was built on the orders of Croesus, the king of Lydia, between 560 and 550 BC. The construction of the temple lasted for 10 years, but it was destroyed by Herostratus, a fourth-century BC Greek arsonist who sought notoriety by ruining the temple in 356 BC. The structure was then rebuilt with the same width and length but was three meters higher. The structure, which is 55.10 by 115 meters and was famous for its marble statues, was the biggest temple in the Hellenistic era.

Today the site of the Temple in the Selçuk district of İzmir has turned into a swamp because of neglect and a lack of interest by Turkish authorities.

The temple [...] welcomes tourists with a rusted introduction panel. The temple resembles an empty, abandoned field with no environmental planning and traveling routes. Excavation holes in the temple area have been filled with rainwater, while security in the area is lacking.[...] There are several warnings at the entrance of the temple, which are as follows:
  -Don’t enter forbidden zones (There are no forbidden zones)
  -Don’t step on the pieces (There are no officials around to warn visitors not to do so)
  -Don’t scratch the pieces (There are no officials to check)
  -Don’t take pieces from the temple (There are no officials or cameras to check)
  -Don’t touch electric cables (There are no warnings near the cables)

Ömer Erbil,'Temple of Artemis turns into swamp due to neglect' Hurriyet Daily News February 19 2017.
Fortunately, a number of artifacts found in nineteenth century excavations by Europeans were taken to the British Museum and the Vienna Museum in Austria.