The marble façade of the 1,900-year-old Library of Celsus sparkles, bathed in spotlights, drawing thousands of visitors to roam the Unesco World Heritage Site of Ephesus in Turkey every evening this summer, with more than 157,000 sightseers visiting at night in July alone.
Extended visiting hours 'bring our country's rich cultural heritage to wider audiences while diversifying the visitor experience,' allowing local and foreign guests to explore the ruins more comfortably away from the intense summer heat.
Near Ephesus, temperatures broke records, exceeding 40°C, prompting tourist destinations across the Mediterranean to develop new strategies, like nighttime openings, to mitigate the effects of extreme heat.
Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy described the nighttime tourism initiative as a 'pilot project' to draw visitors from hotel pools and benefit local businesses dependent on tourism revenue.
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