A temple-like monument, known as the Temple of Hadrian, stands in front of the Scholastica Baths, facing the Curetes Street. When it was discovered 1956 and subsequently re-erected in the following two years, it was commonly assumed that it really was the Temple of Emperor Hadrian, a "neocorate temple" of official worship of the Roman emperor. The permission to build such a temple in Ephesus was granted by Hadrian between 130 and 132 CE, and the archaeologists eagerly identified the building on Curetes Street as such.

This text is a fragment of a guidebook to Ephesus: "The Secrets of Ephesus".

The city, now called Istanbul, was once known as Constantinople, the capital of the mighty Eastern Roman Empire, frequently referred to as Byzantium. The emperors and their courts that resided in the city required suitable accommodation, of the magnificent proportions reflecting their power and majesty. Sadly, almost nothing has been preserved of the Great Palace of Constantinople, the main royal residence from 330 to 1081 that served as the centre of imperial administration. The most of the remains of this palace currently lie below the Sultan Ahmed Mosque and other Ottoman-era buildings, to the south-east to the former Hippodrome, now the Sultanahmet Square. However, one part of the palatial complex is still visible above the ground, facing the waters of the Sea of Marmara. This building, known as the Bukoleon Palace, is located to the south of the Great Palace, and to the east of the Church of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus. Now partly demolished, it once served as the prestigious seafront residence of the emperors.