Library of Celsus
Photo: Library of Celsus / iStock.com / Murat Erhan Okcu

10. Ephesus, Turkey

 Ancient ruins may seem like a dime a dozen in the Mediterranean, but this former capital of Roman Asia Minor, a bustling trade city, is a quintessential slice of Greco-Roman life. Visit the gladiator cemetery and the magnificent Library of Celsus with its delicate columns and statues of Greek virtues.