The lascivious exploits of ancient Pompeii's citizens are nearly unrivaled in history. This Thursday, a piece of that history in the form of a 2,000-year-old brothel elaborately decorated with erotic images was reopened to the public after an extensive restoration project.

The brothel, called the Lupanare, derived from the Latin word "lupa," or "prostitute," required a year long restoration project costing over $250,000. The money was spent to restore the structure of the brothel and to clean and rework many of its erotic frescoes.

The two-story brothel contains 10 rooms and a bathroom. Each room on the first floor is decorated with a fresco depicting a specific sex scene.

Some experts suggest the scenes may have depicted the prostitutes' specialty.

The upstairs rooms appear to have been for higher ranking or wealthier clientele than the ground floor. There stone beds once covered with mattresses added elegant comfort to the enterprise.

Pompeii, known for its decadent quarters catering to a wealthier class of Roman citizens, was destroyed in A.D. 79 when the nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted and engulfed the city in volcanic ash.

According to historians, Pompeii's prostitutes were slaves usually of Greek origin. Pompeii served as a sort of resort town where visiting merchants and sailors indulged in high priced escapades with brothel prostitutes.