Ephesus

Our cruise ship made 2 stops in Turkey: one in Kusadasi, for Ephesus, and the other in Bodrum. In Kusadasi we joined our friends, the Pittman's, and our guide and set off through the countryside.

First stop, Mt. Koressos, and a home believed to be the final home of Mary, mother of Jesus. Our guide explained that, while no one can be sure beyond doubt, the home is of the right age and in the correct general location to be Mary's home. The general belief is that St. John brought Mary to this home after Jesus' death. The catholic church has not come out and said for certain that this is the home of Mary, but several popes have visited and blessed this home, now restored as a chapel. This site is considered holy by both Christians and Muslims. There is a spring running under the home and pilgrims come here to drink the water from the spring, believed to have healing properties.

Outside the house is a wishing wall. Pilgrims post prayers here.

After spending some time at the Home of the Virgin Mary we headed for Ephesus. Scott and I had been to Pompeii about a year earlier and often still talk about that incredible place. Ephesus was definitely another "wow" kind of place with much to see and consider. Originally a sea port, the actual city of Ephesus has moved several times over the centuries. These ruins stand on the most recent site of the city which was also, at one time, a sea port. The nearby Cayster River silted up the harbor over time though, and now the city lies about 5 kilometers from the Aegean Sea. We could certainly have spent several days exploring this beautiful area; there is a lot to see here! We only had a few hours though, which we thoroughly enjoyed. 

The Mazaeus and Mithridates Gate, built in the 4th century B.C. was the monumental entrance to the agora (the marketplace). It was built in honor of the Emperor Augustus and his family.

Ruins from the Temple of Domitian, built from 81-96 A.D.

It is amazing to think, first, that these columns were all carved by hand and, next, that they have survived for nearly two thousand years!

The Curetes Street. You can just make out the library at the end of this long street through Ephesus.

The Celsus Library. This building dates from about 125 A.D. At it's height it contained 12,000 roll books and included an auditorium where philosophers gave lectures. 

Interesting anecdote: the reading rooms in the Celsus library face east to make the best use of the morning light.

A relief of the goddess Victory Nike found on a city road. Is that a familiar "swoosh" I see in the folds of her dress? Yep, I think so!

This is the Grand Theater, containing about 22,500 seats and believed to be the largest in ancient Europe. This place was where gladiators fought with wild animals, hence the tall walls around the orchestra. This is also believed to be the place where Paul preached to the citizens of Ephesus, eventually landing him in jail. It was not the people who objected to the content of Paul's sermons, but the jewelers. They made their fortunes selling icons for the various gods worshipped at that time. They were worried that if the people converted to Christianity they would only worship one God and would no longer need many different icons.  They saw their incomes shrinking through the worship of a single God. They used their power and influence to have Paul arrested and jailed in hopes of continuing their flourishing trade in idols. 

Ephesus was an amazing city. The water needs of the people were met by one of the largest aqueduct systems in Europe. The city itself contained several temples, baths, and even public toilets. Excavations continue here, especially in the area of the terrace houses. We visited these marvelous structures and were amazed at how the people lived in these communities. 

The Temple of Artemis, considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, also stood near Ephesus. Sadly, all that remains is a single column and a few pieces of marble. We did visit the Basilica of St. John while we were here. 

The Apostle John spent a good deal of time in the area around Ephesus, including his final days. This basilica was constructed in the 6th century over the burial site of St. John.  

Our guide told us that, actually, John the Apostle's remains are not in this tomb. A little research has yielded a legend about the end days of the John. The legend states that on a designated Sunday, after preaching his lesson, John went into this church. A bright light shone and, when it dissipated, so did John. Pilgrims believed that the dust around this tomb contained the "breath" of John and so was miraculous. For a long time bottles of the dust were collected and distributed at this site. 

We had quite a busy morning and our guide informed us that it was finally time for lunch. Of course, we would have lunch at a place nearby where artisans and pupils worked creating traditional turkish handicrafts --- or rugs, in plain English. 

These girls were working on rugs as we walked up to the entrance. Each rug is made by hand following a specific pattern.

The gentlemen pulled out rug after rug after rug in an attempt to make a sale.

The rugs certainly were beautiful, but none of us bought today!

Lunch was a wonderful selection of Turkish foods served in a courtyard at the arts center. It was quite cold and windy, but we enjoyed our lunch anyway :). 

We had a fun day in Ephesus, and ended it by walking through the marketplace in Kusadsi. 

It is amazing to think that over the past 2 years we have walked in so many ancient cities. Ephesus is another of those ancient places. To think that we sat in the theatre where Paul, the Apostle, preached to the people of Ephesus! To walk the marble streets and gaze at the remaining buildings, columns and statues and to be inside the terrace houses and see the tiles and frescoes created so many thousands of years ago was an incredible experience!