Turkey trot

Today we had a driver, who did not speak English, and a guide who did (but who could not drive, perhaps?), as we made the trip to the magnificent ruins of Ephesus.  Dan, our dinner companion, who had visited Ephesus as a teenager, had suggested that it would be much more impressive than Pompeii.  I really could not imagine how that could possibly be the case, but, wow, was I wrong.

We entered the massive site through the top gate.  The walk to the bottom is about a mile, and typically takes the visitor about 1 ½ hours.  There is very little shelter and no restrooms inside, so I was a little worried about how g’pa would manage.  Our guide was not so knowledgeable as previous guides, and a good 25+ years younger, and, to begin with, it seemed that he would not be so accommodating of g’pa as our drivers had been in other ports.  I was wrong about that too! Here they are sheltering from the heat under a pomegranate tree while Jim and I explored ruins (wrong tree, but reminiscent of Jonah!).

I will largely let the pictures do the talking in this blog, but please know that what you see represents an excavation of only 30% of the site. Incidentally, the city of Ephesus was abandoned 1,000 years ago when silting-up became so severe that it could no longer function as a trading port city.  Today there is no body of water anywhere close to the ruins!!

Outside the small amphitheater

Ancient water pipes

Small amphitheater (town hall) from top end

Public restrooms, Ephesus style

Mosaic courtyard of a middle-class villa

Remains of the two story scroll  library - the largest of its time

G'pa and our guide avoiding the sun again

Yes, the ubiquitous bus tours were at Ephesus

Column reliefs

Nike

Amazing stone carving

View up the processional way from library

In ancient times, the worshipers of Artemis would have gone up the processional way, and here, in the modern era, the tourists throng down. As in other places on our trip, I was struck by the similarities in human behavior despite the vast time differences.  It seems like we humans always have, and always will recognize the importance of believing in, and paying some sort of homage to something bigger than we are!

If this had been all to see at Ephesus, it would have been more than enough, but amazingly, there were more spectacular things to come.

The photo does not do justice to the vast scale of this area, but this was once the huge market place with shops along the sides. Its location is near the bottom of the hill, close to where the port and dock area would have been.  

 

Also down here, located so that it would one of the first things an ancient visitor would cast eyed on when disembarking at the dock, was the immense amphitheater where the apostle Paul likely faced the crowd, hostile because the new Christian religion was interfering with their lucrative silversmithing business. (See Acts 19.23-27)

Having exited Ephesus at the bottom end of the site, we drove the short distance to absolutely the most understated, yet amazing site we had visited in our entire trip.  

 

This is the remaining pillar of what was one the wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of Artemis which was four times as large as the Parthenon in Athens, and the first monumental building to be entirely constructed of marble. Amazingly, there was a stork's nest, compete with baby storks, on the top of the pillar. I hope you can make them out!

Our tour ended back in the town of Kusadasi, where the ship was anchored, at a carpet store.  We were wined, dined (or at least snacked), and treated to a wonderful display, with amusing and informational commentary, of the most beautiful rugs and carpets from the immediate area, the rest of Turkey and many of Turkey's geographical neighbors. Of course, the show was put on so that rich Americans (and I guess rich other visitors) would purchase and ship a must-have rug home.  I was sorely tempted, but was able to tell the vendor about the amazing hand-made rug young Jim had recently bought and shipped to me from Kashmir, during his all-India trip, but that details of that belong to another blog, not mine :)

Today I am left reflecting upon words from Ecclesiastes, that there is nothing new under the sun. This comes to as an affirmation of the God-given ingenuity and brilliance of humankind, and God's promise that he is in the business of redeeming the whole creation.  The poppies blooming in the ruins of Ephesus were to me a sign of those ancient truths.