Thursday, July 7, 2016

Visiting the Ancient World of Ephesus

Hello dear readers.  Sorry that I have been away for awhile.  My family and I went on a little adventure and now we're back to our routine.

We met in Athens, Greece and this time the whole family was all together.  It was my first time being in Greece and it was quite an adventure since they were in the midst of a heatwave.  On the last day, in the midst of the sun's relentless rays, we ventured to the Acropolis.  It was pretty amazing.  Although, I was a bit scared walking over the slick stone pavement as it was like walking on an ice rink.  The last night we went up on top of our apartment and sat down to enjoy this amazing view.  Sorry for the bad photo but it was the best I could manage.

My daughter stayed with her dear friend Demetria and we stayed at a Airbnb apartment we rented.  It was delightful to partake of the hospitality and delicious Greek food that Demetria and her dear family prepared for us.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law, also accompanied us on this trip. Here's a photo of the whole family.  From the left is my little grandson, my daughter, my little granddaughter, my son-in-law, me,  my husband, my son, his fiancé and my sister-in-law and brother-in-law.

We embarked on our cruise ship in the port of Pireaus and our first stop was Kusadaci in Turkey.  We visited the ancient site of Ephesus.  This ancient city was discovered by the British architect John Turtle Wood back in the mid 1800's.  Excavations were later carried out by a German archaeologist.  

This is the Temple of Hadrian which was built sometime around 118AD to 138AD.  It is located on a street named Curetes Street which was one of the main streets in Ephesus.  

This is the ancient great theatre in Ephesus.  It began construction in the third century BC.  It has a capacity seating for 25,000 people.   It was used for concerts, plays, various discussions and also for gladiator fights.  
  
I think the "shining star" of Ephesus is the Library of Celsus.  It was originally built in 117AD to 125 AD to house manuscript scrolls.  The scrolls were kept in niches on the walls.  The library's capacity could hold up to 12,000 scrolls.  It was named for Gaius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, whose tomb was beneath the ground floor.

Upon entering the ancient site of Ephesus, you see this stone carving of the Goddess Nike.  Again, I was quite taken back to see how this has survived all these many centuries.

A visit to the ruins of the Basicilia of St. John was also on the agenda.  I even found original tile floors from the time when this basicila was built in the sixth century.

Above is a photo of the tomb of St. John the Apostle, the writer of the Bible's fourth gospel and the book of Relevation.

Speaking of the Bible, in the middle of this photo you can see a single column; it is what is left of the Temple of Artemis, AKA Temple of Diana.  The Apostle Paul speaks about this temple in Acts 19.  

It was a very warm day when we toured Ephesus but well worth it.  I would love to go again and see something that maybe I didn't see the first time.  It brought a smile to my face to see this lovely Ephesian cat :)

There are so many things about Ephesus that I feel I've barely scratched the surface.  But, here are a few more interesting facts:
1.  Today, Ephesus is near the present day city of Selcuk, Turkey in the Izir Province, off the coast of the Aegean Sea. 
2.  Ephesus is cited in the book of Revelation as one of the Seven Churches of Asia; book of Revelation 2. 
3.  Ephesus was the site where three ecumenical councils where held; 431AD, 449AD and 475AD.
4.  According to the oral tradition of the Orthodox church, St. John took the Virgin Mary to live with him upon Christ's crucifixion and they made their way to Ephesus, Turkey.  You will find the House of the Virgin Mary where Mary may have spent her last days there. 
5. Originally, Ephesus had a harbor on the Aegean Coastline.  The harbor was slowly silted up by the Cayster River.  

I've never traveled to the Holy Land and hope to one day, but the opportunity to see this ancient city was the next best thing.  I hope to go back again one day for a longer visit.

Thank you for stopping by today.  There's lots more I have to share with you another day.  I've missed hearing from you and wish you all the very best.

With my best wishes,

Pat

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28 comments:

  1. Really enjoyed your photos. We lived in Izmir, Turkey for 2 years and visited Ephesus many times. Glad you enjoyed it.

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  2. You photos are amazing! What a trip!!!! Something you will never forget. Plus you got to experience it with your family!! Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Glad you had a wonderful time! It looks amazing!

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  4. Pat, thanks so much for sharing some of the highlights of your latest trip! It is wonderful that you were able to gather with so much of your family. Your post sent me looking for a modern world map. Somehow it did not register to me until now that Ephesus is in Turkey! It is amazing to to me to see the ancient ruins of places I have read about. I am not an avid traveler, so I especially appreciate it when those I know share their travels with me. May the Lord continue to bless you and yours, and please give Lily some love pats from me. xxxx

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  5. Oh Pat, what a superb post. I too have not visited the 'Holy' land and really hope to some day. It seems you have a wonderful family time in such an historic part of the world. I've not ever tried Airbnb, what was it like?

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  6. Looks like an amazing trip, how wonderful to have all the family together. Loved your five facts. Have a great weekend.

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  7. Exciting! You have brought back memories of our tour of Greece a few years back, it was very hot then too! Glad you had a good time. :-)

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  8. How wonderful. You saw some beautiful, ancient places and caught up with family too, perfect:)

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  9. It looks like a fascinating place. Thanks for the tour!

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  10. Sounds and looks like a beautiful place to visit - so much history. It sounds like you had a wonderful family holiday and brought back lots of memories (as well as a few souvenirs I'm sure!)

    Have a great weekend

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  11. It looks beautiful there and so much history. Thank you for taking us on a tour. :)

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  12. Looks like a marvelous cruise and trip. So nice to meet up with family. No travel post is complete without a kitty! :) Have a wonderful week.

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  13. What a wonderful trip. I have been lucky enough to visit many places in Greece and Turkey but Ephesus was always a favourite. It is remarkable how it has survived and it's like walking in history. I hope you manage to go to the Holy Land one day.

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  14. Your pictures are gorgeous! The cat makes me smile.. so regal looking. I would love to visit Greece. Ah, "someday". Have a wonderful weekend!

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  15. Thanks for a peek at a place so lovely and interesting. Hope it will survive in this world of bombardments and such. Appreciate your sharing it with us.

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  16. Thank you for joining in Five On Friday, I hope you have a great weekend! xx

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  17. What an amazing adventure - very intrepid!

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  18. What a very special holiday,including 3 generations of family. Love your pictures,they bring history alive. Would you recommend airbb?

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  19. Wow! That is amazing! I have never been to Ephesus and love seeing those things mentioned in the Bible. Also I didn't know John was buried in Ephesus. Very interesting!
    Thanks for sharing and thanks for visiting mine,
    Lisca

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  20. What amazing photos from a great adventure. How wonderful that your entire family was able to enjoy it together!

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  21. Oh what an incredible trip! I would love to go! How wonderful that you were able to be there with family and friends...how lovely to see all these amazing historic sites! Your photos are wonderful, and I am so happy you shared your trip with us!

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  22. How wonderful to see all those special places - it is fantastic that they have survived so long.
    Thank you for stopping by my blog too - lovely to meet you here :)
    Fil’s Place - Old songs and Memories

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  23. Thanks for the excellent tour, one can only marvel at the history held within these ancient stones.

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  24. That was such an interesting post . It is truly amazing that these places have survived the passage of time. It is good to see just how far the apostles travelled back in Jesus time, and tie these laces into the Bible. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. Kate x

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  25. How lucky of you to get to visit there.. so much history! You have a gorgeous family. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  26. I did the same tour 4 years ago ! I prefer Turkey to Greece, the historical sites are better taken care of !

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  27. Looks like a lovely place! Nice photos ♥

    summerdaisy.net

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  28. When I was only 17 I visited Ephesus, and I understand that much more of the city has been excavated since then. I would love to go back. Your pictures are great!

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