Library of Celsus, Ephesus

Originally commissioned by the Consul Julius Aquila as a mausoleum for his father, Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, the Library of Celsus is one of the most beautiful and recognized buildings in Ephesus. After its construction between 110 and 135 AD, Celsus was buried in a niche in the back wall. When a fire destroyed the reading room and an earthquake collapsed the facade in the 10th Century, the library was resurrected to its beautiful state between 1970 and 1978 by the Austrian archaeologists.

Slope Houses, Ephesus

Built along the slopes on the south side of Curetes Street sit a series of homes from the wealthy upper class citizens. Used from the 1st Century to the 7th Century AD, the homes offer archaeologists an invaluable insight into the lives of the wealthy citizens, and have been compared in importance to the first-class villas in Pompeii.

Most of the homes were three storied with an internal courtyard surrounded by rooms, and an exit onto the side street from a terrace. The open courtyards in the middle of the homes were paved with marble and outlined with marble columns. Each house had running water and a heating system during winter months. Today, archaeologists are working to uncover and preserve the fascinating mosaics and frescoes that decorated the homes' interiors.

Latrine, Ephesus

Similar to some public toilets we encountered along our trip, the latrine in Ephesus appeared awkward, uncomfortable, and hardly private. However, it was actually quite modern and civilized for its time. Toilet seats constructed out of marble slabs sat side by side over a channel of an uninterrupted flow of water beneath a covered roof. The middle of the room was open to the sky above and contained a sunken pool that once caught rain water.

Temple of Hadrian, Ephesus

Erected in 118 AD, the Temple of Hadrian was actually a monument dedicated to Hadrian, Artemis and the people of Ephesus, rather than a temple. It's beauty and intricate carvings of historical and mythological figures make it one of Ephesus' most popular attractions.

Trajan Fountain

Situated along Curetes Street, the Trajan Fountain was built between 102 and 104 AD and was dedicated to the Emperor Trajan. At one time, many historical and mythological figurines lined the fountain but have since been relocated to the Ephesus Museum.

Curetes Street, Ephesus

Cutting across the city grid, the diagonal Curetes Street, known as Embolos in Late Antiquity, was later named Curetes, meaning priests of Artemis, from an inscription found by archaeologists. It was once lined with shops, workshops, and inns; and provided the processional route to the Temple of Artemis.

Temple of Domitian, Ephesus

The Temple of Domitian was the first structure in Ephesus dedicated to an emperor. Originally built on a terrace, the temple had eight columns on the shorter side and thirteen across the length. Today, not much remains of the temple except for the terrace wall, a portion of the staircase, and various pieces of columns.

Prytaneion, Ephesus

One of the most important buildings in ancient Ephesus, the Prytaneion was dedicated to the goddess, Hestia. As the sister of Zeus and Hera, Hestia was honored in temples and homes throughout the Hellenistic and Roman periods. In the Prytaneion, Hestia was represented as a sacred flame, which was never to be extinguished. The building was also used by religious and civic leaders to receive official guests to the city.

Odeion, Ephesus

Also known as the Small Theater, the Odeion was a semi-circular structure used for performances. Like other theaters, the Odeion contained three main sections: the cavea (auditorium), the orchestra (place of action for the actors), and the skene (stage building). It had a capacity to seat 1,400 spectators and was probably covered in a wooden roof due to the absence of rainwater gutters.

Temple of Artemis, Ephesus

Between Selcuk and Ephesus stands a single reconstructed marble column, all that remains of one of the Seven Wonders of the World—the Temple of Artemis. Originally constructed in 650 BC to Artemis, the temple underwent reconstruction twice after a fire destroyed it first and then attack and plunder ruined it a second time. At 377 feet long and 180 feet wide, the Temple of Artemis dwarfed its Greek counterpart, the Parthenon. It consisted of 127 columns, each 60 feet in height, and was made almost entirely out of marble. Today, it is difficult to imagine the lonely column surrounded by 126 others of such an immense size. Imagining its beauty, however, is easy.

The marshy location of the former Temple of Artemis.

The lone column, all that remains of the temple.

A statue from the temple called, the "Great Artemis."

Ephesus

Once an ancient Greek city on the west coast of Anatolia, Ephesus is now part of modern-day Turkey located near the city of Selcuk in the Izmir province. During the Roman period, Ephesus was the second-largest city in the Roman empire after Rome, itself. In the first century BC, Ephesus became the second largest city in the world with a population of 250,000—a far cry from Tokyo's largest population today of over 30 million. Currently, only 15% of Ephesus' ruins have been excavated, leaving an impressive amount of history undiscovered.

Aside from its ruins, Ephesus is revered for its place in religious history. Countless pilgrims visit the ancient city as the once home to the apostles Paul and John, and the Virgin Mary. It is there where Paul wrote 1 Corinthians and John may have written his Gospel.

Because there are so many notable sites, I will write several posts about the area.

Below the Surface

Hundreds of underground cities hide below Cappadocia's peculiar rock formations. Used during the Byzantine period, the underground cities provided a place of refuge from increasing invasions and Christian persecution. The underground city we visited wound eight levels below the surface in a series of tunnels, rooms, and traps. A ventilation system sustained life for the underground city dwellers, but also doubled as a trap to end the lives of unwanted visitors. Bedrooms, classrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and even wine cellars were carved out of the rock to create an incredible environment for the thousands of people, and animals, who were forced into hiding.

This is the area where they smashed grapes in order to make wine. The juice flowed through the hole...

... and down into a bowl, which was placed on the lower level. It's a bit like miniature-golf.

Classroom

A Camel of a Different Color

Not all camels look like twins. Aside from the number of humps, camels can have very different appearances due to their fur, body structure, and facial features. In Jordan and Egypt, the camels looked relatively similar but those in Turkey were a little more full-figured.

Jordan

Turkey

Fairy Chimneys

Because of ancient volcanic eruptions and years of extreme wind erosion, Cappadocia—a region in central Turkey—resembles my imagination's perception of a Martian landscape. The strange rock formations, often referred to as fairy chimneys, are the result of a complicated recipe of occurrences. As my overly confident tour guide attempted to explain the sequence of events leading up to Cappadocia's unique appearance, I tried to follow his stick-drawn diagram in the sand.

My summary of his explanation is that the area contains three layers of rock: basalt, ash, and lava. Extreme differences in the thickness of each layer (basalt is the hardest while ash is the softest) is a major contributing factor for the formations' strange appearances. As water creates cracks in the layers, the rock breaks off at different points. Over time, wind and water erosion shape the rock into peaks, or chimneys. Yes, something like that...

Regardless of whether or not you know the technicalities, the Cappadocia region is an interesting natural phenomenon. And, like most things, knowing the answer takes away from some of its mystery.

Exteriors

Interiors

Years ago, the rock formations were used by entire communities as homes, churches, and schools.

Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is Turkey's largest covered shopping market. With thousands of stores, it's an overwhelmingly exhilarating experience. As the end of our trip neared, we had less time, less money, and less space to purchase everything we wanted but enjoyed the afternoon strolling through the tip of the iceberg.

The ubiquitous evil eye—here and there in Jordan and Egypt, but ALL OVER Turkey!

Turkey has some of the most beautiful lanterns I have ever seen—another reason to return.

Traditional Turkish designs decorate bowls, plates, and tiles everywhere.

Of course, no country visit is complete without a new scarf... or two.

Oh, the jewelry... so unique and so beautiful.

*all photos courtesy of Andrea G.