Basilica of St. John, Ephesus

Author of the Bible's fourth Gospel and the book of Revelation, St. John was an apostle, evangelist, and prophet. His movement throughout Europe and Asia is documented in many historical and sacred books, and it is known he was at the feet of Jesus during the crucifixion. After Jesus' death, it is believed John took Jesus' mother, Mary, to Ephesus where he lived out the duration of his life.

The perceived gravesite of John in Selcuk, just two miles from ancient Ephesus, was enclosed by a humble church in the 4th century. In the 6th century, Emperor Justinian, believing the tomb was that of St. John's, built a magnificent church in the same location and transformed the area into a sacred site. Its brick and marble construction was rare at the time, and if reconstructed today the cathedral would be the seventh largest in the world.

St. John's grave

A view from the basilica wall toward Isabey Mosque

View of Selcuk from the basilica wall

Great Theater, Ephesus

Constructed in the 1st Century around 40 AD, the Great Theater in Ephesus is an important site of Biblical proportion. In the 1st Century, the Apostle Paul spent three years in Ephesus preaching the Gospel and condemning paganism. According to the book of Acts, the theater is the site of the "riots of the silversmiths"—those who made silver figurines of Artemis claimed Paul's preaching was bad for business.

About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty."

When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater. Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.

The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. The Jews pushed Alexander to the front, and some of the crowd shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: "Men of Ephesus, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to be quiet and not do anything rash. You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of today's events. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it." After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

Acts 19: 23-41

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.

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.

Turkish Delight

My favorite Turkish delight is not the savory little sweets found throughout the country, but the beautifully rich rugs—particularly those in one man's Istanbul shop. I regret not buying one when I look back at the stunning pictures, but I guess it just gives me another reason to return to the city! Although, it doesn't take much convincing beyond that...