Ephesus

This morning we have a young female guide and we are off to see Ephesus.  She first takes us to the house of the Virgin Mary.  This area was home to the Virgin Mary and St John who weren’t able to live in the township as it was a ‘pagan’ community.

Next stop, Ephesus, which was rebuilt five times…this is the third settlement.  The majority of Ephesus is still buried as the excavation didn’t start until 1870, however they are making an effort to step-up their excavations so there will be a lot more to see in another 10 – 15 years.   You can see quite clearly Hadrian’s Temple, the three part bathing system, the latrines, the huge Roman Theatre, the Agora or market place even the brothel!  The whole place is remarkable.

Our next stop is the Temple of Artemis, which today is only one column.  Many statues and artefacts are spread around the world in places like the British Museum.

Lunch is at a large restaurant.  These meals are all buffets offering chicken, meatballs, eggplant, salads etc.  Our last stop is the obligatory “carpet” merchant where we are shown how they collect the silk and weave it, then how the carpets are made by hand on a loom.  It is quite an art but one which is dying out as many young people are not interested in continuing such a handicraft.

The Virgin Mary's house

The Library at Ephesus

Back to our hotel and after a short break we go for a walk down the boardwalk to the marina.  This is really a thriving city and you can imagine what it would be like in summer, there are cafes and hotels everywhere, right on the water.