Before I hop from subject to subject, I figured since I last blogged about my inter city travel experience, I'll fill you guys in on my trip. Anywho, I traveled from Istanbul for 10 hours to a small town 2 miles from the Aegean called Selcuk (pronounced SELL-CHOOK). Selcuk is attracts hundreds of thousands of tours because of its early Christian history and its proximity to the ruins of the Ancient port city Ephesus. And lucky you, now you get to read all about it.
Ephesus was one of the largest cities and most wealthy cities in the ancient Mediterranean world with a population of 250,000. Its wealth was due to its natural harbor which is now 3 kilometers from the archaeological site. Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia that were cited in the Book of Revelation, Letter to the Ephesians is in reference to the people of Ephesus, the last home of the Virgin Mary is nearby, and St. John is also buried nearby as well. The city was eventually abandoned because over the centuries, the natural harbor silted up and it ceased being the epicenter of trade and commerce. So as you can see there is a lot to discuss so lets get this show on the road. I'll start with the highlights of the official archaeological site.
The Great Theater: This amphitheater was by far my favorite part of touring the city. Its hard to imagine the vastness of it but it was simply amazing.
Just walking up to the top and sitting for the moment really made my day.
The Church of Mary (Double Churches): This is the church where the Catholic Church officially declared that Jesus was both human and divine (431 AD) and also the first church ever dedicated to Mary. The church itself was first built in 2nd century AD.
The site is completely in ruins but you could tell the complex was extremely large. Below you can see the baptismal pool still remains. Not much left but the history make up for what the remains lack. Poppin.
Library of Celsus: If you type "Ephesus" into a Google image search, you're most likely gonna come up with either an image of The Great Theater or a picture of the Library of Celsus. The library was believed to have housed 12,500 books, which was a substantial amount at the time. I could especially appreciate this because as the daughter of a librarian, I have an affinity for books -- In the words of the ever so eloquent Juvenile, "She get it from her mama."
The Public Toilets: Last but not least and certainly the most amusing was the public toilets. The seating is extended around four sides of a wall. Below there was a deep sewer that was flushed by a continuous flow of water. The toilets were roped off so I was unable to capture a pic of me taking a fake #2 so just a pic of the toilet will have to suffice. Don't be shy, step right up, drop your pants, and take a squat.
I tried to keep it as short and simple as possible with the archaeological site. It took me around 3 hours to completely tour the entire ancient city. It would have been impossible to outline everything that I saw while I was there. I just wanted you guys to see my faves. The only problem I had was that I forgot to pack my walking shoes in my bag so I was stuck wearing the flats I wore to the bus station. Son. By the end of the day I had all kinds of blisters and band aids plastered all over my feet.
Small price to pay for the chance of a lifetime, I suppose. Also, please just pretend like you didn't notice my ashy left foot. Thanks.
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