Ephesus

An hours minibus ride south from Izmir brings you to Selcuk, a prosperous farming and tourist town.  (Izmir's otogar - bus station is too huge!  Two stories with 150 bays around the circumference.  It even boasts a swimming pool in the centre. Curiously,no one in the water.)  Landscape of prominent hills, often forested with small trees both deciduous and coniferous.  Extensive agriculture across the flat valley floor - oranges, figs, grapes and tobacco.

Here is the reason people visit Selcuk.  Ephesus, once a major city in the eastern Mediterranean, it's thousand year history flourished and ebbed through Hellenic, Roman and Byzantine eras.  Population estimates at its peak range from 250,000 to 400,000.

The first photo is of the Library of Celsus.  There were 12,000 scrolls inside making this site the third largest library in the ancient world.  What could bring down such a rich metropolis?  Cue the occasional earthquake and periodic invasions with new masters to pay taxes to.  More importantly to the decline was the silting up of the harbour.  Although dredged repeatedly Mother Nature won out and the sea port became swamp and eventually dry land.

 There has been a 150 years of excavation and only the central core has been exposed.  What a wonderful day we had to wander down the two central streets, guide book in hand and cameras posed.

Civic notables would construct fountains or finance a temple and dedicate it to the reigning emperor or perhaps the local deity.  Speaking of gods & goddess the city's patron was Artemis / Diana with a twist.  An earlier history of  'Earth Mother' beliefs were fused with Artemis so her statues show her chest covered with rows of multiple pendulous breasts.  A startling sight.

This the view down the upper main avenue towards 'down town'.  The brothel was located across the street from the library.

 I visited Ephesus forty years ago during a solo backpacking tour of Europe.  Splendid to be able to share this experience with Miriam.  One of the new features of the site - the Houses of the Terrace.  Six large houses that climb up the slope to the left in the picture above have been recently excavated and covered with a translucent roof.  Fancy stainless steel and glass-floored walkways take you though the interlinked structures, over mosaic floors and past painted walls.  These homes were an apartment complex rented out to rich folks.  Thanks to a second century CE earthquake there is a vivid window on the past.

Check your shoes, here is Nike - complete with her swoosh!

 This is the small, second amptheatre used for civic meetings and other public affairs.  It holds 1400.

Here is the larger amphitheatre with room for 24,000.  A three level stage in front had room for the actors, the chorus and the orchestra. Everything up-to-date in this port town.  The marble road in the distance led to the harbour.  Notice you do not see the sea.  Bummer when your harbour silts up.

In ancient times this avenue was lined with shops.  The commercial agora was around to the left while to the right was a large gymnasium.

Many of the artifacts from the site are housed at the Archeology Museum in Selcuk, which unfortunately closed for renovations the day before we arrived.  Piffle!