Ephesus

The Library

We arrived at Mamarus with 85 people who would be chartering 12 boats, ready for our trip along the beautiful Turquoise Coast.  The original plan was to take the ferry over to Rhodes and spend a day before we took off on our sailing adventure but we quickly changed our minds and decided that to be so close to Ephesus and one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World- to not see that would be a shame.  Our trip was early September and the University of Istanbul had not started it’s Fall semester yet so we were able to hire a local history professor from the University to be our guide.  Fifty of us us piled on a bus and by the time we reached Ephesus a few hours later we were totally up to speed on this fascinating place.

Legend Has it the Ephesus is 12,000 Years Old

Legend has it that in 10 BC, Androclos, the son of a King of Athens, was searching a location for establishing a new home. Androclos was running from from an invasion in Greece and was leading one of the convoys. It was predicted by the Oracle of Appalo that a fish and a boar would show the location of the new settlement. Days later, the oracle’s prediction came true, while frying fish the fish fell from the pan revealing a hiding boar behind the bushes. The boar ran away immediately and Androclos followed the boar and established the city of Ephesus where the boar was killed. Androclos became the first king of Ephesus.

Ephesus reached the “Golden Age” and became a model to the world in culture and art.  The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was build during that time.  The rest of the ruins of that golden age are yet to be excavated.  What you see today one of the later/newer cities.

Ephesus was very prosperous during the times of Alexander the Great. The Temple of Artemis was destroyed in 356BC by fire and it is said that the location of Ephysus has changed five times due to earthquakes resulting in changing topography of the harbors.

This library had an underground path to a building next door that was rumored to be the brothel and Ephesus perfected the toilet as part of the Roman Baths. Ephesus is where Saint James took the mother of Christ, Mary, where she lived the rest of her life after her son died.  You can see the house she lived in and Popes come to celebrate Mass at this site. Ephesus is a not to be missed distention when visiting Turkey.