I began my day by taking a swim in the beautiful Aegean Sea. It was so salty, and the water was so clear! The hotel that we stayed in for the night has a huge amount of food- tables and tables of breakfast. We ate and then were on our way to the site for the day, Ephesus. Today we had the whole day for one site, which was amazing. We were also lucky, because the cruise ships that are normally in Ephesus were not docked to visit today. So despite the crowds- it was “very empty” (according to our guide). Imagine the sheer number of tourists if the cruise ships were coming as well!
In Ephesus, we entered first through the upper gate. This was the entrance to the administrative half of the city. Only about 12 percent of the city has been excavated- but that is an area of over 1,000 acres! This site is the third Ephesus. The people living here moved for different purposes. But because they recycled columns, we can find where they used to be. At this location, they moved to be closer to the harbour and the trading route. This location is built after Alexander the Great- it was he who gave the money, as the God Artemis (who this community worshipped) was among the Gods who helped his mother give birth to him.
Ephesus is particularly interesting for two things (other than its sheer size). First, its water system which is visible to us today. Its water came via baked clay pipes from reservoirs, which also funneled water to seven Roman baths. The water system was almost perfect… wealthy families and authority had both hot and cold water. Because the Romans and Greeks both lived together and worked together, their water systems worked well together. The city had a large sewage system, too. You notice that this is a highly organized and planned city… they built it before they moved in. You can especially tell this because even though the ground is uneven, the stone streets are flat.
The other notable thing about Ephesus are its terrace houses. These are built into the side of the hill, one on top of each other. Byzantine period, post populated from the 2nd to 7th centuries. Around 20k lived in these houses- only 10% of the population, who could afford the cost of a home like this. Later, the rich moved out and the less wealthy moved in. So these houses have had many versions. The courtyard size is the hint to how rich the family was. The bigger the atrium, the more rooms of the house. The colour has stayed because of the fresco style, and being covered with dirt with grass on top. When they excavated, all the paint was still there because it had been protected! Often we hear how things used to be colourful, but rarely do we see. Notice here the many layers of plaster as the owners of the house changed design.
The site also included an amphitheatre and a great theatre, the reconstructed library (across from which used to be a brothel with a tunnel running between, so people had a decent excuse… “no, I’m going to the library!) and more monuments and buildings than I could ever quantify. There were also cats guarding many parts of the city, like much of Turkey. In both Turkey and Greece, stray cats and dogs populate the cities. Most are fed by locals.
Before leaving Ephesus, we had to stop by the church of Saint Mary, where Barbara Rossing once work with en excavation team and held a tape measure at “0!” Hard work! Here she recreates the arduous task:
After Ephesus, we headed to a yummy buffet lunch at a nearby restaurant, which served homemade Turkish food in a beautiful courtyard of flowers, including morning glories, my favourite flower!
We then stopped at the local Selçuk museum. Included here is a gigantic head and arm of either Titus or Emperor Domitian. It’s a big old square head, emphasis on big! This picture does not adequately express the sheer size of this square head.
By late afternoon, we were on our way to our last stop of the day, the Saint John’s Basilica. This is the location where St. John’s tomb is located. It is important to know that John was a very common name, and that there are very many John’s during this time. I would suggest asking Barbara Rossing or Peter Perry, two members of our trip, about the many Johns. It’s a lot to summarize, but very important. In any case, this church was built in the same period as the Hagia Sophia, and was founded by the Emperor Justinian I and Empress Theodora, built over the tomb. It was huge, with six domes, and though today we see bricks, it would have been covered in marble at its time.
We then made our way to Izmir, where we will stay. Many of us are excited to do laundry after two hot, sweaty days. Our last week of the trip will be very hot! So we will take all the rest, water, and showers/swimming that we can get. We had a lovely dinner and then a lecture and prayer, and now we’re off to bed.
-Liza
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