(September 2008)

The historical period probably remembered most is during the Roman rule of the city which began in 190 B.C. During that time, it became the capital and most important commercial center for Rome's province of Asia. It was during this time period that the city's history was linked with the history of Christianity through John, Paul, and Mary, mother of Jesus. As a Christian, one cannot help but imagine the people of the times as they crowded the market places and lined the streets in this once bustling city and be in awe of how a faith, a religion, could grow under such dire persecution.

Only one-third of Ephesus has been uncovered so far. Our walk through the city streets on some of the original marble slabs stretched a distance of two miles. In some ways it is like walking through a giant jigsaw puzzle of many parts as archeologists try to piece together the buildings and structures of the past.

The most impressive of the structures is the large theater (one of two in the city) that is built into a hill. It seats 24,000 people and is so acoustically perfect that it still attracts modern day performers for concerts. This was the scene of an uproar found in Acts 19: 29-41. It took place when a silversmith named Demetrius felt that Paul and his disciples were a threat to his income. You see Demetrius made and sold silver images of Artemis (the Greek name for the Roman goddess Diana). He was likely the head of a guild and incited the members.

The Ephesians felt they were the guardians of the temple for Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. All that remains standing today is a large column. The statue of Artemis can be found in a museum nearby. It looks like she is made of many ostrich eggs. Perhaps that is because she was to symbolize fertility.

Along Curetes Street, you pass many columns and pedestals that adorned this place where so many wealthy Ephesians lived. The pedestals at one time held statues that honored its more prestigious citizens. Curetes Street leads down to the next most impressive restoration, the Library of Celsus. The library dates back to the 2nd century A.D.

Passing through the arches of the square in front of the library takes you into the area known as the agora--the marketplace. This is a huge open square that was surrounded by shops and on market days was filled with local produce and supplies for sale. It was here our guide stopped to explain to us the Christian symbols we would see in the marble slabs along Harbour Street.

I knew that the Greek letters for fish also stood for Jesus Christ Son of God but he showed us how the early Christians had taken those Greek letters, laid them on top of each other and created a secret symbol that resembled a wheel with spokes. This symbol was carved into some of the marble stones and helped to identify the path to safe homes for Christians being persecuted.

Ephesus was at one time a port city but over many thousands of years, the river flowing down to the sea deposited silt and formed a delta which has now put the ancient city about 4 miles away from the sea.

Ephesus is a must see for anyone with an appreciation for history. For me, it was an opportunity to bring some of the scriptures in my Bible to a fuller meaning. To my surprise, I learned much history surrounding my Christian beliefs from our Muslim guide.

The House of St. Mary

Near Ephesus, up in the hills, is the place where many believe Mary, mother of Jesus, lived out her life. The disciple, John was asked by Jesus to take care of her and, since he moved to Ephesus, it is assumed that he took her with him. As the story goes, a Bavarian woman had a vision of a home in the hills near Ephesus where Mary lived and was buried. In 1892, ruins were discovered of a church dedicated to Mary in the 9th century. It is said that the church was built over the ruins of her home. The grave of Mary has never been found.

The building has been restored but you can see where the original ruins end and the new part begins about 2-3 feet above the ground. The inside is bare stone walls with an altar built into a niche. Outside and down a walkway is a place where you can find holy water from a spigot--actually three spigots--and a wall where people leave a small prayer cloth or prayer wish.

The Church of St. John

It was in Ephesus where John is said to have written the fourth book of the New Testament. And it is here that he died. Inside the ruins of the Church of St. John, there is a place said to have been the first resting place of John's remains. They were moved but to where was not clear.

The church sits high on a hill and overlooks the place where the temple of Artemis is marked by one lone remaining pillar.

Kusadasi

The ancient city of Ephesus is near the port of Kusadasi, Turkey. This was the place where our cruise ship, the Noordam, docked. Part of our tour included a delicious meal on the patio of a beautiful hotel overlooking the harbor--the KoruMar. The meal included several vegetable salad appetizers, a sweet lemon-flavored tea, a cheese crepe, an entree of grilled chicken and beef with vegetables, and baklava and fruit for dessert. The Turkish baklava was quite different from the Greek baklava we are familiar with. It is not as thick with honey but rather they use a lighter sweet syrup and top their pastry with pistachio nuts.

We were entertained with Turkish dancers in traditional costume. They reminded me of some of the dancers from a few productions of the Nutcracker I've seen at Christmas time--very energetic and athletic as they whirled and twirled on knees and leapt in the air.

Kusadasi is a very clean city and situated in a beautiful coastal setting. Since we did not explore on our own, I do not know how easily one might get around the city not knowing the language. I suspect that since this is such a tourist destination, English speakers would not be difficult to find. This would be a place to return to and see at a more leisurely pace.