Day 27 - Kusadasi to Izmir (Ephesus)

After a wonderful stay in Kusadasi we first visited a leather factory. In Turkey they use lamb leather which is very soft. They first put on a fashion show were they got a couple of our group up to participate and then lead you to the show room. This place was very expensive. They pride themselves on having a very thin leather which we thought looks a lot more like vinyl. A few got sucked in to buying jackets but as we got our last night it really was a waste of time we could have spent somewhere else.

 

Finally we hit the road to visit the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus, the largest Roman ruin in the world and one of the worlds finest archaeological sites and the reason Noel and I came to Turkey in the first place. To date only 10% of the city has been unearthed. The city extends back into the third millennium before Christ and was one of the most important centres of antiquity. It acted as a gateway between east and west and was the point of departure for the famous royal highway that led through Sardis into Lydia. We saw the Odeon, Curates Street. Trajan Fountain, basilica, Brothel, Latrines, Pyrtaneion, Domination Street, Kouretes Street, Fountain of Trajan, Temple of Hadian, the façade of the Library of Celsius and the Amphitheatre which they still use for concerts. But the most impressive and the place that truly gives you the insight into how a Roman City looked is the Terrace Houses. Only the four of us did this section as it is an extra but so worth it and should not be missed. It is a shame they don't take the tour here instead of the leather shop.

 

The terrace houses are located in the centre of the city and suggest that important figures once lived here. Excavations uncovered valuable marble, ivory and bronze objects as well as a large number of statues, furniture, decorative objects, candleholders and kitchen utensils. The houses all had running water and some individual cisterns. Every house had a heating system, bathrooms and kitchens. As you climb through the houses you can still see the beautiful mosaic floors and painted Frescoes, all original. They have been preserved so well as they were all covered in volcanic ash. The area is protected by a huge canopy.

 

After Ephesus we had lunch then headed to the House of Mary which is believed to be the last home of the Virgin Mary and is a world famous place of pilgrimage. After this we visited the Church and Tomb of Saint John which in the Byzantine period was the most impressive house of worship in Ephesus. It is said that John was expelled from Jerusalem and supposedly took the Virgin Mary under his care and came to Ephesus about five-ten years after the crucifixion of Jesus. From here you could also see the Temple of Artemis which is one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world and the Fortress on the upper slopes of Ausuluk which dates back to the Byzantine period.

We then did the 115km drive to Izmir which is the 3rd largest city in Turkey with about 3 million people and has the largest port on the Aegean. Today starts the beginning of a 9 day holiday in Turkey so the roads and the hotels are very busy. Next week unfortunately there will be a sacrifice ceremony and they say around 2 million sheep will be sacrificed. I guess we kill plenty of animals for our consumption but as it is already in the shop packaged you don't think about it. This also means it will be very busy in Istanbul when we return so shopping in the Grand Bazaar could be fun.

Tomorrow we will visit Troy, wonder if Brad, Orlando and Eric will be there. Can only hope. J&N