How we quit our jobs, packed our bags, and took off on a trip around the world
Our E-pistle from Ephesus
To our saintly readers:
Where was my head during Sunday School again? Probably on one memorable question posed by my teacher: “What do you think heaven would look like?” Since we were told that there are many rooms in God’s house, I remember spending part of that time mulling over what rooms there should be in heaven: a library, a big indoor pool, probably a bowling alley with all-you-can-eat ice cream.
I definitely missed the whole idea that many books of the New Testament are letters written by Paul to fledgling churches, e.g., Ephesians to the people who lived in ancient Ephesus. Embarrassingly, I didn’t even know Ephesus was in Turkey until a few months ago. Not surprising then that Paul, himself a Turk from Tarsus, made it here on his travels.
But Ephesus’ history isn’t just Biblical, it’s classical. Founded by an Athenian prince, added to the wealth portfolio of King Croesus, and then requisitioned by the Romans as the capital of Asia Minor, Ephesus was already a heavy hitter by the time Paul arrived.
People flock to Ephesus nowadays, whether for its history, incredibly well-preserved ancient ruins, or just because their Lonely Planet tells them to. We walked here from our guesthouse, plucking more fresh juicy figs than we could eat from the trees by the side of the road, and joined the masses on a sweltering August day. Where else can you literally walk in the footsteps of Alexander the Great, Marc Anthony, Cleopatra, and John the Apostle?
Our first glimpse of the cityA statue of the Virgin Mary on the road leading to Ephesus. John allegedly brought her to Ephesus in 90 AD for her final days. (I’m skeptical of the timing there. By 90 AD, Mary would have been in the neighborhood of 105 years old.) Either way, the legend brings many Christian pilgrims to Ephesus.The Upper Agora, or State Agora — the site of religious and political meetingsThe Odeon — at 5,000 seats, the “more intimate” theater in town and the site of Senate meetings. Check out the original marble seats in the lower section — with original Roman butt grooves!Ephesus may have once belonged to the Romans, now it belongs to the local cats (Memmius Monument in the background)Figures from the Domitian Temple, built in honor of Emperor Domitian, who was later assassinated by his own court officialsThe view down Curetes Way (Main Street Ephesus) to the Library of CelsusView of Ephesus from the baths, possibly the cold plunge room? (Skyler: “I love the word ‘frigidarium.'” Jordan: “I’d pay an extra admission for a frigidarium right now.”)Public potties!Inside the Terrace Houses (these were only unearthed in 1999, and only open to the public since 2006), what must be the world’s biggest jigsaw puzzleThe Austrian archaeologists that are still excavating the Terrace Houses, a series of homes for the Ephesian well-heeled, have constructed a walkway and dome/shell to protect their work and allow public admission at the same time. This is a view of a basilica, marble reception room and (heated!) bathroom.Look at the beautifully preserved mosaic floors and painted walls in the Terrace Houses.A very long time ago, someone wrote their grocery list on the wall. So it looks like nuts and spas have always been expensive.The Library of Celsus and the showpiece ruin of Ephesus. It was the third largest library in its day (after the libraries of Alexandria and Pergamum), holding 12,000 volumes.The architect designed the library to look bigger than it actually is — the columns are of unequal height, making it appear to bow out in the middle.Arete (representing “excellence”), one of the four statues tucked into the niches at the Library of Celsus. Arete and her sisters are actually all copies of the original statues, which were taken to Vienna by the Austrian excavators.The Lower Agora, or Market Agora. If we were tourists during Ephesus’ heyday, you’d have found us here (or maybe at the baths!)The grand theater! Seating 25,000, this theater would have been smack on the ocean during Roman times.It really was the ancient version of The Swamp – Ephesus was done in by malaria when the harbor it once sat on silted over and turned into swamp land.The harbor street — this broad avenue used to lead to a busy port.
Ephesus is a city that for all purposes was dead and buried (quite literally), but the masses of tourists and pilgrims it receives (two million of them every year) give the place a feeling of life and vitality — Ephesus’ second act, a new lease on life.
