Ephesus Turkey

Our only port in Turkey proved to be quite interesting. We first learned that the Virgin Mary and St. John lived (and died) near Ephesus after Christ was crucified. They have determined where they both lived and have reconstructed the house of Mary on the original foundation (3 Popes have actually visited this site!). Ephesus is also home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the temple of Artimus (of which only one column still exists). The ruins of Ephesus are still being excavated, but they have determined that the Romans actually named this city the Eastern (Asian) capital of the Roman Empire and it was home to more than 400,000 people in 100 AD. After visiting the ruins we went to a train museum for a Turkish lunch and were entertained by youth performing a traditional dance (see video). Our last stop was a Persian rug demonstration which was a real treat. They also shared with us the different types of rugs: wool, cotton, and silk. They were all very beautiful and if we could have found a bank to rob prior to departure we would have bought one – they were really amazing. A very quick stroll thru the Turkish bizarre gave us a good idea of how it works: all the shop keepers stand outside their shops and ask you to step inside – everyone sort of runs down the street saying ‘no thank you, no thank you…’ to each and every one of them. Our last stop was an ancient caravan hotel that has recently been converted – it was surrounded by a wall and had a huge courtyard to house the camels. See pictures of Ephesus here, and the port town of Kusadasi here.