 Do you need a Ephesus Tour ?
EPHESUS
I Unmatched by any archaeological site anywhere in terms of sheer magnitude,
Ephesus appeals to every visitor, from the serious archaeology scholar
delighted by the visual evidence of long pondered facts and figures, to
the casual visitor titillated by ribald hints of brothel complexes.
Information on the origin of the founders of Ephesus is inconclusive. Strabo and Pausanias agree that the city was founded by the legendary Amazons, but that the majority of the population were the Carians and Lelegians. According to Herodotus, the Carians considered themselves Anatolia's oldest inhabitants; Halicarnassus (Bodrum) was their capital.
Athenaeus relates the colourful legend of how the original settlement came into being: it seems the founders could not decide on a location for a site, so they consulted an Apollonian oracle which gave them suitably cryptic instructions to establish the city at the spot indicated by a fish and a boar. Androklos, the son of Kodros, the king of Athens , and his friends wanted to fry some fish while contemplating this advice. A fish jumped out of the frying pan, scattering live coals and setting on a fire a thicket in which a boar was hiding. The boar rushed out and was killed by Androklos, thus fulfilling the prophesy. The new city was founded at the northern foot of Mt Pion.
By the 6 th century BC, Ephesus had prospered, which is perhaps why it was the first city chosen for conquest by King Croesus of Lydia in 560 BC. The Ephesians naively stretched a rope from the Temple of Artemis to the city and retreated behind it, believing the goddess would protect them. The Lydian army entered the city without a struggle, but contrary to expectations, Croesus treated the captives as friends.
Ephesus entered a golden age during the Roman era, when Augustus declared
Ephesus the capital of the province of Asia Minor in place of Pergamon.
An inscription from Ephesus at this time calls itself “the first
and greatest metropolis of Asia ”, and indeed it was. As the
permanent residence of the governor of Rome , it had a population of 250,000,
and was the trade and banking centre of Asia; the only threat to its prosperity
being the constant silting up of the harbour by the Cayster River . Despite
many inspired or misguided attempts over the years to deepen the channel
or divert the course of the river, Ephesus now lies 5 km from the sea.
St Paul arrived in AD 53, and gained enough followers to establish the
first Christian church of Ephesus . A backlash against the new religion
was spurred by secular rather than sacred interest. The jeweller Demetrius
and the others who had a lucrative business selling silver statues of Artemis
were incensed by Paul's proselytising, and arranged a rally of thousands
in the theatre shouting, “Great is Artemis Ephesia!”
St Paul , whose friends Gaios and Aristarhos were dragged into the theatre,
wanted to face down the crowd but was restrained from doing so, departing
shortly thereafter Macedonia . Yet the new religion spread quickly in Ephesus
and eventually supplanted the worship of Artemis. St John later spent several
years here.
Ephesus Mesuem
The Ephesus Museum (open Tues-Sun 8.30 am - noon , 1-5.30 pm ; entrance fee) has an exceptional collection, all thoughtfully displayed and labelled. Mosaics and frescoes from the houses at Ephesus , statues, coins and relics all create a vivid impression of the rich decoration of the ancient city. The most famous exhibits include the bronze statuette of Eros on a dolphin, two marble statues of Artemis polymastros , a fresco of the philosopher, Socrates, with a Greek inscription and a marble statue of Priapus, balancing a tray of fruit on his pride and joy, and a reconstruction of a Roman house.
Basilica of St. John
The Basilica of St John is located at the southern foot of the hill dominated by the Selcuk fortress. St John is said to have lived the last years of his life here; after his death, a shrine was located over his grave. Emperor Justinian erected a monumental structure here in the 6 th century, its central dome surrounded by several smaller domes forming the shape of a cross.
The burial chamber of St John is at the end of the central nave, raised by two steps and covered with marble reproductions of the original mosaics. The dome is supported by marble and brick pillars, between which are blue-veined marble columns bearing the monograms of Emperor Justinian and his wife, Theodora. The chapel has frescoes showing St John , Jesus and a saint. The baptistery was constructed in the 5 th century, before the church was built.
House of Virgin Mary
According to one tradition, the Virgin Mary came to Ephesus with St John and lived here from AD 37 until her death in AD 48. Her house, the Meryemana (8 km south of Selcuk, open dawn-dusk, entrance fee), is worth a visit if only for the refreshing wooded paths and mountain streams. It has been converted to a chapel and is a popular place of pilgrimage for both Christians and Muslims, who venerate Mary as a saint. The icons are reputed to have curative powers attested to by the crutches and braces left here by healed pilgrims.
Do you need a Ephesus Tour ? |
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