The first thing we see when we alight from the van that is our mode of transportation, is a huge banner that reads (click on the photo below):
Ah, good start. As with the end of our tour of Pergamon the previous day, we were approached by the traders at the entrance/exit points, trying to get us to step into their shops and purchase their goods. Most could say 'apa khabar', which shows that quite a few Malaysian tourists must frequent Turkey. Most of the traders sold silver, bags, beanies, (genuine) fake watches, souvenirs, prepackaged Turkish Delights and apple tea, bags, pashminas, the list seems endless!
Back to the order of the day. Ephesus is supposed to have been built about 4,000 years ago. An entire city, built almost completely with marble (there were also granite columns and some mosaic tiles). The excavation of the city is not complete. What we saw is merely the heart of the city and the activities of its civilians, and it is estimated to be only 5-15% of the entire city.
We first saw the Odeon or Boulouterion, the small stage and theatre where small ceremonies and poetry readings would have been held. Small it may be, but it was impressive enough. From the seats of the theatre, we could spot what used to be homes in the slopes of the hills, now partially covered by grass and other vegetation. The entrances to these homes had been sealed with metal grills, as had the entrances to other homes and shops excavated, to prevent entry by unauthorised persons. We also saw a Roman bath, communal loos, more arches that have withstood nature's beatings, various temples and carvings of Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, including Hercules, Hermes and Nike. The highlights and most impressive features were the expansive Agora (marketplace), the towering rebuilt facade of Celsus Library, and the enormous theatre, where concerts were (and to this day, are still) held. No microphones and speakers are needed, such are the acoustics of the theatre.
It was an unbelievable and surreal feeling and experience to be there, and witness what civilisations thousands of years ago could achieve. Again, Harry provided many insights and questions for us to ponder.
It seemed to me that we had entered by the back route - visitors to the city via the harbour in ancient times would have entered the city centre in the opposite direction, but I am almost certain that the guides conduct tours in the other direction for the reason that: if you entered from the harbour side, you would have seen the grand stadium the library and the Agora first. The 'wow' factor would have been so great that most of the rest of the site would have paled in comparison, and tour participants would have gotten bored. This is by no means implying that the rest of the site was boring. It wasn't. But the element of grandeur could not compare to that of the three structures that we saw at the end of the tour. In their prime, who knows, maybe the hospital, temples and baths were spectacular structures that we cannot begin to imagine today.
We exit to another sign of 'genuine fake watches' and more calls of 'apa khabar' from the traders, and head to a restaurant for lunch. We then proceed to another part of Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary (Meryemana Evi). This is where, it is alleged, the Virgin Mary spent her last days.
Outside the house, there are 3 fountains of spring water. The water from the various fountains is supposed to provide the drinker beauty, intelligence, and fertility. I drank from the first two, and decided against the third for the time being.
We returned to the hotel early that evening and the family decided against the hotel dinner in favour of some (window) shopping and local food. I envisaged kebabs from a small shop, but we ended up in a restaurant on the boulevard. We had walked one way along the boulevard, and came back to have a second look at the restaurant and the menu. Then one of my siblings (think it was the brother) noticed a family inside gesturing and giving us the thumbs-up! It was quite hilarious, but we took that as a sign that the food must be that good, and we weren't disappointed. Not only that, but because our dinner took a while to come, we were provided complimentary salad for starters, and tea after dinner. Throw in friendly wait staff who were very willing to pose for photos, and I was quite the happy camper that night. I finished off the night with a tea in our hotel bar, listening to the same guy sing live, while I unloaded photos onto the Book. Ahhh, bliss. I was loving Turkey more and more each day.
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