Saturday, September 8, 2012

Ephesus

Have you ever wanted to travel back in time?  Well, you can - sort of.  Visit the ancient city Ephesus and walk where others have walked thousands of years before - Alexander the Great, St. Paul and many more.  Visiting such places is the closest thing to time travel that I am aware of.

I have been to Ephesus in Turkey a few times, and I highly recommend a visit if you are ever in the area.  It is much more crowded than ever before, so beware, if you want the city to yourself it may be more challenging in the summer.  The good news is that the area is so large, you will still be able to enjoy it.  At it's peak it is believed to have had a population of over 400,000 so there is room for everyone.

Here are a few of my favorites from my visit this summer.

A couple walking through the ruins of Ephesus that are now one with the landscape


There was a time when I dreamed of studying Architecture and Classical Studies.  A sign I would have ended up living in Turkey one way or another.  I can almost see myself sitting on such a mound brushing out artifacts.


I love you Burj Khalifa, but this is one of my all time favorite structures ever.  I will forever wonder how such things were constructed without "modern" tools and technology.

The Celcius Library, Ephesus, Turkey
The detail of the Celcius Library, Ephesus, Turkey

I always say, if the cats of Turkey could talk, they would have the most amazing stories to tell.  This one was obviously wore out.

A cat at Ephesus - tourists were swooning like paparazzi.  He was too tired to bother.

Sadly, I have never hired a guide at Ephesus.  I would suggest it because every single thing means something.  Every picture you see, every Greek word, every sculpture, it is all symbolic.

Temple of Hadrian, Ephesus, Turkey

This is the second time I have seen dust blowing like this at Ephesus.  There is some wind in this part of the country, but I cannot help but wonder if it is some ancient spirit still lingering.

Ephesus, Turkey

If you want to learn more about Ephesus, I suggest http://www.ephesus.us/ . It has some of the most comprehensive information I have seen about the city and its history.

1 comment:

Sew Pretty Dresses said...

Oh wow I would love to visit this Ephesus! The Temple of Hadrian picture is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing!