On the way to Ephesus

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After the usual type breakfast at the Hotel Tripolis, we headed out at 9:30 for the drive to Selcuk, about a four hour drive. We made a couple of shopping opportunity stops on the way. The first was a cotton textile shop, which was full of Russian tourists. Turkey is known for its high quality cotton textiles. Susan and I didn't buy anything (a bit too bulky to carry home). We then stopped for an early lunch at Dilek et Kokantasi in Aydin. Lots of restaurants in Turkey have a depiction of this very large man called Mustafa - here we met actual guy. I enjoyed lentil soup for lunch.

We continued our drive, through small and larger towns, and through cultivated areas. Not quite as pretty scenery as the last few days. Our next stop was at a leather jacket shop, which was complete with a cheesy fashion show! We didn't make any purchases here either.

We arrived in Ephesus about 3 in the afternoon. This was a good time to arrive as it was cooler in the afternoon and there was a nice breeze. Ephesus is an amazing place! We spent at least three hours here and enjoyed it a lot. It was quite crowded but not too bad. Ephesus was founded in the 11th C BCE and flourished under Roman rule. The Library of Celsus has been restored and was definitely the highlight of our visit. Nihat gave us a guided tour and as usual amazed us with his knowledge. Unusually, the official gift shop was not open but there were a few vendors selling books. We got a brochure/map and a book on Ephesus (with overlays that show the ruins as they once appeared).

We got to our hotel in Selcuk - Hitit Hotel - about 7 pm. We all just went to the hotel restaurant buffet. We have a nice view from our room but we probably won't be able to enjoy it much because we have a comparatively early start tomorrow, leaving at 8 am. (This sounds funny now because that would have been a late start on our Egypt-Jordan trip!). Tomorrow will be a long travel day. We will drive for 7 or 8 hours to Canakkale, via Troy. Today's visit to Ephesus will definitely be one of the highlights of our trip to Turkey!

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Photos

Mosaic off Kuretes Street
Beautifully preserved.