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Published: February 27th 2009
Selcuk in the Morning
The streets were empty but the decorations were still up. I really liked these banners back-lit by the sun - Note the sun's position on the first banner.“Mister, do you need a nice room for the night?” was the first thing I heard as I stepped off of the nightmarish bus in Selçuk. My cramped, uncomfortable seat had left me in a grumpy mood and my muscles were in the first stages of atrophy, so I was not in the mood for a long search for a place to stay. I turned to the woman that had asked the question and mustered the best smile I could. She then said, “I have a nice pension just around the corner.” We quickly discussed all of the important points, such as cost, location and amenities and they were all to my liking. I told her that I would like to see a room. She smiled and motioned to me to follow her. We left the small parking lot of the otogar and started walking down the busy sidewalk. We passed a huge pedestrian square that was bustling with activity around a huge stage that was being built in the center - The lady told me that I had picked a good time to visit Selçuk. She then told me about the Selçuk-Efes Festival that was taking place to mark the
The Celsus Library
This is one of the most famous sights in Turkey. I waited most of the day to get a picture with out huge crowds in it. city’s independence. We crossed a small street that ran along one side of the square and then passed a large, shady patio of one of the fancy hotels. We stopped at the next doorway. The large concrete building was fairly plain, but it was well located. We walked onto an enclosed patio at the entrance and then we headed up the steps. My muscles were starting to come back to life, but they still protested under their load as we climbed. We ended up on the fourth or fifth floor, but I can’t really remember which. She showed me into a large room with a single bed and a tiny balcony overlooking the street. The room was nice enough for my purposes, so I set my bag down on the bed, confirmed the price we had discussed in the otogar and then I told her I would take it. I got cleaned up and situated in the room and then I headed down to the first floor and did the official check-in and then I set off to find some much needed food.
It had been fairly hectic at the otogar that morning, so I hadn’t really noticed the
The Tomb of St. John
This is accepted as the final resting place of St. John one of Jesus' disciples. weather when I got off of the bus. It was when I stepped back out of the pension onto the busy sidewalk that I noticed how very nice it was. I found a crowded café just across the street from my pension and I sat down and ordered a large plate of Turkish meatballs called kofta. As I sat eating I noticed something strange - There seemed to be a lot more tourists than locals occupying the tables around me. After lunch I headed over to the city museum, which had a good reputation. As I walked I took in the slow pace of Selçuk. The city was certainly a tourist town, possibly the biggest in Turkey, but it was for a good reason - Selçuk was a fusion of all of Turkey’s history. There were the famous classical ruins of Ephesus on the outskirts of town as well as the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. High on Ayasoluk Hill, the city’s most noticeable geographic feature, the once grand Basilica of St. John, the Isa Bey mosque and the Ottoman era fortress stand over the city. Selçuk’s streets are also filled with lovely gems
The Selcuk-Efes Festival
I was in town for the interesting festival. ranging from grand Roman aqueducts and Ottoman constructions to modern, concrete monstrosities done in ancient style - It was safe to say I liked Selçuk from the start. I came to the spot marked on my map as the location of the museum. There I found a parking area packed with tour buses. I followed a group of camera-toting people into the museum and started my exploration.
The Ephesus Museum was filled with amazing artifacts from the surrounding countryside. Most of the exhibits dealt with the ancient city of Ephesus and the once magnificent Temple of Artemis. I slowly walked through the dimly lit halls of the small museum taking in the history. The excellent exhibits were, for the most part, in both English and Turkish. I learned of the well-preserved hillside palaces at Ephesus and I got an informative glimpse into the excavations via a well laid out and very descriptive photographic display, accented with many of the actual artifacts that were found there. I marveled at the monumental sculptures and friezes that seemed to be around every corner. A few of the more impressive sculptures were of the multi-breasted ‘Lady of Ephesus’, identified with the Greek goddess
In the Museum
This was one of my favorite carvings in the Ephesus Museum. Artemis. I also marveled at the scale reproduction of the Temple of Artemis, which in its day was larger and more impressive than the Parthenon in Athens. In addition to the usual displays regarding the ancient city, there was also a very informative exhibit on the life of the gladiators. Much of the information was based on knowledge gained by excavating the huge ‘gladiator cemetery’ at Ephesus. I spent about an hour wandering around the museum, but it was small and crowded so I decided to head back outside to see some more of the city.
From the museum I turned left and started walking down a lovely street lined with sprawling, shady parks. The trees were very old and the atmosphere was pleasant. There were children playing on tiny merry-go-rounds and running around laughing, there were sophisticated little sidewalk cafes and several interesting pieces of public art - My already great impressions of Selçuk were getting better with every step. I eventually made it to Ayasuluk Hill where I walked into a large treeless area that resembled a mix between a park and a construction site. To my right I spotted a large section of one of the
Lady of Ephesus
In the museum. This statue is identified with Artemis. Roman aqueducts. I headed to the left where the slopes of the hill rose up towards the beautiful fortress on top. There were a few nice sections of ruins that seemed to be a part of the aqueduct system and there was a lot of trash, but it was a pleasant walk up the hill. I reached the massive entrance gate to the sprawling ruins of the Basilica of St. John just after a huge tour bus. The line was long, so I decided to put off my exploration of the site and I continued down the other side of the hill. I ended up at the lovely stone façade of the Isa Bey mosque, which was built by the Seljuk Turks back in 1375. Sadly, I was not dressed well enough to go inside, so I sat down on a bench in a shady little park just in front of it and I watched the comings and goings of the devout Muslims. It was a pleasant place to while away part of my day. When I left the mosque I spent another half an hour exploring some of the ancient alleys near by. Many of the homes where practically
in ruin, but many more had been restored into lovely shops and boutique hotels - The area was lovely.
Eventually I made it back to the massive gate of the Basilica. I was pleased to note that there were no busses out front and the line was completely gone. I paid my absurdly low admission fee of 2 liras, smiled at the guard and walked into the huge park-like complex. Emperor Justinian I built the basilica in the sixth century AD. It was constructed in grand style on the place considered to be the tomb of St. John the apostle. It was laid out in the shape of a cross with several large domes with the tomb located in the center. The basilica served as a huge pilgrimage site for Christians until the Ottoman Turks took over and converted the building into a mosque. A massive earthquake destroyed the basilica in the fifteenth century. All of that I learned as I walked around the rubble strewn site. I had no idea that the tomb of St. John was there, so when I found out I started wondering if it had been found in the ruble. I started looking in
My Giant Marble Fist
This is me posing with part of a colossal statue in the museum. That is my stony hand though! all of the deep recesses of the ruins hoping to find it. Most of the site was open with green grass blanketing what had once been a stone floor. There were columns and capitols standing all over the place. There were huge walls made of ancient brick and house-sized chunks of masonry still lying where they had fallen. The site was actually quite lovely and park-like, so I spent hours exploring its ancient walls and hidden passages. In places I found new brick walls that had been erected in a manner that helped show off what the structure had once looked like. In other places I found mysterious staircases that climbed into thin air and stopped at a drop off, their original destinations forever a mystery. I spent a long time staring out across the lovely, green valley that separated Selçuk from the sea. I knew that the massive ruins of Ephesus were out there, but I couldn’t see them. I did, however, get my first glimpse of the ruined Temple of Artemis with its one standing column. The sun was getting low in the sky when I stumbled across a small square of grayish marble. There were four lovely
The Basilica of St. John
This is the entrance gate to the basilica. If you look closely you can see old sections of columns forming part of the walls. columns and a stone plaque that read in Turkish and English, “The Tomb of St. John” - I had found it! I was excited! The mystery of the location of his tomb was solved - To confirm the find there was a metal plaque on the wall in Latin that seemed to say that the Vatican also believed that St. John was there. I sat and sketched the tomb and watched as the sun set over the basilica. A nice man came by and told me that the basilica was closing, so I took one last look around and then I headed back through the massive stone gate and into the city.
I walked through the center of town on my way to the hostel. The festivities were getting ready to begin. The streets were crowded with people, though it looked like all of the tourists had disappeared, and there were food and art vendors everywhere I looked. I headed back to my pension, dropped off my camera bag and then I headed back out to eat dinner and enjoy the evening’s festivities. I had no idea where I wanted to eat, so I just walked around looking at
Near Total Destruction
The earthquake left the St. John's Basilica badly ruined. the menu everywhere I went. I eventually came to a lovely restaurant that served typical Turkish cuisine. The restaurant was located in the lovely stone courtyard of a very old building. There were several well-appointed tables set up in the garden-like atmosphere. I ordered my food and then I sat and took in the scene and wrote in my journal. I noticed that the plant next my table was moving back and forth in a non-natural way. On closer inspection I discovered a pair of kittens playing with each other in their leafy ‘jungle’. The kittens noticed that several of us were watching them, so they broke off their games and came out to say hello. I was still petting one of them when my food arrived. My meal was as good as the atmosphere hinted it would be, so I ate it as slowly as I could, savoring every bite. After dinner I set off into the bustling streets. I walked through the arts and crafts stalls that had been hastily assembled for the festival and then I searched out a lovely pastry shop where I purchased a plate of baklava. I continued wandering around looking at what the
Holding Up the Sky
The site had countless columns and capitols standing, but they were not holding anything but the heavens up. vendors were offering. There were the usual tourist trinkets, but there were also several amazing works of art. I was sad that I couldn’t purchase anything, but I had no room in my bag and the last time I mailed a nice souvenir home it met with disaster. I eventually made my way back to the huge square next to the otogar. The crowd was growing quickly as the band on stage went through their final sound checks and then disappeared. The show started with a magician, who entertained the immense crowd with fire and illusion. Then came a Turkish rock band that played well, though it seemed like they were singing the English words to the songs without really knowing what they meant - My favorite was a beautiful rendition of ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond’, complete with the wailing guitar and bass riffs. After them came some traditional dancing, which was nice, but somewhat lost on the huge stage. The band that followed the dancing was a surprise - It was an American band with excellent vocals and a superb horn section. I had enjoyed the show to the point when the American band left the stage. Anticipation
Through the Door
This is one of the restored doorways in the basilica. in the crowd seemed high. All of the young Turkish teenagers were trying to get close to the stage with big smiles on their faces - It was clear that the final act was a big one. Suddenly the crowd exploded as two men in red bound onto the stage in a series of flips and cartwheels. The roaring reached a deafening crescendo when a scantly clad Turkish singer named Eylem strolled out on stage with a microphone in her hand. I wasn’t quite sure who she was, but I seemed to recognize her face from the billboards and Turkish TV - She was clearly big there. I suffered through the first three songs, but that was all I could handle of the hip-hop-esque noise that she was belting out across the city. I slowly made my way out of the square following a path that had been bulldozed by a clearly traumatized older Turkish couple and then I headed back to my room. I attempted to go to sleep, but Eylem’s songs filled my room, echoing off of the concrete walls. I headed up to the roof with my camera and found some solace with the sweeping views of
New Brickwork
There are several parts of the Basilica of St. John that have been restored with modern material in an effort to show what the structure once looked like. the city. I took a few pictures of the castle bathed in floodlights while I waited for a fireworks display that never came - I was hoping that there would be fireworks, but I suppose it would have been foolish in such a dry environment. Finally the music stopped and I headed off to sleep.
I woke up early the following morning. I walked up the two flights of stairs to the rooftop, which served as the pension’s breakfast place. My friendly host greeted me when I got up there. Within five minutes I had hot tea and a delicious Turkish breakfast of olives, tomatoes, cucumber and feta cheese spread out on my table. I enjoyed my food as I watched the warm morning sunshine slowly move down from the surrounding hills and bathe the city in light. After breakfast I set off towards the outskirts of town and the ruined Temple of Artemis. I walked back past the huge square and the stage, now deserted and silent, and then the otogar. A few minutes later I passed by the museum and continued out of town. The road I was on was lined with lovely old trees and had
Flowers Over Ancient Walls
On one of the terraces of the basilica. a nice sidewalk with ample benches and a bike lane, yet it was deserted. I eventually came to an unmarked road that led off into the trees where I could see a large column standing alone in a large field. I turned down the shady lane and followed it until I reached a small parking area that overlooked the sparse ruins of the temple.
It was my first visit to one of the Seven Wonders of the World as first described in ancient times by travelers such as Herodotus. The list we know today was compiled in the middle ages and includes the Great Pyramid in Giza, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Hanging Gardens in Babylon, the Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria, the Chrysanthemum statue of Zeus in Olympia, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and the one that I was staring at, the Temple of Artemis. In a poem, Antipater of Sidon described the temple in glowing terms:
I have set eyes on the wall of lofty Babylon on which is a road for chariots, and the statue of Zeus by the Alpheus, and the hanging gardens, and the colossus of the Sun, and the huge labor of the high pyramids, and the vast tomb of Mausolus; but when I saw the house of Artemis that mounted to the clouds, those other marvels lost their brilliance, and I said, “Lo, apart from Olympus, the Sun never looked on aught so grand”.
The ‘wall of lofty Babylon’ was referring to the Ishtar Gate in Babylon, which was once considered one of the wonders until the lighthouse took its place. Sadly, very little remains of any of them, excepting the Great Pyramid. It took me about half an hour to see all there was to see of the once grand temple. Most of the structure is completely gone, used in the construction of several of the grand structures around Selçuk. Much of the Basilica of St. John, the Isa Bey Mosque and the Ottoman fortress were built using materials quarried from the ruins of the temple. Even the grand Aya Sophia in Istanbul utilized some of the temples magnificent columns!
The temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times during its history. The temple as it stood when it was considered one of the ‘wonders’ was built in 550 BC. It was destroyed by arson on July 21, 356 BC, burned
A Weird Carving
This was at the basilica, but it doesn't seem relevant. by a man named Herostratus who wanted to have his name remembered for all of history - The term herostratic fame, which means ‘fame at any cost’ is named after him. Now the ruins that are on display are a faint example of the temple's former grandeur. There is one column standing roughly to the height of the original columns, but it is made up of random sections of column held together with a generous amount of concrete. Several other shattered sections of column have been positioned roughly where the original colonnades would have been. The effect is pleasing and the site was pleasant to walk around. The day was another pleasant one and I wasn’t ready to leave, so I found a secluded spot on one of the hills surrounding the temple and I sat down and leaned against a section of column and started writing in my journal.
Eventually my stomach reminded me that I needed to eat lunch, so I said farewell to the Temple of Artemis and I walked back to town. I found a quick lunch at a small café and then I searched out one of the lovely coffee shops I had found
The Fortress
On top of Ayasuluk Hill. the day before. I spent the rest of the afternoon writing and sipping some excellent coffee at a very friendly shop - My blog was so far behind by that point that I was writing about my time in Lesotho four months before. Just before dinner I got on the Internet to check my e-mail and was greeted by the headline that Adventurer Steve Fossett had disappeared in an apparent plane crash in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the California/Nevada border - I had followed many of Fossett’s exploits as he strived to push the limit, so it made me sad to hear the news.
That evening the celebration continued. The two bands that performed were very good, though the second, more famous one was not as good as the first in my opinion. After I had my fill of the festivities I headed back to the pension and drifted effortlessly off to sleep.
After breakfast the next day I was off again, this time to the famous ruins of Ephesus. I retraced my route to the Temple of Artemis, but instead of turning down the small road to the temple, I continued into the countryside. Just like
the day before, the sidewalks were deserted. I walked for a long time before I came to the narrow road that would lead me to the ruins. The day was magnificent and warm and perfectly suited for a nice long walk. The lovely countryside was shady and glowing green beneath a cerulean sky and I was enjoying my walk immensely - I pitied the poor souls that were flying by me in the air-conditioned busses and vans. I was walking in the blank space between the two maps I had, so I was not really sure where I was going. The map of Selçuk had conveniently pointed me out of town on the correct road and the map of Ephesus picked up very descriptively at the parking area, but the area in between was left up to my imagination. A few helpful road signs had gotten me to the little shady lane I was on and the four-way intersection I was staring at, but I had no idea where to go from there. Across the intersection was a large, ruined section of stone wall that rose up out of the trees and brush - I guessed that the section of
The Lovely Floor
This was one of the floor mosaics at the basilica. wall was part of Ephesus’ city walls, but I couldn’t be sure. There were no signs, so I decided to wait and see which way the next tourist van went. A short while later a busload of tourists came by followed by a smaller van. The bus rumbled straight through the intersection, but the van turned right. I was no closer to knowing which way to go, but it seemed like either would work. I went right, following the smaller vehicle. I found a nice footpath that passed through some tall brush along the road. About five minutes later I came around a bend and found a massive parking area and, just beyond it, a large collection of modern buildings that would have been more at home in an amusement park souvenir village - It was clear that I had found another Karadut, or tourist trap.
I effortlessly made it through the parking lot, dodging a few over-eager bus drivers on the way, and then I walked right into the expected barrage at the entrance of the ruins. I was no longer a traveler, or a tourist, or a human, but a walking, breathing bag of money. I politely
Ruined
There were random carved stones all over the Basilica. smiled as I deflected each and every attempt by the touts to sell me their services - “I am a guide.” “Would you like a tour?” “You are not allowed to see the site without a guide.” “You will get lost if you don’t have a guide.” “Why don’t you want to spend your money?” - The list could go on forever. Eventually I made it to the ticket counter where I purchased my ticket and then I passed through the gate into the ruins. The long walk had necessitated a quick stop at the restroom, where I had to pay a second admission fee and then I weaved my way past hundreds of people, all neatly organized into little pods, each with their own guide. I passed several little displays and several piles of rubble as I made my way down the tree-lined path into the city proper. I stopped once to admire a collection of Roman way-posts, which had distances to cities and such carved into them and painted red, and another time to examine a few of the huge footings of the ruined gymnasium. Eventually I made it down to the long, stone paved Harbor Street. The
Looking Towards Ephesus
The countryside around Selcuk was amazing and green. street connected the city to the ancient location of the harbor, which is now a silted up marsh. I walked up to a chain barrier that rendered most of Harbor Street off-limits and I stared down the long, colonnaded way towards the old harbor. I couldn’t help but get lost in the timeless power of the place - Some of history’s greatest figures, from Saint John the apostle and the Virgin Mary to Alexander the Great, had likely entered the city along Harbor Street.
I turned away from the harbor and started walking towards the huge theater that dominated a large hillside in the center of town. I could see the stone seats rising most of the way up the hill. Off to the right, at the edge of the theater, was a massive tower crane standing idle waiting to receive the next stone blocks that would continue the re-construction of one of the largest theaters in the ancient world. I walked past a large tour group that was huddled around the columns of a nicely restored temple just outside of the theater. I quickly climbed a set of stairs that led me up to the first section of
At the Temple of Artemis
This is me posing with the only standing column of the once grand Temple of Artemis. seats. Much of the theater was under construction, so a series of chain-link fences and warning signs repeatedly blocked my way. Eventually I came across a small black opening framed by re-used fluted column sections. I stooped down and entered the dark passage. A few moments later I walked out of the darkness onto the main stage area of the theater. I explored the theater for about ten minutes. The wonderful acoustics and the structure’s enormous proportions surprised me - I couldn’t be sure, but I may have been looking at history’s first ‘nose-bleed’ seats high above me! A tour group erupted through one of the larger entrances and took a seat on one of the lower terraces. A few seconds later the usual popping and clapping shattered the silence, so I retreated back into the darkness of the small passage and continued my exploration of the site.
I walked among the huge, haphazardly organized debris field beside the theater. Most of the large stones were intricately carved and many had been partially pieced back together. It seemed like they were part of the theater complex and that they were waiting for their time to fly on the big
Broken Columns
Very little remains of one of the grandest of the Seven Wonders of the World, but it is still a pleasant site to visit. crane. I continued following the masses along another stone-paved street that ran perpendicular to Harbor Street. I was walking through the area that was once the Agora. There were several colonnades that disappeared into the tall grass and overgrowth of the large rectangular, park-like space - It was a beautiful sight, but there was no room to step off of the path and the huge, time-constrained mass of tourists didn’t allow me to stop for more than a moment, so I couldn’t enjoy it. I continued walking until I reached the graceful arches of the well-restored Gate of Augustus. Beyond the gate I found the courtyard that was fronted by Ephesus’ most famous sight - The restored, two-story façade of the Celsus Library. The courtyard was so packed that I had difficulty moving around. I looked back the way I had come and there was a chaotic sea of people coming my way. I looked up Curetes Street, another monument lined street that discharged into the small square, and saw another alarming site - A second mass of people resembling the Boston Marathon coming down the hill like a wave. I didn’t have to dig too deeply into my imagination
The Temple of Artemis
Not much to look at, but still powerful. to realize the physics involved with two massive monument lined streets discharging a sea of humanity into the same small square - I quickly ran for cover in the little explored ruins off to the side of the intersection.
I was hoping that the crowds at Ephesus would work the same way that they did at most ancient sites. If they did then I could expect the huge morning rush, when all of the large tour groups collide, to subside a good bit in an hour or two. I spent my time exploring the labyrinthine ruins known as the brothel and latrine. Inside I found several interesting details, most particularly the latrine, which was a series of trenches covered by huge slabs of marble with holes carved into them. There would have been running water in the trenches, so it was actually fairly advanced for the day. I emerged from the lesser-explored ruins after about forty-five minutes to find that the crowds were still huge, though slightly lessened. I quickly crossed the street and entered the Pompey-like ruins of the Slope Houses.
The Slope Houses stood separate from the crowds in a huge roofed enclosure build to protect
A Way-Post
These were used by the Romans as road signs. their unique properties from the elements. I had learned all about the palaces at the museum a few days before. An ancient cataclysmic earthquake had buried them and preserved the frescos and mosaic work and all of the artifacts more or less intact. Now the palaces are open to the public for an additional fee. I spent nearly an hour roaming around on an elevated glass walkway exploring the many beautiful rooms. Some were lined in polished multi-colored stone and others were plastered over and painted white and red. There were several perfectly preserved mosaics showing scenes from mythology adorning their floors. Most of the rooms were missing their roofs, but there were a few restored sections of ceilings as well. In places there were exposed pipes that would have served as sewers and such - The palaces were the abodes of Ephesus’ rich and powerful and it was easy to see in the decorations and amenities. I was surprised by the lack of people in the enclosure. It was, in my opinion, one of the coolest things I had seen in Ephesus, yet, excluding one small tour of four people and another small Turkish family, I had the place
to myself. I enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere for a while and then I reached the end of the walkway. I had entered the Slope Houses at the bottom of the hillside, but the walkway dropped me off at the top. I followed a stone paved path back down to the main street, stopping to admire an elevated view of the Celsus Library along the way.
I was pleased to see that the crowds were much smaller, so I walked down to the library and took a closer look. It really was an impressive sight. The façade had been built originally using forced perspective, which means that the architect had designed the building’s proportions in a way that made it look a lot bigger than it actually was. The façade of the Celsus Library is one of the best-known sights in all of Turkey. Every tourist brochure has a picture of it on its cover and most of the ‘Visit Turkey’ commercials show it as one of its highlights - I remember seeing a picture of it on a TV commercial in South Africa. The façade was reconstructed using the original stones, which gives the edifice an aged, but accurate
Into the Theater
This was the dark passage that led me into the theater at Ephesus look. I climbed up the steep steps and passed between the large columns. Inside I found a small brick structure that seemed disproportionate to the grand façade on the outside - I suppose the illusion of forced perspective even works when you are expecting it. The crowd was still too large to take any good pictures, so I decided to sit down on a step that was facing the library and try to sketch it. Over the hour I sat there, tour groups came and went at a frenzied pace. Several times I picked up some interesting little tidbits about the surrounding stones - One that I was sitting very close to had a large inscription in Aramaic script that I had missed. When I was nearing the end of my sketch I noticed a large group of people gathering behind me. They asked me if I was a professional artist and they showered me with glowing complements on my little sketch. We talked for a little while and then I thanked them for the complements when their guide indicated that it was time for them to move on. I had been a little surprised by the whole conversation. Just
Ephesus' Theater
This is one of the largest theaters in the ancient world. before I noticed them standing behind me I had discovered that I hadn’t left enough room at the bottom of the page to complete the sketch, so my views of my work were not all that good. Eventually the crowds disappeared and I finished my sketch. I turned to go and got another surprise - There was only one person in view on Curetes Street, all of the tours were gone.
I spent the next half hour in peace as I walked along Curetes Street taking in all of the lovely monuments. I passed the intricately carved façade of the Temple of Hadrian, a lovely fountain that had once been adorned by a colossal statue, and several lovely ruins. I reached the end of the street where I found several large buildings, one of which had a massive stone arch that was only one block wide - The rest of the ceiling had apparently fallen. I turned and continued down another large marble-lined way. There were several more important, but badly ruined structures up there. I paused for a while to admire a particularly picturesque colonnade and then I climbed up to the top of a small theater-like odium,
Lost in the Rubble
There were small heavily carved stones lost in the rubble walls. walked out to the edge of an exposed wall of massive stone blocks and took a seat. From my perch well above the surrounding ruins I sat and soaked in the warm sunshine and felt the strong breeze in my hair - It was a magical moment of solitude in one of the most crowded ancient sites I have visited. I stayed up there for quite a while writing in my journal and watching a few straggling tours go by. It was getting late in the day and I was starving, so I decided to take one last walk through the ruins and then head back to town.
I walked back down Curetes Street with constant views of the Celsus Library ahead of me. I then turned down the Marble Way and headed back through the overgrown agora to the theater. I took one last stroll down the short segment of Harbor Street that was open to me and then I said farewell to the magnificent city of Ephesus. During my long walk back to town I thought back over the previous eight hours in Ephesus. There is no doubt that it was a tourist trap of epic proportions,
but I still managed to find some peace and quiet among its ancient stones. I was impressed with the quality of the site. There were sections of the city in complete ruin, but there was a lot that had been tastefully restored as well and the crowds, while overwhelming at times, were manageable. I am glad I made it there. I paused briefly at the Temple of Artemis to take one last look at the first of my ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ and then I strolled back into town.
That night I ate a much-needed dinner and I watched a portion of the first annual Selçuk-Efes Gymnastics Competition on the big stage as well as a portion of the concert, which was in its last night. Afterwards, I went back to the room and packed my bags and then went to bed early. I had a wonderful time in Selçuk. I was blown away by how much the city had to offer. I spent several days exploring and there was still a lot more that I hadn’t been able to see, but it was time for me to move on. I woke up early the next morning, had
Gladiators!
A gladiator graveyard was found at Ephesus - I don't know if this carving was part of it. breakfast and checked out of my room. My original plan was to spend the morning in my favorite café with a cup of coffee and my blog, but it became quickly apparent that the town was recovering from the weekend’s festivities - There was not a single shop open anywhere and the streets were deserted. I walked back to the hotel, got my bag and thanked my host for her wonderful hospitality and then I headed back to the small otogar. I boarded the early bus bound for Bodrum and then I said farewell to Selçuk as we drove south out of town.
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Transient Sapiens
I am up-to-date with your blogs, but probably the 1st time to comment. The pics are all amazing- they make any person want to visit these places. Keep traveling! More importantly, keep blogging.