Selçuk – Ephesus, Turkey

The splendid city established by a soothsaying…

Ephesus… The most important antique city among the 12 lonian cities still standing… The trade, culture and faith center of the ancient world; the priceless legacy of the Hellene, Roman and Byzantine civilisations… According to some sources, the first Ephesus had been established by Amazons and some sources, the first Ephesus had been established by Leleg people or Carians. Some sources report that the life on these soils dates back to 5000 BC. But the most precise fact is that the first city had been established at the site where Menderes (Kaistros) river had fallen into the sea. According to the legend, the son of the King of Athens Androklos consults an orackle tells him that “a fish and a wild boar will guide him”. During the break, while they are cooking the fishes, one of them jumps out and the fire scattered burns the bushes; the fire scares a wil boar. Androklos remembering the soothsaying follows the wild boar. Androklos remembering the soothsaying follows the wild boar and declares the site where he shot the animal “the new city center”.

The city is raided many times, it’s destroyed and captured by Kimmer people and Lidyans. Ephesus visited today had been established  in the hill between the Bülbül Mountain and the Panayır Mountain in the 3rd century BC by Lysimachos, one of the general of Alexander the Great… Unfortunately, Kaistros in other words, the Menderes River which had created Ephesus had been the cause of the collapse of the city too… The clogging of the mouth of the river with mud had undermined the importance of the port city; the city had lost its commercial prestige and the earthquakes in addition to these negative facts had destroyed completely the city; finally it had been deserted…

The fine diplomacy of Ephesus people…

Ephesus which had been the most important center of that era from the points of politics and comerce had been transformed to a religious centerwith the the arrival of St. Mary, St. Jean and St. Paul The frequent invasions too had caused as much damage as the destruction of the ports and earthquakes. Although Ephesus had been ruined many times, all people settled here deemed it a holy city. And the most valuable symbol of this divinity had been the Artemis Temple. The temple first destroyed by Kimmer people had been resconstructed but a foolish man had destroyed it again thinking that “thus he would be famous”. When he Ephesus people had been asked why Artemis couldn’t defend her temple, they had answered that Alexander the Great was borning and she had gone to assist the delivery… We don’t know whether she had assisted or not but when Alexander the Great had come to the city after many years, the construction of the temple was still continuing. Alexander impressed too much by Ephesus and Artemis had stated that that he would help to fnish the construction on condition that “his name is marked on the offering stone”; but the residents of Ephesus had answered as follows: “A god cannot make an offering to another god… ” The dwellers of Ephesus trying to preserve the independence of Artemis had solved the problem through a fine intelligence and diplomacy without irritating Alexander the Great…

Ephesus had a population of 250 thousands!

The city captured by the Romans in the 2nd century AD had flourished until that date. In those years, the population of the city had been 250 thousands. The port turned to a marsh, the epidemic of malaria and the earthquakes had caused people to flee this civilisation center. The residents of Ephesus had settşed again on the Ayasuluk Hill. The region dominated by the Seljuks in the 14th century was annexed to the Ottoman territories in the 15th century. Today, the city of Ephesus exhibits the splendour of the antique age. After entering through the Magnesia Gate, the following sites are visited respectively: the Varius bath, the State Agora, Odeion, the Palace of Municipality, the Heracles Gate, the Water Palace, the Pollio Fountain, the Memmius Monument and the Domitian Temple; and passing through the Curetes Street, the Trajan Fountain, the Scholastika Baths, Toilets, the Hadrian Temple, Terrace Houses, the Love House, the Celsus Library, the Commercial Agora (Market Place), the Marble Street, the Theatre, Gymnasiums, Baths and H Loannes are visited…

The first publicity board of the world!

Ephesus had been a center using the most advanced techniques of that age in the sewerage system as much as in heating and irrigation systems. The most important sewerage system had been installed under the street covered with marble, the high columns had been joined to each other with lead cas pieces fitting into each other. Apparently, the public toilets are the first example of “the Occidental type!”

“The orientation” sign carved at the corner of the Marble Street had shown the direction of the “Love House” with heart and footprint. At the same time, it’s also accepted as “the first publicty board of the world”. The rough stones of the Curetes Street slightly inclined had been a clever solution to prevent the sandals of the inhabitants from slipping in the rainy days!..

The theatre sitting 24 thousand persons!

One of the most important monuments of Ephesus is certainly the Grand Theatre. This monument with a capacity of 24 thousand persons had been built in the Hellenistic age and included the reigns of the Roman Emperors Cladius, Trajan and Neron. The theatre used as an arena for the fighting of the gladiators in the Late Roman age had witnessed the first signs of the public revolt against St. Paul. St. Paul had tried to speak to the people of Ephesus after this event. Today, contemporary performances are still staged at the theatre of Ephesus. The dressing rooms in front of the theatre are used by the artists participating in “the Ephesus Festival”.

The first church dedicated to Virgin Mary: H. Loannes (Çifte Kiliseler)

H. Loannes called also the Council Church has a very special place in the Christian world since it’s the first church dedicated to Virgin Mary. The church where tje council meetings had been held in the 5th century AD was transformed to a basilica during the Roman era and dedicated to Virgin Mary. The 3rd Council gathered here had decided to create “the Catholicism”. The edifice gains importance from the fact that it’s one of the first seven churches of the Christianity. In the 7th century AD, when a second church had been added to this edifice, the name of these churches became “Çifte Kiliseler” (Double Churches)..

The houses of rich people of Ephesus: Terrace Houses…

While walking from the Curetes Stret to the Celsus Library, the rich families had dwelled on the left side, on the foot of the Bülbül Mountain. These buildings called Terrace Houses or the Houses of Rich People have been unearthed in excavations carried out in recent years and they displayed the daily and pompous life, the passion for the art of the rich families. These houses dwelled by the gıvernors of Ephesus, religious men and rich businessmen were very simple looked from outside contrary to the temples. Contrary to the temples with simple interrior decoration despite the splendid front facades, the interior of the houses of rich people had all sorts of comfort and luxury of that era and naturally, they had been established near to the most important edifices of the city such as theatre, library…

A life standard comparable to our days!

Each house on Terrace Houses had a kitchen, bath, cistern and an area for prayer. The heating and hot water system installed underground, the waste water pipes of the toilets connected to the main channel had a standart comporable tour our days. Even today, when the cisterns ans wells collecting water carefully examined, the water shining in the depth can be easily seen… The passion of Ephesus people for backgammon is noticed at Terrace Houses too but there is a difference: The marble backgammon tables in the life rooms of Terrace Houses are more aesthetic than those on the streets…

Fresco instead of wall paper..

The houses built of stone and brick had been constructed in continous row system; they had upper and lower parts and some of them had been composed of 3 storeys. The walls had been plastered from inside and outside and the base had been covered with mosaic. The frescos on the walls were covered again with another fresco because of moving, dirt or making a change, frescos painted of 7 layers over each other are seen. Both the living state of the houses providing the atmosphere of a real life and the extraordinary colours of frescos take the visitors to an unbelievable world. After visiting Terrace Houses, the first step made on the street of Ephesus is more exciting…