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#s 201-203 show the lower part of the town. At one time the sea came near this area so that sailing ship crews would enter Ephesus from this vantage point along a road known as the Arcadian Way. This was 600 meters long, containing elegant shops and was illuminated at night. The Great Theater (203) was the backdrop to this entrance. #s 206-207 show one of the original columns of the Temple of Artemis (sometimes called the Temple of Diana). Considered one of the seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the temple originally had 127 columns, but they eventually were used for St. John's Basilica (below), the Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul. The temple was plundered by Nero and eventually destroyed by the Goths. The lone column today is home to a family of storks at the top. #s 204-205, 209-212 show the ruins of the Basilica of St. John. According to legend, St. John came to Ephesus with the Virgin Mary, and, like St. Paul, spread Christianity in the region. The Emperor Justinian had a huge basilica built on this site in St. John's honor but eventually it fell into ruins until converted into a mosque in 1330. The building was destroyed in 1402 and what you see is all that remains. Pope Paul VI visited this site in 1967 (209). The ruins are still thought to contain the tomb of St. John (210, 212). A religious organization from Lima, Ohio reconstructed the brick foundations and marble walls. If fully restored, this church would be the seventh largest in the world. |
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216 |
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Lunch found us in the garden of a local handicraft center where we watched a display of Turkish dancing (213-214). Later, we visited the center where wool was being dyed (215-216) prior to the carpet weaving process (217-219). Our final stop was at the Ephesus Museum (220) where many of the finds from Ephesus are displayed. |
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