a good contender for the 100 places to visit before you die list (Ephesus)

Member Name: pania22

Product:	Ephesus
Date:	11/06/09 (28 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: a good immersion in history and culture with a massive splash of sun thrown in

Disadvantages: not good for children, Extremely hot!!

Throughout my life I haven't done as much travelling as I would have wished or expected to do, a matter that I hope to have rectified over the coming years. However all of the places that I have visited have remained memorable in nature, none more so than the breathtaking ancient ruins of "Ephesus."

Situated outside the Turkish town of Selcuk, Ephesus lies approximately one hours drive away from the popular tourist resort of Kusadasi and a maximum of 3 hours from the resorts of Marmaris and Bodrum.

Dating back to 10BC, Ephesus in its day was one of the greatest sea ports of the ancient world. A surprising fact now that the location is a number of miles inland! Forming a centre for trade and commerce the location played host to some major historical figures, housed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and is now a sacred biblical site due to links with the virgin Mary. So we can see that the site is of massive historical interest. The site originated as a result of a prophecy that was given to Androclos, who was sent out to find the perfect site for the new city. He was told that a fish and a boar would reveal the location that the city was to be built in. Cooking some fish for tea one night a fish fell out of the pan, startling a boar hidden nearby. Giving chase Androclos caught and slaughtered the boar and proclaimed the site of the kill as the site of the new city.

Walking to the site from the main coach park, the first thing that struck me was the expanse of the site. Spread out across a massive area, columns of white marble erupted from the ground on regular intervals. Drawing us in to see what was hidden behind.

The second thing that struck me was that there was absolutely no shade whatsoever!! On a baking hot day at the beginning of July in blazing sun I was immensely glad for remembering sunscreen, taking a tee-shirt and the small kiosk selling water and ice creams next to the entrance.

There are numerous points of interest in all areas of Ephesus and originally I was going to point these out as a virtual tour through the streets, but if I were to do so this review would be thousands of words long! Instead I will concentrate on the biggest places that appear to draw the most attention. Along with a few parts that I found amazingly interesting.

The first of these is the rod of Askeplios. Walking through the ancient city of Ephesus I was amazed to see a symbol engraved on a block that is as common a sight today as that of the police. Emblazoned on the side of every ambulance you will ever see, every medical uniform and hospital entrance is the depiction of a snake wrapped around a staff. Ephesus was a major centre for medical research during its time and it would appear that this symbol was associated with medicine even back then. Both myself and my partner a paramedic, were fascinated to hear the story behind this symbol and how it came to fit into out modern world.
Proceeding along the marble road we were asked to look down. On the marble surface we saw many small pockmarks, akin to those that football boots would make in mud. These were made in the marble by the studs that the horses had in their hooves to help them to retain their grip on the smooth wet marble. I was stunned to imagine that these marks were made by horses that had traversed exactly the ground I was walking thousands of years previously. It was then that the sheer age of Ephesus hit me and how remarkable it was that these sights had lasted for all the years that it has.

Wandering through Ephesus there was one thing that continually amazed me. Walls have fallen down. Entire buildings have collapsed. Yet an archway, entirely unsupported can remain standing against the elements. How is that so? I've no idea at all. Look at pictures of the temples in Ephesus and you will see what I mean.

I am not able to provide travel information as clearly this location is some distance away, however a quick google shows that managed tours to Ephesus cost a fortune.
Travel to Turkey on a package holiday, enjoy the Turkish culture and take a nice cheap trip to Ephesus with your tour operator. We did so and it was just as enjoyable as spending a fortune.

I would advise anyone to take a holiday to Turkey and to experience the Turkish culture and a visit to this amazing place. Even if you are not historically minded at all the sheer scale, age and feeling of this place will mesmerise you. Turkey (or Anatolia as the locals call it) has become almost clichéd as a tourist destination but hidden gems such as this turn that cliché on its head.

It is completely unsuitable for young children due to hazardous obstacles lying around, the lack of shade and also the lack of entertainment for children. The long coach journey would also take its toll on them. A reviewer asked if there had been any renovation around the site of late and I am thankfully to say that no it hasn't. I think the turkish authorities must've realised that doing this would detract from the site and as such left it as natural as possible.

I thoroughly enjoyed my day at Ephesus and learnt a great deal about the culture and history surrounding it. Go, Enjoy, but remember your suncream and bucket loads of water

Summary: well worth a visit