A day just isnt enough (Ephesus)

Member Name: loulou129

Product:	Ephesus
Date:	25/08/09 (77 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful, Ancient, Hot

Disadvantages: Up hill, Take water or you will dehydrate

As you probably know if you've read any of my recent reviews i have just recently returned from the South West of Turkey. While in Turkey i was informed by many people i had to visit the ancient city of Ephesus....so this is what i did. From where i was staying in Dalyan it was a 3 and a half hour bus journey to Ephesus but this did include half an hour stop off for breakfast and another stop in Izmir so id say it was probably about 2 and a half hours away driving solidly.

--- The Excursion---

We booked the excursion to Ephesus through Thomas Cook this included entry to Ephesus and Pammakule, 5 meals and staying in a 5 star hotel over night between Ephesus and Pammakule and the cost was around 85 pounds per person but it was well worth it and i believe the entry to Ephesus was 15 lera so 6 pounds but please dont quote me on this as i really can't be sure.

---The History of Ephesus---
Ephesus was first constructed on a bay where the Kucuk Menderes river reached the sea in Western Anatolia. It was not only situated as an important point linking the East and West but was also at the crossroads between Miletus and Ionia (being the main place that fine arts/sciences and philosophers like Heraclitus flurished). It is not certain who founded Ephesus and when but the first mention of its existence comes from around 2000 B.C. with the oldest sources recording that the Amazons founded the town. Ephesus then went on to become a major townin the Ionian/ Roman and Greek periods and is hailed as the main town to worship "Artemis of Ephesus' the goddess of hunting and the chase.

---Ephesus and the Bible---
Two important figures of the Christian religion, St Paul and St John, lived in Ephesus. St Paul spent about 5 or 6 years years trying to preach and proclaim this new religion in his workshop in Ephesus. St John spent the last years of his life here, wrote part of the New Testament and also died here. His tomb is on Ayasuluk hill. It is also written in the Bible that the Virgin Mary came to Ephesus following Jesus' Death and you can visit the Virgin Marys house when you enter Ephesus but you have to take a 30 minute detour off the main road to go and visit the place. Along with the Virgin Mary's house Ephesus also holds claim to the Church of St. John, The Church of St. Mary, The Church of St. Mary in Ephesus itself and on the way driving into Ephesus you can visit the caves of the Seven Sleepers also mentioned in the Bible. OVerall Ephesus has a lot to offer the Christian religion whether you are a devout christian or just interested there are plenty places to see and visit while you are there.

--- Other Points Of Interest---
ok apart from Christian points of interest, what more can Ephesus offer me.... the answer is LOTS! Ephesus has been used as a major town for thousands of years so of course it has been used by the Romans, Greeks, Turks ..you name it they have probably been to Ephesus as some point so of course there are plenty of places to visit. Upon first entering Ephsus the first thing you see is the Great Theatre which is huge, if you go into the Great Theatre and climb to the top the views are amazing but, you still cannot see all of Ephesus as it is such a large place. Just down from the Great Theatre is the harbour street, which is closed off because during the day there are shows of Anthony and Cleopatra arriving in Ephesus which are not to miss as they involve dancers, plate spinners and a Gladiator fight. If you turn Left out of the Great Theatre you walk down the Marble street through the Agora which was the largest commercial Agora of the time but i cant remember how many shops it held because i wasnt paying attention to the guide... sorry. From the Agora you come to the main part of the restored Ephesus which includes The Library of Celsus, The Bath of Skolasticia, The Public Toilets (photo opportunity), The hospital, The Temples of Hardian and Dominitian, The Fountains of Pollio and Trajan, The Heracles Gate (another photo opportunity with Hercules!) and of course the Brothel which has mosaics on the floor which are pretty crude so i wouldn't really reccommend allowing young children to look at the floor in certain parts because you might get asked a few questions about what the people are doing. When we went they had just finished restoring the Houses of the Rich but to enter this you have to allow yourself an hour to look around and it comes at an extra charge of around 4 lera each which is about 1 pound 50.

---Shops---
There are no shops in the main part of Ephesus but upto entering you enter a kind of small market selling things from hats and suncream (which you will need) to genuine fake watches and handbags (which you wont need but its always fun to come home with a fake designer bag to fool your friends :D). Because it is a amajor tourist attraction the prices are pretty expensive but if you look in the right places and are prepared to haggle you fine, we got a tour guide of Ephesus for 5 lera (2 Pound) and it should have been 15. However do be careful when leaving Ephesus as there is a amn sat with a camel and even if you just want a picture of it using your own camera he will try and charge you so best to run back to the coach and get a sneaky picture from the window like i did.

Overall Ephesus is an amazing day out but you will not see it all in a day as there is so much to see, our tour guide told us it took him a week to see the whole of Ephesus so you can really get an idea of the size of the place and even then only 7% of the actual city has been fully excavated s im sure over t he next few years i will be able to come back on here and update my review to keep everyone updated on the latest finds!!!

Summary: A beautiful Ancient City