As we departed Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas our big surprise was that docked next to us was Cunard’s new Queen Elizabeth II. In fact, it was so near us that it was difficult to get good pictures of this beautiful ship. But I tried and did get these that included the local “welcoming entertainment”.
Once away from the dock area I snapped through the window of the van this first glimpse of the countryside of Turkey.
Our first stop was for the location that included the House of the Virgin Mary. Located on the top of the "Bulbul" mountain about 5 1/2 miles outside of Ephesus, this shrine of the Virgin Mary enjoys a marvelous atmosphere hidden in the green. It is the place where Mary may have spent her last days. Indeed, she may have come to the area together with Saint John, who spent several years in the area to spread Christianity. Mary preferred this remote location rather than living in a crowded place. The house is a typical Roman architectural example, entirely made of stones. In the 4th century A.D., a church, combining her house and grave, was built. Today, it is all a part of the shrine. The pictures above show a cistern from Roman times.
a portion of the info from the above sign:
NOTICE ABOUT THE SHRINE…
This place is considered to be the last home of the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of Jesus Christ.
The Facts According to the Scriptures:
St. John in his Gospel tells us that Jesus, before dying on the Cross, entrusted to him the care of His Mother when he said: “Here is your Mother and from that hour St. John took Her to be his own.”
The Acts of the Apostles relate how after the death of Christ, His followers were persecuted in Jerusalem. St. Stephen was stoned in 37 A.D. St. James was beheaded in 42 A.D. And, they (the scriptures) further relate how they divided the world between them for preaching the Gospel, and Saint John was given Asia Minor. Now Mary had been given to his care and with the persecution probably brought her with him to Asia Minor.
Shown below is the church & shrine that were built on the site of the Roman styled home of Mary.
For more information visit http://www.catholicdigest.com/articles/travel/no_sub_ministry/2010/01-14/a-visit-to-the-virgin-marys-house
As we started the journey toward the ancient city of Ephesus we could see the present-day city of Selcuk, Ismir Province, Turkey.
The ancient city of Ephesus was first settled around 1200 B.C. Under the rule of the Lydian kings in the 7th century B.C. Ephesus became one of the wealthiest cities in the Mediterranean world. In the 5th century B.C., Ephesus came under Persian rule and remained under Persia until the arrival of Alexander the Great in 334 B.C. In 129 B.C. the Romans incorporated the whole region into the Roman Empire as the province of Asia. As a part of the Roman Empire, Ephesus was a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor. For many years, Ephesus was the second largest city of the Roman Empire, ranking behind Rome. In the 1st century BC, Ephesus had a population of more than 250,000 which made it the second largest city in the world.
The ancient city of Ephesus was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 B.C.), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The temple was destroyed in 401 A.D. by a mob. Later, Emperor Constantine rebuilt much of the city and erected new public baths. The town was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614 A.D. The city's importance as a commercial center declined as the harbor was slowly silted up by the nearby river.
Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia that are cited in the Christian Bible, Book of Revelation. The Gospel of John (also from the Christian Bible) may have been written here. It is also the site of a large gladiator’s graveyard.
Here, our guide, Laurie, gives us some information before we start the long walk on Curetes Street through the ancient city of Ephesus. Entering the city through the harbor gate we first visited the Odeum, a small theater that was built in the 2nd century, A.D.
This theater would accommodate about 1,500 people. It was used for smaller events such as city council meetings and concerts.
Continuing down the street we pause inside the doorway to the Temple of Hadrian, shown below.
We continue the walk on Curetes Street. Note the 2-story building, Library of Celsus, that is approximately 1/3 mile ahead. This street is paved with marble slabs. It has sewer lines and water lines running underneath it.
The crowd continues towards Library of Celsus.
The Library of Celsus was one of the largest libraries of the world. It contained over 12,ooo scrolls (books).
We were told that the excavations revealed that there was a secret tunnel that led from inside of the library under the street and ended in the brothel that was located across the street from it. (So, saying “I was at the library” might have had more than one meaning!)
Near the brothel is the latrine. Here, in marble, are the seats. I read that a wealthy person would have their servant sit on a seat to warm it before the person used it. These marble seats had a marble conduit below them allowing a flow of water to clean the area.
Next, we visited the Terrace Houses. Ephesus terrace houses are located on the hill, opposite the Hadrian Temple. The houses were also known as "the houses of rich". They are important because they give us information about family life during the Roman period. There were six residential units on three terraces at the lower end of the slope of the Bulbul Mountain. The oldest building dates back into the 1st century B.C. and continued in use as residences until the 7th century A.D.
Ephesus terrace houses are now covered with protective roofing which resembles Roman houses. The mosaics on the floors and the frescos have been consolidated and two houses have been opened to the public as a museum.
The houses had interior courtyards in the center, with the ceiling open. They were mostly two-storied. The upper stores have collapsed during time. On the ground floor there were living and dining rooms opening to the hall, and upstairs there were bedrooms and guest rooms.
The heating system of the terrace houses were the same as that in baths. Clay pipes beneath the floors and behind the walls carried hot air through the houses. The houses also had cold and hot water. The rooms had no windows. They were illuminated with light coming from the open hall, so that most of the rooms were dim. The excavations of the terrace houses started in 1960.
Toward the end of the street, is the stadium, built by Emperor Nero. The stadium was used for chariot races, athletic displays and gladiatorial combats. The area would accommodate 25,000 people.
We passed a group of actors obviously presenting a play of some type but could not understand the dialogue.
The costumes certainly looked appropriate.
As we exited the city of Ephesus, our driver was waiting for us with the van. We stopped along the way for some shopping before lunch.
This sign caught my attention. What a hoot! After a few purchases (we didn’t buy any Genuine Fake Watches) we boarded the van for a few more miles to the place our lunch was to be served. We were pleasantly surprised that the price of the meal was included in the price of the tour. It was a delicious, sit-down, lunch served in an open-air area.
After lunch we were given a tour of a rug factory. Here are some of the beautiful rugs.
Our next stop was at the ruins of the Temple of Artemis considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World by ancient writers. Construction began on this building about 560 B.C. Final devastation came in 400 A.D.
Exhausted, we returned to the ship as our day’s tour ended.
Once on the ship I took the opportunity to snap a few pictures of Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas.
Outdoor swimming pool.
Spa area (enclosed pool area)
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