ASIANOVERLAND.NET SYDNEY TO LONDON  DAY 280/146/58: EPHESUS,  TURKIYE

 “14 November, 1980

Had a great day today. Superb lunch and dinner with the 2 “Mustafa’s” who were 2 great guys.

Fantastic night got stoned, after so many straight days of straightness on the bus and off  😊”

Ephesus (Efes) was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, and has always been one of the best ancient cities to visit on the overland, mainly because it has the best preserved ruins and still existing ancient cities.

Our tour guide Mustafa would meet and greet us immediately upon arrival, and we’d bus camp at the ruins. Mustafa would arrange a full lamb dinner cooked on the spit, and we’d be greeted like long lost brothers, which we felt like we were, after having driven to Kathmandu and back since we first saw him on the eastbound overland. Mustafa could speak seven languages and give comprehensive guided tours in seven languages.

I asked Mustafa where he’d learnt to speak seven languages, and he said he’d never been to a school - “I went to the university of life.”

Ephesus was built in the 10th century BC by  Ionian Greek colonists. During the Classical Greek era it was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League. The city flourished after it came under the control of the Roman Republic in 129 BC.

The city was famed for the nearby Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  Unfortunately, the famed Temple of Artemis consists of one standing column since Alexander the Great destroyed it, so it has nowhere near the visual impact of Ephesus, which is still a complete Roman city, complete with brothels. Mustafa told us Mark Antony and Cleopatra walked the streets of Ephesus, and it’s easy to imagine and accept as true, as they are recorded as being in Ephesus in 33 BC.

Among many other monumental buildings are the Library of Celsus (pictured), and an amphitheatre capable of holding 25,000 spectators.

Ephesus was destroyed by the Goths in 263, and although rebuilt, the city's importance as a commercial centre declined as the harbour was slowly silted up. It was partially destroyed by an earthquake in AD 614.

The ruins of Ephesus are a favourite tourist attraction, and the best Greek and Roman city on the overland -  probably better than anything in Italy or Greece.

Ephesus was an important centre for Early Christianity from the AD 50s. From AD 52–54, the apostle Paul lived in Ephesus, working with the congregation and apparently organizing missionary activity into the hinterlands.  Paul introduced about twelve men to the 'baptism with the Holy Spirit'. Later a silversmith named Demetrios stirred up a mob against Paul, saying that he was endangering the livelihood of those making silver Artemis shrines.

The Virgin Mary probably spent her last years in Ephesus, as Jesus’ instructions to John were to take care of his mother, Mary, after his death, and both Paul and John lived in Ephesus after the crucifixion. The Virgin Mary’s house, and the Black Madonna, are popolar and memorable features of a tour of Ephesus.

Between 53 and 57 AD Paul wrote the letter 1 Corinthians from Ephesus, and wrote the Epistle to the Ephesians while he was in prison in Rome (around 62 AD).

Ephesus was one of the seven cities  in the Book of Revelation.

In the early 2nd century AD, the church at Ephesus was still important enough to be addressed by a letter written by Bishop Ignatius of Antioch to the Ephesians which begins with "Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the Church which is at Ephesus, in Asia …" (Letter to the Ephesians).

↑ Day 279 ↓ Day 281