Ephesus - Walking in Footsteps - One of the 7 Wonders of the World

When Paul wrote his letters to the Ephesians in the New Testament,
he was preaching among the people of Ephesus as recorded beginning in the book of Acts.
Ephesus was a great and prosperous city -  one of the largest ports in the ancient world.
This used to be a bustling center of commerce in Asia Minor.   

The apostle John also traveled these roads and is said to be buried in the area. 

Just up the road is the Temple of Artemis - one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

With much to see and learn, we were grateful to have a wonderful guide to teach us about these sites.

Ephesus

This was a city that grew to fame and power not only because of its commercial value, but also because of its proximity to the Temple of Artemis.  Those who worshipped the Greek gods were not so anxious to have Christians in their midst.  

Many secret codes/symbols were developed in order to quietly communicate amongst each other.

One of the most common was the circle that looks like a wagon wheel.

The Greek word for fish is contained within the circle and lines of this symbol.

Merchants and residents looking to communicate their beliefs, carved this into the marble.

It's said that anyone who can touch both columns at once receives the strength of Hercules!

The library of Ephesus.

The men's restrooms nearby.  

They say that the wealthy used to send a servant to sit on the seat first in order to warm the marble up so it wouldn't be too cold for their delicate bottoms.  They also had regular musicians set up just outside to conceal any noise coming from within!  Too funny!

Spectacular!

The road that used to lead to the port.

The shoreline has changed significantly over the years and the water is actually a few km away.

The Basilica of St. John

Just down the road from Ephesus, in the village of Selkuc, stands this beautiful ruin.

While there is no biblical proof - that I know of - that the apostle John taught here, the historical ties and early church tradition make it seem very possible.  Certainly, after Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome, it is reasonable that John came here to provide leadership.

In this church, built by Justinian in the 6th century, we could easily imagine one could find a quiet spot with the beautiful view below and feel inspired to write.  

They say that John loved this place and requested to be buried here.  

The basilica named in his honor.  

The Temple of Artemis

Just down the hill from the Basilica is a contrasting site, the pagan Temple of Artemis.

Understandably, we were a little underwhelmed by this ancient wonder - except for The Optimist - our resident Greek expert - who read no less than 11 books on Greek and Roman history before our trip began!

He was a delight to every guide throughout this part of the world because of his keen interest and his eager answers to their questions.  We all looked to The Optimist as our guide throughout this time.  

As for the Temple of Artemis, looking at it now, it's hard to believe that where we see one pillar 

there used to be 127... and a roof!  It was once a mecca of worship which drew people from all over the Mediterranean and beyond.

Still, the contrast of all we had seen that day was not lost on us.  

As we exited the grounds, the boys heard a charming flute player advertising his wares.

The boys quickly became locked in heavy negotiations.

A decent price and a lesson thrown in as well.  Success!

The boys raced back out to the site to play their version of, Ode to Artemis...before I called to them to get off one of the Seven Wonders of the World!!  Yikes!  :)

In fact, we had many serenades in the coming days.

An ancient Turkish bath.  We considered visiting one to see what they were like, but the guide said that the boys would have to go on their own in the men's section.  Perhaps another time!

Toward the end of our day made two stops to learn about local craftsmen - 

pottery and rug making.

This rug making school was fascinating!

We had never seen how they process silk worms in order to draw silk thread to weave the carpets.

They place the cocoons in boiling water.  When they reach just the right temperature, they tap at them with a wire whisk.  Some of the threads attach themselves to the whisk and they have a starting point to spin them to thread.  

Obviously, thousands of these spools are used in every rug.

Such skilled artisans.  They find them in the villages in the countryside and then bring them to train at  the school.  The products were so beautiful.  Hard not to ship home a souvenir!

We also stopped at a pottery producing factory.  

We watched a demonstration on the different stages of making these wonderful pieces.  

Grandma picked the perfect one to take home with her.