Last Day

I'm sitting in the lobby of our hotel overlooking the harbor with many little boats and one big cruise ship. Highrises sprout from the surrounding hills - blue skies and puffy clouds - quite a contrast to yesterday.

This morning we went to Ephesus where in Roman times before the 6th century over a quarter of a million people lived with running water, toilets and a sanitary waste system. We viewed the restoration process of terrace houses. Many of the mosaic floors and delicate freizes had been amazingly preserved.

This area is known as the third Ephesus. The city kept moving it as the shore line built up so it could continue to be a port. Around the 6th century, Ephesus no longer had access to water and the city declined.

One of the first structures to greet a visitor would have been the baths as traveling was a dirty, dusty ordeal. We saw some of the remnants of these, the Temple to Artimus (which at one time was considered one of the 7 wonders of the world.) There had been 127 Ionian columns - each 70 ft high - around it

We saw ruins of porticos which protected people from the heat and rain; the state agora - market place; the Vestal Virgin area with its eternal fire; and a beautiful sculpture of Niki , the Goddess of Victory
This had been above the gate that kept wagon traffic off the main street.

The most impressive ruin was the re-assembled facade of the library. It had held over 12,000 scrolls. They were written on papyrus. Later a Turkish town came up with parchment, made from hides. It was preferable as it could be bound and read like a book. To keep these documents away from summer's humidity, they were stored between the inner and outer wall of the library.

It is said there was a tunnel between the library and the town brothal. Young maidens sometimes went there before marriage for training, but did not stay unless they were going to be prostitutes.

Paul, Luke and John all preached in Ephesus and John is said to be buried there. Of course, we know about Paul's letters to the Ephesians. When Christians moved into Ephesus, they often knocked off the heads of pagan statues or made a cross on their foreheads.

To walk where so much history has taken place and see glimpses of their artistic and engineering abilities, has been awesome. This trip has introduced us to very caring, friendly people and their wonderful country !

Tonight is our final dinner together. We head for Istanbul tomorrow and home on Friday. It's been fun sharing our adventures with you. Let us know if you want to see any pictures.