Kusadasi & Ephesus, Turkey

November 22, 2009

Kusadasi is a pretty town where the port is. It seemed very clean and there is a shopping district very close to the port terminal. We took a tour here that was arranged by some Cruise Critic folks. We were very impressed with our tour guide, Gencay (pronounced ghen-shai). He has a degree in classical archeology and speaks perfect English. He was very good at herding 25 people through the archeological site at Ephesus along with busloads and busloads of tours off the ship. We were one of the first groups to get inside the terrace houses which were homes for the very rich and elite - kind of like luxury condos. They even had indoor saunas and pipes to circulate the air and radiant heat. The terrace houses are covered to protect the frescos from the elements.

We learned a great deal today. Many English terms come from this region. There is a river in Turkey called Meander and the term meandering was used for any river or valley that winds slowly. The current ruins of Ephesus are the third Ephesus since the silting and plate tectonics have moved the water's edge further and further out. This was the THE site for paganism and pagan worship. The population was around 250,000 between 500 B.C. and 300 A.D. The library is the iconic photograph. It was built by the son of Celsus to honor his father and has four statues to represent the four virtues of Celsus - the original statues are in a museum in Austria. The term "written in stone" comes from the rules carved in the gates between the Library of Celsus and the agora (market place) adjacent to it.

Also here are the temples of Hadrian and Domitian and the Great Theater which could seat 25,000 people, although it held 40,000 for a recent Elton John concert. Our term podium came for the pillars that held the platform where the philosophers and politicians spoke. Ephesus was the capital of Eastern Rome during the Roman Empire before the rule of Constantine. Many structures of its Pagan past were destroyed later by the Christians.

Mary bought a woven bag, John and Charlene had some chai tea and Jo, Bob & Nancy had a Coke Light - big spenders.

On the way back to the ship our guide asked us if we would like to see a demonstration of the making of Turkish carpets and have some tea and treats. It was interesting to see silk worm cocoons and watch the young lady weave. The sales pitch wasn't too pressure-filled. The pistacio baklava was yummy. This was only a half block from the ship so we walked over and bought some bottled water and got back on board. We watched as we sailed away the town was very quaint built on the sides of the hills.