Amazing Ancient Ephesus

We docked in Kasudasi, Turkey, got of the boat & met our guide, Nazim, & our driver, Ali, & took the short 20 minute ride from the port to the ancient city of Ephesus. This was, perhaps, one of the most interesting ancient sites we have ever visited. Corinth was cool but Ephesus was amazing. We arrived early to beat the crowd & beat the heat. It was only about 78 degrees, but all of the white marble in the ancient city reflects the sun making it seem about 15-20 degrees hotter than the actual temp.

Ephesus was a metropolitan Roman & Greek city with a port directly on the Mediterranean Sea. Today, Ancient Ephesus is about 15 km from the sea. The city has a history dating back 2500 years or longer. This was a place of great wealth & influence. It was also a place of great debauchery with brothels & bath houses. Ephesus was home to about 250,000 people all living in terrace houses on the hillsides with one Main Street leading from the upper city, or acropolis, to the lower city, or metropolis. Only Roman citizens were allowed in the upper city. Paul would have been permitted in the acropolis, but John would not have.

The Apostle John would have already been in Ephesus when Paul arrived about 50 AD. John was beloved because he was meek, gentle & soft spoken, but Paul was despised because he was bold & gruff. Paul remained in Ephesus for 2 years making tents in the Agora, preaching outside of the synagogue & meeting in house churches. John lived in Ephesus from about 45 AD to 86 AD when the Roman Emperor, Domitian, exiled him to Patmos for opposing worship of the Emperor. It was on Patmos that John wrote Revelation. When the Emperor died in 96 AD, John returned to Ephesus & died shortly thereafter.

This ancient site is phenomenal making you feel like you are stepping back into history 2000 years. They are slowly excavating the site & reconstructing where possible. The largest theater outside of Rome was located in Ephesus holding 25,000 people. This site needs to be on your bucket list!