EPHESUS

(ampitheater steps at left and library on right)

A few days ago, we journeyed to Ephesus, one of the most intact ruined Roman cities in the world. Certainly the most breath-taking and awe-inspiring I've ever seen. During its heyday, it was the Roman Capital of Asia Minor and hosted 200,000 citizens. These Romans were definitely savvy to LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION . . . they situated their majestic city in a lush valley, full of trees and vegetation, on a North Eastern point of the Mediterranean Sea.


(strolling around the facade of the library)

The library facade alone, with its sculptures and detailed carvings, was worth the 12 hour bus ride to get here (that includes the blasting Turkish soap operas they blasted on the 5 TVs, the rainstorm and the non-reclining seats, so that's saying something, indeed). The detail of the sculpture was so artfully made, it looked effortless and harmonious. Like marble stone was clay! It was hard to believe it was all made around 2,000 years ago.


(Medusa head mosaic in an interior apartment area, the puzzle pieces of Ephesus)

One of my favorite parts of the ruins was a covered, apartment area, where the upper-crust lived in mosaic and painting-paneled splendor. The spaces have been re-assembled and there are stairs above so you can look in on the rooms -- this project has been called "the greatest puzzle project on Earth" within some archaeological circles (according to an article I read at the site). It was pretty cool to see guys (chain-smoking and tea-sipping) sifting through the pieces with a huge table, literally working the puzzle right there before us.


(Dave and I climbed lots of hills with ruins on them)

(pretty wildflowers)

The flowers, trees, hills and quiet made the experience very serene. Not so serene that we couldn't be found leaping over the rubble and playing on the hills, speaking in weird accents to each other all day long for some unknown reason.


(D basks in the sunlight, after a brief rainstorm and a perfect ruin window-view)

Ephesus and the surrounding town, Selcuk, are both wonderful --well worth the trip -- fascinating to imagine what life might have been here. I imagine their soap operas were a tad more entertaining and not shot with a hand-held mini dv cam. Seriously, jokes aside, if one finds herself in Istanbul, she must get down to Ephesus.