EPHESUS
Ephesus, known as one of the most
fascinating archeological sites in the world, was a large port and
trading center at the crossroads of important trade routes, such as
the Kind road and the Silk road. The amphtetre is very good
shape and every summer live concersts are allowed, in 1995 Diano
Ross gave a live concert without a microphone. As the most visited
antic site of Turkey, Ephesus is the gate to Turkey’s presentation to
the world. Every year millions of visitors come to Ephesus for its
marvelous and mystical atmosphere. Huge granite columns are witnesses
of the city’s former magnificence and many worth-seeing sites are
surrounding it : the Artemision, one the Seven Wonders, the Saint-John’s
church, the Cave of the Seven Sleepers, the Shrine of Virgin Mary, the
Mosque of Isabey and the archeological museum of Selcuk.
Originally Ephesus was a harbor city but due to the
Menderes alluviums over the centuries, the site is now remoted from
sea for about 5-6 kms. Excavation works in Ephesus started about 129
years ago and there is no doubt that these will go on for many years
together with restoration works : each piece brought to daylight gives
new clues to archeologists about more objects to be discovered or
mysteries to be solved.
Androcles, son of King Kondros, founded the city in
10 B.C. When Androcles died during the war against the Carians, the
habitants of Ephesus erected a mausoleum for this hero, their first
king. This mausoleum may have been built around the Magnesia door.
The city was established on the shores of the
Konessos harbor where the Kucuk Menderes (“Kaystros”) floods into the
Aegean Sea. When Ephesus became member of the Ionian Confederation,
Carians and Lelegians inhabited it. By then the town had to move
stream upward to the current “Ayasolug Hill” because of the alluviums.
After the invasion, in the VIth century, by the Lydian King Kreisos,
Ephesus reached its apogee : it became a model for the antic world in
arts and culture. Refusing ruling by thirds, Ephesians moved around
the Artemision, today still waiting to be brought to daylight. Later,
during the “Ionian Rebellion”, Ephesians refused to participate to the
struggles against the Persians and saved their city from complete
destruction. Alexandre the Great, who then decided to make the Ionic
cities independent, ended the war. Oligarchic and democratic partisans
were quarreling and destroyed the Artemision (356 B.C.). Alexander
proposed to rebuild it but the population could not agree with it as
It would not be right to build a temple for a god by a god.
In 190 B.C., the city, conquered and controlled by
the Romans, was given to the Bergamian Kings till it was re-ruled by
the Romans in 133 B.C. After that the city lived another Golden Age
when it became an important trade center and gave itself a brand-new
look : many new buildings, such as the Celsus Library, were erected.
During the upcoming of Christianity (the arriving of Saint John with
Virgin Mary, the preaches of Saint Paul), Ephesus became an important
center where Christians, Jews and pagans were to share their temples.
It is in that period that the Cave of the Seven Sleepers, the
Saint-John’s church were built. After having been ruled by the
Byzantine, the Selcuks, Ephesus fell under the Ottomans but lost of
its importance as places such as Izmir and Kusadasý were
becoming important harbor cities.
