After the cloud-hued travertine terraces of Pamukkale, the ruins of Hieropolis with its fascinating necropolis (gotta love that word), and the archeological site of Aphrodisias, we arrived in Kusadai, gateway to Ephesus and the end of our trip.
Ephesus
Ephesus has dealt the double-whammy of being both famous (remember the New Testament letter to the Ephesians?) and cruise-ship accessible. Hence it is overrun with tourists. While the clots of cruise ship passengers clad in their corporate-emblazoned regalia and flip-flops may limit the intimacy of a great archeological site, Ephesus is still worth a visit. I must admint, I was spoiled after our visit to Aphrodisias. Aphrodisias had great discoveries to see, the site was very open, and there were few crowds. The layout of the Ephesus site sent numerous groups coursing down a single channel in a single direction. It was difficult to find a spot with few tourists and their phalanx-style of formation made it a challenge to get around or through their scrum.
However, few of the other tour groups took the opportunity to visit the Terrace Houses. Their missed opportunity was our gain. The Terrace Houses were the homes of wealthy residents of Ephesus. Walkways through this area take you alongside and above / over the excavated homes. Detailed murals and mosaics decorate the living spaces. It was also a working site – archeologists were busy doing restoration and reconstruction and the other things archeologists do when they are not dramatically rescuing the Ark of the Covenant from the Bad Guys.
Even better, it was not packed. We had time to view and enjoy. If you get the opportunity: the Terrace Houses are a must see.
Scariest sight: the cruise ship participants “treated” to a Roman-style parade or ceremony complete with actors dressed in costume. It appeared so unnatural and artificial it was rather creepy and unsettling. I do not know if I felt worse for the actors or the audience, but I was glad I was neither of them.
Afterwards, we visited the Ephesus museum in nearby Selcuk, home of many artifacts from the Ephesus site. While I do not regret going, I much preferred the museum in Antalya.
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