What do you do when the place that you were really looking forward to visiting – Ephesus – is a complete wash out? As an independent traveller sometimes you just have to smile and get on with it.
The day
Okay ‘a complete washout’ is probably a slight exaggeration. Ephesus (or Efes in Turkish) is a famous Greek city built in an area that was on the Turkish coast. It is so ancient that it is mentioned in the bible several times. I was very excited about going there to see the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, the theatre and the Arcadian Way in particular. I woke up that morning and looked out my window to find the day was rainy, grey and fairly miserable. Outside I discovered that it was also windy and cold. Not a great start to the day! The hotel owner gave me a dodgy looking umbrella to use for the day, which was a nice gesture, and off I was on my way to explore the ancient ruins.
Start at the top
When I arrived at Ephesus (it was only 3 kilometres from my hotel in Selçuk) my enthusiasm was reignited when I saw just how large the site was. It’s very big! I started at the top gate with the idea of making my way gradually down the hill to the lower gate. Within five minutes of entering the site my umbrella had blown inside out and broken. Oops! The wind and rain was quite challenging however I ploughed on. One of the first things you see when entering at this gate is the Eastern Gymnasium also known as the Girls Gymnasium because there were many statues of girls found there. Shortly after is the Upper Agora. Agoras in ancient Greece were open areas used for assemblies or markets, in other words – gathering places. The Odeion is a semi circular structure that seated 1,500 people. It is thought that the Odeion (Odeon) had a wooden roof. The thing about walking around ruins on a rainy day is that there are usually no roofs on the buildings so you have nowhere to seek refuge. There is a plus though and it is a very big plus for me. On rainy days tourists sometimes put off visiting outdoor attractions in favour of going to places that have a roof, like a museum for example. So the outdoor attraction will have less people roaming around. This was definitely the case at Ephesus on the day I went. There were less tourists and the ones that were there got through the site in a timely manner.
A progressive society
Back to my wanderings – the Square of Domitian which has the Pollio and Domitian fountains, Memmius Monument and Hercules Gate is before the Avenue of the Curates. This famous Avenue goes from the State Agora to the Trajan Fountain, the facade of the Temple of Hadrian and the Scholastic Baths. Right beside the Temple are the Bordello and the Latrines. Something that is interesting and you should check out if you can are the Terraced Houses. Each one had its own heating and bath. They were really progressive for their time. As mentioned already I was really looking forward to seeing the Library of Celsus and it did not disappoint. This building (again there is no roof anymore) was built around 125 A.D. by a governor’s son in memory of when his father died. The governor’s name was Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus and it is said that he is buried in a sarcophagus below the library. They also say that the library once held 12,000 scrolls. The building faces east so that the patrons could make the most of the morning sun.
Ephesus – a remarkable city
The Great Theatre is also another outstanding structure at Ephesus. It can seat 25,000 and on the top tier of the seats is a fantastic view down to the old harbour. St Paul spoke here against the cult of Artemis and made the crowd so angry that his life was in danger. Almost straight opposite the theatre is the Arcadian Way or Harbour Street. Back in the day it was possible to disembark your ship and walk along the Arcadian Way and find yourself at the theatre. However, over time the harbour silted up and the location of Ephesus is now around six kilometres from the coast. It’s easy to imagine when looking along the Arcadian Way what a grand entrance to the city it was and that it must have left a great impression on those who visited this remarkable city. Ephesus was an important city in the world and I must mention that it really flourished once the Romans took over. It was such an important city that the Temple of Artemis (which is between the site and Selçuk) was the largest in the world and it was also one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World.
The Arcadian Way
By the time I got to the Arcadian Way I was well and truly dripping wet. Luckily I had remembered to bring my trusty hat but that was pretty wet as well. I was now on the last leg of Ephesus and so I knew I wasn’t too far away from being able to get under shelter and out of the cold. I had underestimated how cold Turkey (no pun intended) can get and, beside, the weather in Cappadocia had been sunny and warm. A water proof jacket with a hood would have been wonderful so next time I must remember to take something like that when the weather looks even remotely overcast.
My visit comes to a close
Before I left I stopped at one of the restaurants near the gate and sat down under some shelter for lunch and a bit of a chat with the local shopkeepers. The vendors were mostly standing around because of the low number of tourists. Everywhere there were pools of water and even the tarpaulin at the restaurant started leaking. I have heard many people complaining about the extreme heat that can be experienced at Ephesus and so I’m glad I didn’t have those conditions. The whole area is really fascinating and even more so when you think they have been excavating for 150 years so far. Not all the city has been uncovered yet so excavations continue. It will be interesting to see what is uncovered in the future.
