Visiting Ephesus Ancient City Ruins
Sitting on the Aegean coast of Turkey in Asia Minor, near Kusadasi and Selcuk in the Izmir region, this was my third time seeing it. I first visited Ephesus 13 years earlier. I was a newbie expat in Turkey and more preoccupied with adapting to daily life here than concentrating on the history of a Greco-Roman city that had fallen nearly roughly 12 centuries before. The fact it was one of Seven Churches of Revelation did not faze me either since I had long given up on religion and Bible studies. 4 years later, I went to Ephesus again with a friend. While I felt a little more appreciation, it was not until my third time there that I threw myself into the ambience and vibes.
The downside of walking through archaeological Ephesus ancient city is the crowds. Some of the world’s largest cruise liners dock into the nearby Kusadasi port to take passengers to Ephesus. When combined with 42 seater tour buses from all surrounding holiday resorts, the result is masses of people wandering about in awe, paying no attention to where they are going or who they bump into. The urges to photobomb are too great but if you don’t like crowds or hundreds of people in your holiday photos, go to Ephesus early morning as soon as they open at 08.00 am.
The other downside is that independent travellers must walk Ephesus twice, and this is not a gentle stroll in the midday heat. Moreover, the walking route begins at the upper gymnasium bath and ends at Marble Street or vice versa. It is not a complete circle, so it poses a problem. Alternatively, if you hook up with an Ephesus guide (which I strongly recommend), they arrange for the transport to meet you at the other end.
Exciting Highlights of Ephesus City and Ancient Ruins
A signpost briefly describes every excavated structure, along with relevant dates and some impressive landmarks include….
Public Latrines: The roman public latrines at Ephesus sit on three sides of a small courtyard, so doing business became a social affair. Guides say the wealthy used to get their slaves to sit down and warm up the restroom for them! At one stage, visitors could sit down on them, but they have now been cordoned off.
Nike Goddess Statue: The monument is not a large size but a kind of novelty for those of us who grew up thinking Nike was just a brand of sports shoes! It turns out she was the Roman winged goddess of victory, and these are the remains Ephesus citizens used to worship.
The Footprint: Another quirky novelty of the great site of Ephesus because this is not just any old engraved footprint. It showed the way to the whorehouse, or as the Romans said, “the bordello”, meaning the “love house.” Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised since it is the world’s oldest profession.