Before headed to Ancient Ephesus we visited the Troy Museum just across the road from our campsite. A huge concrete cube of 3 levels, one for each three-layers of Troy – clever !!! The museum is new having been open only in 3 It is surprising the number artifacts that were in great condition, especially jewellery and pottery. Plenty of plaques in Turkish and English and well set out.
The 390km journey from Troy to our camping ground near Ephesus took us past massive Izmir (Pop 3,120,000), the second largest city in Turkey. Sprawling with massive apartment buildings it lacks the character that it once had under Greek residency called Smyrna. To be fair that was a long time ago before the advent of concrete apartment towers. Smyrna was an idyllic seaside town with quaint cafes and the smell of BBQ octopus filling the streets. The Greek residents of Smyrna suffered greatly when expelled by the newly established Turkish Republic in 1922. Grandfather Stephen, of my first cousin Stephen Mayson was born and raised in Smyrna. So was Aristotle Onassis !!! Our campsite was 7km from Ancient Ephesus and 9km from the local modern Turkish City of Selcuk which houses and services the many thousands of tourists that visit Ancient Ephesus. Most of the tourists come from Mediterranean cruise liners carrying 1,000-2,500 people each docking at Kusadasi which is 18 km from Ephesus. Our campsite was right on the Aegean Sea but too cold to swim. It was the very first tent night for me and that tent worked a treat – 5min up and 5min down !!! Sleeping matt and bag equally brilliant – comfortable and warm. That night was very mild so I spent most of the night on top of the bag. We arrived late so just enough time for blogging and eating and early to bed to build strength for Ancient Ephesus the next morning.
2015 UNESCO Protected Ephesus was an ancient Greek city built in the 10th century BC. The city came under the control of the Roman Republic in 129 BC. The city was famous in its day for the nearby Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), which has been designated one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its many monumental buildings included the Library of Celsus and a theatre capable of holding 24,000 spectators. The city was destroyed by the Goths in 263. Ephesus is a very important place for Orthodox Christians since it is here that St John The Theologian (the youngest Disciple of Christ) wrote his Gospel and looked after the Blessed Virgin Mary in the last year of her life to the day of her passing. St Luke, The Evangelist also died here and along with St John is buried here. I caught a local mini-bus from our seaside campsite to the Northern Gate of Ancient Ephesus which is nestled in a sloping valley covering 4km to the higher Southern Gate. I walked the length of the ancient city beholding 21 key structures: Temples, Stadium, Gymnasium, Residences, Tombs, Baths & even a Library. In fact, The Library of Celsus (built 110AD) is the best preserved, most grand, most popular site and the pictorial symbol of this city worldwide. Another grand structure is the Stadium, seating 24,000 in its heyday. Ephesus is big. Ephesus is grand. Ephesus is a must-see in Turkey.
A visit to Ephesus is not complete without a visit to the nearby Turkish City of Selcuk (Pop 39,866) where I visited the following sites: 5thC St John Basilica & Tomb (The Apostle & Gospel Writer), 5thC Selcuk Castle, 1375AD Isa Bei Csmii Mosque, 401AD Temple of Artemis. For me, the view of the St John Basilica ruins and background city of Selcuk is one of the grandest views I have seen and photographed on my many travels. The Selcuk Castle is on top of a hill that historians say is the hill that St John wrote his Gospel. St John also wrote The Book of Revelations but this took place on the island of Patmos in modern-day Greece and not too far away.
The highlight of my visit to Ephesus was the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary hidden away amongst several mountains about 9km from Selcuk. It is a small house only 38 square metres in size and probably built around 20AD. It is here that the Blessed Virgin Mary spent the last 11 years of her life and it is here that she passed away between 44-52AD and assumed into Heaven as she was never buried or suffered decay. Inside the house is one large room with a small anti-room on the left which functioned as a store room for food. Today, the house is cared for by the Catholics and the interior is adorned with a simple altar baring a statue of The Blessed Virgin Mary followed by Orthodox Icons of Her in the anti-room. There is a constant line of people passing through and when I was there most were Italians. The first Pontiff to visit the house was Pope Paul VI in 1967. Pope John Paul II was the second in 1979 – no pope has visited since. Pope John Paul II gifted a jewelled Rosary which is framed next to Her statue. It was a very moving experience for me to think that I slept only 17km from The Lady that slept and died here having brought God into the world…
.jpg)
Even after 17km of walking Ephesus and Selcuk, I managed to get a run in out of our campsite after returning from the Virgin Home. I was buggered that night and retired early to my tent with the sounds of the Aegean to lull me to sleep. Our 210km drive to the Pammukale town and region featured wide plains surrounded by distant mountains. Near the end we swung east to reach an area close to one of those mountain ranges. Pammukale features the Ancient Byzantine City of Hieropolis and the natural Travertine Pools. We were dropped off at the North Gate of Hieropolis and I walked 5km down to the South Gate, passing through all of Hieropolis and the Travertines along the way.
1988 UNESCO Protected Hieropolis was built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 5th Century AD in honour of St Philip, The Apostle & Disciple of Christ, who was martyred in this area in 80AD. His original Church and Tomb were my highlight, especially since his water fountain gave me cover when it suddenly rained for 5min !!! The other sites I visited in Hieropolis include: North Necropolis with 3 Royal Tombs, Fontinus Gate into ancient marketplace, Cleopatras Thermal Pool (closed for entry), South Necropolis, Pluto Gate and Amphitheatre which was full of tourists until I arrived after the 5min shower gifting me an empty theatre for my photographical pleasure !!!
The Travertines or thermal springs next to Hieropolis and above the modern-day Turkish town of Pammukale were first used around 200AD. This is another main reason why Justinian decided to build Hieropolis here.
Our campsite was only 4.5km from the Hieropolis South Gate and perched at 750m above the sea with eagle-high 180-degree commanding views of the entire city of Denizli below. This was my second upgrade room night and what a night for one – it was 5C. That evening was also my first cook group and the four of us worked well together from the moment we shopped that day to the moment we finished cleaning up. It was early after dinner so I decided to execute my first run as the truck window cleaner – grabbed my brush and squeegee and off I went. That night was magic for me and my roommate Tyne – air conditioner set to 27C and after a shower sleep came very quickly.
Up at 6am (30MAR) and rolling by 630am, our earliest departure so far because of the 550km trip today to Goreme City in Cappadocia. Speaking of “rolling” my cook group executed a “rolling brekkie” for the first time. This involves preparing portable brekkie offerings and placing them on the truck with cups, bowls and utensils the night before. We did hard-boiled eggs, a granola-apple-yoghurt-cinnamon mix and Turkish hooped bagels. Just before departure we boil up water and place it in a thermos, put away the gas cylinder and stove and off we go. The truckies help themselves to the portable brekkie as we drive. This saves us 1.5hrs travel time and much needed on this long drive day.
The first 3 hours of our drive were spectacular – the best to date. Immense mountain-scapes on both sides, followed by huge open green valleys, quaint villages, rocky outcrops and all at altitude – between 750m and 1150m. We made toilet and snack stops every two hours or so. These long drives are perfect for catching up on my blog and doing research for countries ahead – even booking day trips as long as there I cellular data reception. Most people on the truck slept whilst I blogged, filmed, photographed and planned ahead. The hours for me just slipped past. Most of the trip was at 1000m elevation and very flat across vast open plains, many green from agriculture.
The highlight of our long journey today was a stop in the city of Sultanhani to visit the SULTAN HAN CARAVANSERAIL. A “caravanserail” is the classic invention and evidence of The Silk Road. It is a huge enclosure offering Silk Road traders a place to feed and water their camels and themselves, trade with the locals and stay up to 3 nights all for free – paid for by the taxes on locals from purchases. A caravanserail was placed every 50 to 70km in busy places and corresponding to major towns. The one we visited was the biggest one in Turkey with a floor plan of 4,866 square meters and one of the oldest built in 1229 when Marco Polo first traded here. Our first natural bush camp without facilities was tonight and only one hour from the caravanserail. We pulled into a wild public park opposite the world-famous Selime Katedrali which is a “sandstone chimney”, the first of many in this area and Cappadocia. We arrived ahead of schedule at 415pm thanks to the rolling brekkie so I got to work on completing this post. After a terrific camp dinner, I retired to the Ozzie movie LION to celebrate the recent return from India of my brother Nick and niece Antonia.
The best way to describe what we saw on this long journey is to show you in images… enjoy !!!
.jpg)
END OF POST
No comments:
Post a Comment