Ephesus, Turkey

We had a very interesting day at the amazing ruins of Ephesus in Turkey. This small house is just outside of Ephesus and is believed to be the location where the Apostle John took Mary The mother of Jesus to live. It was in a secret location since Christians were being hunted and killed. This location is revered by the Catholic church. It is believed that after John left Ephesus he went to the Greek Island of Patmos where he had a vision, and then wrote the book of Revelation. 

This is the secret symbol of Christianity the was carved into paving stones to indicate a Christian business or family. These symbols are scattered sporadically in the paving stones lining the main street that has been excavated.

This is the  library of Ephesus. It was said to have rivalled the library of Alexandria. Ephesus was a very important location in early Christian times, and was the subject of Paul's letter to the Ephesians

This is the very well preserved theatre, and the acoustics are so good that it is still used for performances. 

The art forms of Ephesus were very advanced, from wonderful sculptures to intricate mosaic walkways. the city also had an aqueduct delivering water through clay pipes, as well as an underground sewage system using larger clay pipes. 
We visited Ephesus 46 years ago, and the progress at the archeological site is extensive. Archeologists believe that the majority of the city is still buried, and that even if it were fully funded, it would still   take another hundred years to fully excavate the site!
This is one of the very well preserved statues now residing in the museum at Ephesus, which is the Goddess of fertility.


 

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