...
So...if you're easily bored by other people's home movies...you'd best just leave now. No hard feelings...I won't even know.
I figured I'd post a few pictures of my trip to Turkey for those who've been asking about them. I managed to whittle down the hundreds of pictures into something a little more manageable. This is the first batch from my trip to Ephesus....
This theatre is the first thing you see when you arrive. This was my first ever opportunity to explore and touch something that has existed for over two thousand years. It was a cool moment. Because the theatre floor has no drainage, archeologists have been able to determine that at one time it was roofed in.
Just behind the theatre was one of the main roads through Ephesus.
This stretch of road was lined with pillars and again, archeologists think it was covered by a roof. There are places along the road where they think there were street lamps, making Ephesus one of the few cities in the ancient world to have street lighting.
This was really interesting. Early Christians had a secret sympol to identify each other. The "fish" sympol...which we've all heard of and have on the trunk of our car. Except it wasn't actually a fish. It was the symbol above. The Greek word for fish was an acronym that stood for "Jesus Christ God's Son Savior". Each letter of the word could be found in the sympol above. This sympol was carved into different walls and floors throughout Ephesus.
The Palace of the Council was where the governing council of the city met. The city of Ephesus had a population of over 300,000 people, so the ruins go on forever. You have to think it must have been crazy for the first archeologists when they began discovering what was burried there.
And if you haven't already noticed, they really liked their pillars...
This is a relief of Nike, the goddess of victory. So she wasn't just a pair of shoes. If you notice, part of her robes makes a swoosh.
After walking over a slight hill, the city spreads out before you, all the way down to what was once the harbour. If you notice the area beyond the ruins, it's now farmland. At one time the Mediterranean Sea came right up to the city. Eventually the bay filled with silt, and that began the decay of Ephesus as a major city.
Ephesus was one of the few ancient cities that had underground water and sewage pipes. These clay pipes were revolutionary in their time.
Speaking of innovations and running water...there were public toilets available to the population. Fresh water ran through a channel at your feet for washing yourself when you were finished.
One of the young pastors in our group got his picture taken sitting here with his Bible open on his lap. He said it was just like being at home. I kind of think he was impressed with the thought that maybe he was sitting where Paul may have sat. All I can say is that there wasn't much privacy...
Eventually you arrive at what is easily the most spectacular sight in the city, the Library of Celsus. It's hard to describe the beauty of this building.
The library is covered with carvings and statues, and housed tens of thousands of books and scrolls, making it one of the most extensive libraries in the ancient world.
I'm sure this was part of an ancient temple or palace or public bathroom... Like I said, it kind of gets mixed up in your head after awhile. But it's still pretty...
My friend Liz did darn good having patience with me for taking so long with the picture taking. I think she did wonder sometimes, though, where I'd wandered off to....
This was the main street of Ephesus, four kilometres of street paved in white marble, lined with statues and columns.
The Marble Street leads you eventually to the Great Theatre, a amphitheatre that could seat 25,000 people. It was here in Acts 19 that the conflicts between the followers of Artimis and Christ took place.
This street led to the harbour from the Great Theatre. It was lined on both sides of its 530 m length with columns and candle street lamps, and was again paved with marble. There are four large pillars near the end of the street which are thought to have had statues on them of the four authors of the New Testament. In the time of Paul, this street would have had shops and homes on both sides of the street and would have been a busy commercial area.
This is Ephesus seen from the main road. As I mentioned earlier, the city was once a harbour, and all the land you see in the front of the picture was once the Mediterranean. As well, the city was surrounded on its other three sides by a huge forty foot, fortified wall. The wall ran on the peaks of the three mountains you see in the picture, and protected the city.
Ephesus was one of the wealthiest and most revered cities in the ancient world. The first historical mention of it was in 2000 BC. It was a city filled with temples and shrines to different gods, and yet it was also one of the first homes of the Christian Church. Our guide made the statement that, "Christianity was born in Jerusalem, but grew up in Turkey." It was amazing to walk around and imagine that Paul and John and others had walked on the same streets we were walking on.
This is just a small taste of what it was like. Pictures don't really do justice to the experience. Walking around the streets of Ephesus was definitely one of the coolest moments of my life, and not something I'll soon forget.
And of course, what journey through an ancient biblical site would be complete without someone selling "Genuine Fake Watches" at the gate to the city...
So...if you're easily bored by other people's home movies...you'd best just leave now. No hard feelings...I won't even know.
I figured I'd post a few pictures of my trip to Turkey for those who've been asking about them. I managed to whittle down the hundreds of pictures into something a little more manageable. This is the first batch from my trip to Ephesus....
The Amphitheatre...
This theatre is the first thing you see when you arrive. This was my first ever opportunity to explore and touch something that has existed for over two thousand years. It was a cool moment. Because the theatre floor has no drainage, archeologists have been able to determine that at one time it was roofed in.
Just behind the theatre was one of the main roads through Ephesus.
Pillars along the road...
This stretch of road was lined with pillars and again, archeologists think it was covered by a roof. There are places along the road where they think there were street lamps, making Ephesus one of the few cities in the ancient world to have street lighting.
The ancient sympol for Christ...
This was really interesting. Early Christians had a secret sympol to identify each other. The "fish" sympol...which we've all heard of and have on the trunk of our car. Except it wasn't actually a fish. It was the symbol above. The Greek word for fish was an acronym that stood for "Jesus Christ God's Son Savior". Each letter of the word could be found in the sympol above. This sympol was carved into different walls and floors throughout Ephesus.
The Greek word for "fish"...
The Palace of the Council...
More ruins...
And if you haven't already noticed, they really liked their pillars...
Nike, goddess of victory...
This is a relief of Nike, the goddess of victory. So she wasn't just a pair of shoes. If you notice, part of her robes makes a swoosh.
Curetes Street....
After walking over a slight hill, the city spreads out before you, all the way down to what was once the harbour. If you notice the area beyond the ruins, it's now farmland. At one time the Mediterranean Sea came right up to the city. Eventually the bay filled with silt, and that began the decay of Ephesus as a major city.
The obligatory tourist picture....
This was a temple built to honour somebody or other...after awhile it tends to
get blurry in your head...
Terracota water pipes...
Ephesus was one of the few ancient cities that had underground water and sewage pipes. These clay pipes were revolutionary in their time.
Public toilets...
Speaking of innovations and running water...there were public toilets available to the population. Fresh water ran through a channel at your feet for washing yourself when you were finished.
One of the young pastors in our group got his picture taken sitting here with his Bible open on his lap. He said it was just like being at home. I kind of think he was impressed with the thought that maybe he was sitting where Paul may have sat. All I can say is that there wasn't much privacy...
Tile mosaics in the street in front of what was once a wealthy residential area...
The Library of Celsus...
More cool looking ruins...
I'm sure this was part of an ancient temple or palace or public bathroom... Like I said, it kind of gets mixed up in your head after awhile. But it's still pretty...
My friend Liz did darn good having patience with me for taking so long with the picture taking. I think she did wonder sometimes, though, where I'd wandered off to....
The Marble Street...
This was the main street of Ephesus, four kilometres of street paved in white marble, lined with statues and columns.
The Great Theatre...
The Marble Street leads you eventually to the Great Theatre, a amphitheatre that could seat 25,000 people. It was here in Acts 19 that the conflicts between the followers of Artimis and Christ took place.
The Harbour Street...
This street led to the harbour from the Great Theatre. It was lined on both sides of its 530 m length with columns and candle street lamps, and was again paved with marble. There are four large pillars near the end of the street which are thought to have had statues on them of the four authors of the New Testament. In the time of Paul, this street would have had shops and homes on both sides of the street and would have been a busy commercial area.
The city of Ephesus...
This is Ephesus seen from the main road. As I mentioned earlier, the city was once a harbour, and all the land you see in the front of the picture was once the Mediterranean. As well, the city was surrounded on its other three sides by a huge forty foot, fortified wall. The wall ran on the peaks of the three mountains you see in the picture, and protected the city.
Ephesus was one of the wealthiest and most revered cities in the ancient world. The first historical mention of it was in 2000 BC. It was a city filled with temples and shrines to different gods, and yet it was also one of the first homes of the Christian Church. Our guide made the statement that, "Christianity was born in Jerusalem, but grew up in Turkey." It was amazing to walk around and imagine that Paul and John and others had walked on the same streets we were walking on.
This is just a small taste of what it was like. Pictures don't really do justice to the experience. Walking around the streets of Ephesus was definitely one of the coolest moments of my life, and not something I'll soon forget.
3 comments:
Must have a really nice camera.
Oh, I do...I definitely do... =)
Great Pictures!
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