Ephesus and Goodbye to Turkey

 Day 12: Roman City of Ephesus

Wed, May 06, 2026

Today we'll tour the ancient city of Ephesus. Famous for its spectacular Temple of Artemis — one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World — it was one of the wealthiest cities in Ancient Greece. It also played a role in the formation of the early Christian Church, drawing the attention of the Apostle Paul and possibly even the Virgin Mary. We'll take an extensive walking tour along the still-paved streets and remarkable ruins of Ephesus, including the dramatically restored facade of its Library of Celsus.

This afternoon you'll have free time to visit Mary's House (where the Virgin Mary may have lived), view more ancient artifacts at the excellent Ephesus Museum in nearby Selçuk, or relax back in Kuşadası. Tonight we'll meet for a final dinner together to share travel memories and toast new friends. Serefe!


Here we are in front of the library at Ephesus, followed by tons of Ephesus pictures





The one below is of the goddess Nike 

The one below had a fountain of water running out of it. 
Original mosaic walkway
Public toilets

Statue of Hercules 

The next five pictures were taken in a residential area where houses were built on the hillside, one on top of the other. 




Here I am posing in front of the library in front of the statue is Wisdom. 
Above and below are pictures of the Theatre that we couldn’t enter since it was under restoration.

 


THE CHURCH OF MARY (THE COUNCIL CHURCH) (above and below) 

The 145 x 30 m large, three-aisled bishop's church of the city was erected in the southern stoa of the Olympieion Quarter.

The basilica became renowned as the site of the 3rd Ecumenical Council (Mary as Mother of God) in A.D. 431. The church was rebuilt numerous times in the late Byzantine period. At the latest in the 7th century, the seat of the bishop was transferred to St.

John's Basilica, but as a cemetery church the Church of Mary continued to be used well into the Middle Ages.



After visiting the historical site, we relaxed in our seaside town and had a final cocktail hour on our hotel roof. 




  Goodbye to a great trip to Turkey.  It was a wonderful place to visit 







Comments

  1. SueMay 7, 2026 at 4:19 AM

    Wow!!! Ephesus is unbelievable! Maybe you’ve seen lots of other ruins that are comparable, but they look exceptional to me!

    What an amazing trip to Turkey, Mary! I’m sure it was well worth it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. LarryMay 7, 2026 at 4:22 AM

    Thank you for sharing your journey with us! We really enjoy reading about and seeing the pictures of these incredible places.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary VaughanMay 7, 2026 at 8:14 AM

      Thank you for following along. It was an amazing trip

      Delete

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