Turkey

Ephesus was our first stop right after the boat docked in Kusadasi. We booked a private tour which included transportation and a guide. It was going to be a very hot day and booking in the morning was a great decision as it is the main attraction in the area and gets incredibly crowded. It was busy while we were there in the morning but as we were leaving the lines of busses and vans coming in was insane.

The ruins of Ephesus were exceptional. The area was expansive as they are working to uncover the entire city. It was a rich city and almost everything was made of marble. We walked the old roads where St. John once walked and wondered why anyone would make roads out of slippery marble. There were a lot of buildings being excavated and their pieces put back together. These were pretty amazing, it is hard to imagine how incredibly painstaking it must be to first dig up all of these broken pieces and then match them together to form a building they may or may not have a 2,000 year old drawing of. The library of Celsus and Hadrian Temple were breathtaking. To see the amount of work and complex engineering that went into them so long ago was inspiring. We took a special tour of the 6 houses they are currently unearthing. These houses are being protected in an enclosed building so they do not get destroyed by the elements like the first set that was uncovered. Incredibly wall decor, floor tiles, and water pipes were all still there. They had indoor plumbing and private bathrooms. Stopping by this extra area definitely brought home how much money was in the town and how advanced their technology was. 

Before leaving we went through the Ephesus Experience Museum. This was a audio tour through multiple rooms in which videos immersed you in the rise and fall of this great city. It was interesting to think that the fall of the city corresponded with the people move from worshiping Artemis to Christianity. When two major earthquakes and then the river filling in with sediments the city was no longer on the port and then a plague brought on by mosquitoes caused the people to leave the great city and move to the higher mountains. We think of our lives being filled with chaos and uncertainty but living in Ephesus at this time was just as chaotic.

We went to the Temple of Artemis which was once one of the 7 wonders of the world now it is in ruins with only part of one column left. It was something to see but at this point we have seen a lot of columns.

Our tour included a few extra stops of Turkey made goods. The first one was Turkman Carpet we had lunch at the restaurant which was a traditional Turkish spread. Then we visited the rug school where they taught the kids how silk thread is made and then they explained their double knot rugs. We learned the difference between cotton, wool, and silk rugs and gave us a demonstration of how the rugs are made. They then offered us apple tea and showed us many beautiful rugs in an effort to get us to buy something. We were not interested in covering our gorgeous wood floors with rugs so we were moved on to another area with lots of jewelry salesman. It was all interesting and a bit comical as we were in no way interested in rugs or jewelry. 

Our next stop was Aldag, a pottery training center and shop. We were shown the Turkish wine decanters and watched a demonstration on how they are made on a pottery wheel. It was amazing watching an artist make such amazing pottery. Then B tried her hand at the wheel. Even with some help her bowl needed some work and she needed a lot more practice. Like at the rug shop we were again shown many many beautiful pieces and this time we were a little more interested. We left with a small cat for our memories of pottery and all the cats we have seen during our visit. 

We finished the day by walking through a few shops near the cruise dock, but being hounded by people is not the most relaxing shopping experience and we needed nothing they had to sell. So it was back to the ship and our beautiful balcony view.