Where We Be
Ephesus, Turkey
The Library of Celsus is the highlight of any visit to Ephesus. It was built by
Celsus around 120 AD to store 12,000 scrolls -- and to serve as his tomb.
Celsus was Governor of Asia in 115 AD and a popular local citizen.
He used his own personal wealth to pay for the library's construction.
Our private tour with Ephesus Shuttle ($50 per person) was a great success.
Murat, our tour guide, spoke great English and was very knowledgeable.
Library of Celsus as seen through an archway leading towards the Great Theater
St. Paul preached here. He was none too popular with the gold and silver merchants because he preached against
false idols. The merchants made most of their money selling Artemis statuettes so he barely escaped with his life!
Gladiator tunnel leading to the arena
This path through a "junkyard" of ruined columns leads to the
Great Theater. In the distance you can see the Library of Celsus.
Near the entrance is the Odeon, a more intimate theater for the upper crust of ancient Ephesus
Robin loved sitting in one of the premier seats at the Odean and imagining
who might have attended a performance in that exact spot before her
Ruins and red poppies -- a pretty photo combo
The terrace houses had running water, sophisticated heating systems,
colonnaded inner courtyards, and rich decor including these mosaics
We saw six houses, some very large by ancient standards.
They were inhabited from the 1st to the 7th centuries.
During our return trip we stopped at the Temple of Artemis. This was once a
Wonder of the Ancient World -- now reduced to a single standing column!
Our tour actually began here. This is Curette's Way, which
leads downhill from the ticket booth to the Library of Celsus.
The Great Theater could hold up to 25,000 people. It was used
for gladiator fights – and for sacrificing early Christians to the lions.
A stork makes its nest atop the one remaining column
Ephesus is often said to be second only to
Pompeii as an introduction to ancient Roman
civilization. The ruins are well preserved and
you get a great feel for what life would have
been like in the centuries just before and after
Christ. The nice thing about the layout of
Ephesus is that you can start at the Upper Gate
and walk downhill to the Lower Gate where
your transport can pick you up again. We took
a guided tour, starting at the Odeon, a small
theater for the upper crust of the ancient city.
We walked down Curette’s Way, a columned
stone path, stopping at many points of interest.

At the end of the path is the highlight of any
tour of Ephesus, the Library of Celsus. This
two-tiered ruin is beautiful and graces the
cover of nearly every tourist brochure of
Ephesus. The other star attraction is the Great
Theater where St. Paul preached and where
gladiators once fought.
Our tour guide, Murat, did a fabulous job of showing us Ephesus
Robin is always in high spirits when exploring ancient ruins
We saw ancient backgammon tables made of stone all around Ephesus -- apparently it
was a popular game for the shopkeepers to play while waiting for their next customers
All along Curette's Way are beautiful statues and bas reliefs set amongst the poppies
The public toilets were VERY public -- a fountain ran
in the center to provide a bit of sound dampening!
The Temple of Hadrian includes a sculpture of Medusa at the center of the arch
These original stone signs on the way to the Great Theater advertised:
1) a store for buying weapons, 2) a brothel, and 3) gladiator fights
Column carving of Hercules wrapped in a lion skin
The round hole at the center of the column once
held an iron rod to keep the column pieces together
Our guided tour of the Terrace Houses gave us a great idea of
what it would have been like to be an aristocrat in ancient Ephesus
My parents especially liked getting to see where St. Paul once preached