Kuşadasi

Kuşadasi (Koo-SHAH-dah-suh) was our port in Turkey. Now a resort community and tourism city, it was originally settled by both Turks and Greeks. Several ancient communities were founded in the region, including Miletus, Didyma, and Priene. Another regional attraction is the supposed House of Mary, where the Virgin Mary is said to have spent her last years.

The site of most interest to us, and the one we spent the morning touring was Ephesus. Now several miles inland, the site was once on the Aegean Sea, but over the ages, rivers silted it in and covered the ruins of the original city. These ruins have since been discovered and excavated and are amazing in their complexity and detail. The looting that detracts from other sites, like Olympia, did not occur to the same extent in Ephesus. In fact, much of the site is still buried, and while touring, one can’t help but wonder what other marvelous structures might lie still beneath the earth in areas adjacent to those uncovered. I would say that these ruins rivaled or surpassed many of those we saw in Rome a few years ago.

Among other things, Ephesus was a center for the fledgling Christian movement. You no doubt know of the Book of Ephesians in the Bible, which is the letter of the Apostle Paul to the church at Ephesus. However, most of the ruins date back over 3,000 years and, therefore, reflect attention to the Greek gods and goddesses and the influence of the Roman empire. Cleopatra visited Marc Anthony in Ephesus. We saw well-preserved temples with some statues still in place, an ancient public toilet and signs of sophisticated sewer and other plumbing, a large arena and stage, a very impressive library, and even a brothel. Agora or market structures were nearby.

Adjacent to the area was a large array of terrace houses, which were probably Roman. These are being carefully excavated and preserved. A large number of residences, maybe 10 or 15 in number, are co-located and share walls, walkways, and other structures, such as roofs. Most of the individual residences have open courtyards with pools at the fronts and then rooms that surround these courtyards. Many frescos, mosaics, and marble-lined walls can be seen and are in good condition still. The entire ancient Ephesus site was truly amazing to see.

When we returned to Kuşadasi, we were given free time in the shopping area of the city, including a presentation on Turkish carpets and their creation. We saw an amazing collection, and I could not resist purchasing a small one, which I intend to display/hang at home, rather than use as a floor piece. We had been alerted to the fact that Turkish businessmen expect that bargaining will be a part of the process of buying. So, I worked at that, though I don’t know that I’m the best bargainer in the world. I did get the price down by over 40% from where we started at the shop’s proposed price, and visiting with others onboard our ship in the evening, I learned that others had managed to achieve reductions of from about 30% to 40%, so I think I did OK. In the end, you just have to be satisfied with the result, and I am. The carpet is about 2x3 feet in green and other silks and features a tree of life theme.