A trip to Turkey and a visit to Ephesus

The ancient site of Ephesus; where on earth do I start?

Ephesus, or Efes in Turkish, is singularly one of the most amazing places I have ever visited. A visit was one of the things to do on my 'bucket list' and now that I've been I really want to go back!

Having read about Ephesus I thought I was prepared for what awaited me, how wrong I was. I knew about the Library of Celsus, the Grand Theatre (Odeon), the Government Agora and the Temple of Artemis, but although these are spectacular main attractions they are only the tip of the iceberg. My biggest regret was the lack of time our trip allowed us to explore all there is to see.

The first thing to strike you as you enter through the North Gate is simply how huge Ephesus is. You are confronted almost immediately by the Varius Bath standing opposite the Government Agora, an early Parliament if you will, and adjacent the Odeon (Bouleterion - not to be confused with the Grand Theatre). It is at this point you realise some of the buildings you expected to see are still hidden from view and just how large the city of Ephesus was.

Varius Bath

State (Government) Agora

Varius Bath leading to Basilica and Odeon

Vicinity of the State Altar

Prytaneion

Odeon or Bouleterion

The small Odeon or Bouleterion is a bit misleading since it is actually quite a size. It dates from the 1^st century AD and effectively became City Hall as Ephesus grew.

Odeon

I could so easily imagine myself sitting here and partaking of the latest civic debate. The acoustics here are remarkably good; I found myself listening to someone's private conversation while taking my pictures.

Odeon - a good place to stop and consider your surroundings

Perhaps unsurprisingly it is not just people who use the Odeon to take their ease.

Cat in Congress

I've decided to break my Ephesus blog in various parts to save it becoming overly large and Part 1 ends here. So far we've only just scratched the surface, so if you're interested stay tuned for more of my Visit to Ephesus.