Adventures in Busan: City of Sunshine

Upon arriving in Kusadasi, Turkey, we read that Ephesus has an average of 300 days of sunshine each year. Needless to say, we had clear blue skies for our excursion and temperatures reaching at least 90 degrees. Also, in order to visit the House of Virgin Mary, you have to cover your knees and shoulders, so I was stifling hot in my capris all day, but that’s ok – it was worth it!

Our tour began with a 30 minute drive along the beautiful Turkish coast and inland a bit past Ephesus. We had our first glimpse of the ancient city as we drove up a mountain to the so-called House of Virgin Mary. Apparently one of the Popes deemed this the actual place that Mary lived for a few years and therefore it is supported by the Vatican. It is a small little place, but a nice start to the day. Most of our guide’s references to the Bible and religion were from a Catholic perspective, so that made some things interesting.

House of Virgin Mary

From there we went on to the main city of Ephesus. It was SO COOL. We saw The temple of Diana, the Celsius Library, and the silk road. We also saw two theaters, one where poetry and such things happened, and one where Paul was apparently preached. From a distance we could see one of the prisons where Paul was. We also saw the main market and gathering place as some ancient baths.

Ephesus

These pipes are original from Ephesus!

Walking where Paul and John walked!

The Silk Road in Ephesus

Library of Celsus

Paul was in prison here

Paul preached here!

Last remaining pillar of the original Temple of Diana

This pillar is believed to have been part of the Temple of Diana and then was used to build the Church of the Cross. The Christians carved crosses on them before they used them.

As part of our tour, we enjoyed a nice Turkish buffet for lunch and had some time to relax in air-conditioning before going to St. John’s Church, also known as the Church of the Cross. This church was built in the 6^th century AD and at one time was the burial place of the Apostle John. Apparently the rest of his remains are now in Rome. I guess we missed that one. An earthquake many years ago caused most of the structures to come to the ground, but we were told that if it were still standing, this church would be among the 7 largest Cathedrals in the world.

John's grave

We enjoyed the ride back to the port city of Kusadasi and were planning to skip the carpet sales portion of the tour, but thought we’d see how it was made. We’re glad we did – it was so interesting! They showed us how they get the silk threads, and then we got to watch an experienced worker create part of a silk carpet. It was really impressive. They went on to show us all of the different kinds of rugs they make – wool, cotton, and silk. Very cool, and very expensive. The smallest silk rug was $3500, but don’t worry, shipping and tax is included. HA! They were beautiful rugs, don’t get me wrong, but we passed on that offer.