In the ancient world Ephesus was considered a great center of art and commerce, basically the New York of the old world. According to legend Ephesus was founded on the spot where the oracle of Delphi came into existence. Today the ruins of Ephesus are located in modern Turkey. In the ancient days Ephesus was a port city. Slowly over time the port filled up with sediment making the city inaccessible to water trade. This was actually the coffin nail in the city. Without trade the city fell into disrepair and eventually fell from memory.
Over time the city, like the port, became covered in settlement and eventually the region was abandoned. Only recently, within the last 30 years, has significant archaeological excavation occurred. Supposedly there are acres and acres surrounding the main uncovered avenue in Ephesus that have yet to even be touched. Some significant finds include unopened medical bottles. These revealed that many ancient medicines were composed of snake venom.
Despite all this there is nothing to describe what it is like to walk down streets that are still covered in marble. Unlike most ancient cities, where most marble has been recycled for other purposes and stripped violently from facades, Ephesus retains most of its marble. Also, unlike other popular ruins, Ephesus is not surrounded by a modern city, so there is nothing to slap you into reality. It is quite easy, while waking down its cobbled streets, to imagine yourself there surrounded by bustling ancient citizens. It’s beautiful, and solemn, and reminds us that all “civilizations” are just a few years away from ruins.
These are my pictures from Ephesus:
