Ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey: description and history

The ancient city of Ephesus (Turkey) is located in the western part of the peninsula of Asia Minor, also known by its Greek name Antalya. By modern standards, it is small - its population barely reaches 225 thousand people. Nevertheless, thanks to its history and monuments, preserved in it from the past centuries, it is among the most visited cities in the world by tourists.

The City of the Goddess of Fertility

In antiquity, and it was founded by the Greeks in the XI century BC. E., The city was famous for the cult of the local goddess of fertility that flourished here , and eventually became the goddess of fertility Artemis. This generous and hospitable celibate in the VI century BC. E. Residents of the city built a temple, recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The city of Ephesus reached an unprecedented heyday in the 6th century BC. E., when he was under the power, seized his Lydian king Creus, whose name in modern language has become synonymous with wealth. This drowned in luxury ruler did not spare money and decorated his temples with new sculptures, and acted as a patron, patronizing science and art. With him, the city was glorified by its names by many outstanding personalities, such as the ancient philosopher Heraclitus and the ancient poet Callin.

The life of the city in the first centuries of our era

However, the peak of the development of the city falls on the I-II century AD. E. During this period, it was part of the Roman Empire, and its money was spent on a lot of money, thanks to which were built aqueducts, the library of Celsus, the baths of the ancient baths, and the Greek theater was rebuilt . One of the many city attractions was its main street, descending to the port and decorated with columns and porticos. It was named after the Roman Emperor Arkady.

The city of Ephesus is repeatedly mentioned in the New Testament, in particular, in the books "Acts of the Apostles" and "Revelations of St. John the Divine", also known as the "Apocalypse". The first followers of Christ began to appear in him during the earthly ministry of the Savior, and in 52-54 the apostle Paul lived and preached in the city. The researchers also have reason to believe that John the Evangelist, who was deceased and buried in Ephesus, wrote his Gospel here. Sacred Tradition connects this city with the last years of the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary - the Mother of Jesus Christ.

The sea that left the city

At the base of Ephesus - the city of Artemis - was laid on the shores of the Aegean Sea and was the largest port center of antiquity. But then the unforeseeable happened - either the goddess quarreled with the supreme ruler Zeus, and he poured out his wrath on the city, or the reasons were of a natural order, but only in the 6th century AD. E. The harbor suddenly became shallow and silt.

The residents had to move their dwellings to a new location near the present Turkish city of Selcuk, having begun construction on the Ayaasoluk hill. But the sea continued to retreat, depriving most of the income this ancient city. Ephesus gradually declined. Landslides and earthquakes covered the ruins with sand, and reliably preserved for future archaeologists.

The forgotten monument of antiquity

The cause was completed by the Arabs, who in the 7th century became involved in their raids and finally destroyed what the hand of the blind element had not yet reached. Seven centuries later, the Ottoman Empire captured a significant part of Asia Minor, including the territory on which was located the city of Ayasoluk next to Ephesus.

Since that time, it began to develop, but already within the framework of the Islamic tradition. On its streets there were mosques, caravanserais and Turkish baths. A hundred years later the city was renamed, and it received its present name Selcuk, and the city of Ephesus was finally abandoned and fell asleep for several centuries under the thick sand deposited here by the hot wind.

Excavation of an archeologist-enthusiast

The history of archaeological excavations on the territory of the ancient city dates back to 1863. Their initiator was the British engineer and architect John Turtle Wood, who designed the building of railway stations in Turkey. Having set out to find the Ephesian temple of Artemis, mentioned in the New Testament, he received permission from local authorities to carry out the work.

The task was not easy, for the only information that the self-taught archaeologist had was information about where the city of Ephesus was located, but he did not have any specific information about its layout and buildings.

The city rebelled from nothingness

Three years later, the world circled the first reports of John Wood's discoveries, and from that time the city of Ephesus, where in previous centuries outstanding monuments of Hellenic culture were created, attracted everyone's attention.

Until now, the city has preserved many unique monuments relating to the Roman period of its history. Even with the fact that much remains to be unearthed, what appears today is striking with its splendor and gives the opportunity to imagine the grandeur and brilliance of this city during its heyday.

Theater and the leading to it Marble Street

One of the main attractions of Ephesus are the ruins of his theater, built in the Hellenic period, but underwent significant reconstruction during the reign of the Roman emperors Domitian and his successor Trajan. This truly grandiose structure accommodated twenty-five thousand spectators, and in a later period was part of the city wall.

Everyone who got to the city of Ephesus by sea could proceed from the port to the theater along a four-hundred-meter street lined with marble slabs. Trade benches that stood on its sides alternated with statues of ancient gods and ancient heroes, striking the views of visitors with their perfection. By the way, the residents of the city were not only aesthetes, but also quite practical people - during excavations under the street they discovered a rather developed sewage system.

Library - a gift from the Roman emperor

Among other cultural centers of the ancient world, the city of Ephesus was also known for its library, which was named Celsus Poleman, the father of the Roman emperor Titus Julius, who built it in memory of him, and installed his sarcophagus in one of the halls. It should be noted that the burial of the dead in public buildings was extremely rare in the Roman Empire, and was allowed only in cases of special merit of the deceased.

The fragments of the building that have survived to this day are part of a facade richly decorated with allegorical figures placed in niches. Once the collection of the library of Celsus included twelve thousand scrolls, stored not only in cupboards and shelves, but also directly on the floor of its vast halls.

The temple, protected by Medusa Gorgona

In addition to the temple of Artemis, which was in ancient times a visiting card of the city, a lot of religious buildings were built in Ephesus. One of them is the sanctuary of Hadrian, whose ruins can be seen by turning off Marmara Street. Its construction dates back to 138 AD. E. From the former splendor of this pagan temple there were only some surviving fragments.

Among them - four Corinthian columns supporting a triangular pediment with a semicircular arch in the middle. Inside the temple you can see the bas-relief of Medusa Gorgon, guarding the temple, and on the opposite wall - images of various ancient gods, in one way or another connected with the foundation of the city. Before here there were also statues of quite real rulers of the world - the Roman emperors Maximian, Diocletian and the Gallery, but today they have become exhibits of the museum of the city.

Area of the richest inhabitants of the city of Ephesus

The history of the city during the Roman rule was immortalized in the sculptural complex surrounding the Troyan fountain, built near the entrance to the temple of Adrian. In the center of the composition stood a marble statue of this emperor, from which a stream of water rose to the sky. Around her in respectful poses were the statues of the immortal inhabitants of Olympus. Today these sculptures also decorate museum halls.

Opposite the temple of Hadrian there were houses in which the elected part of the Ephesian community lived. Expressed in modern language, it was an elite quarter. Situated on a hillside, the buildings were designed in such a way that the roof of each of them served as an open terrace for the neighboring, located level below. Beautifully preserved mosaic, which was laid pavement in front of houses, gives an idea of the luxury in which their inhabitants lived.

The buildings themselves were richly decorated with frescoes and various sculptural images, partially preserved to the present day. Their subjects included, in addition to traditional in such cases, ancient deities, as well as images of outstanding people of the past. For example, one of them captures the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates.

Christian shrines of the city

In this city, side by side with the monuments of ancient paganism and the Christian culture that has replaced it, one of which is the basilica of St. John. In the 6th century, Emperor Justinian I commanded to erect it in the place where, presumably, the holy apostle, the author of the Apocalypse, and one of the Gospels was buried.

But the main Christian shrine of Ephesus is undoubtedly the house in which, according to legend, the Mother of Jesus Christ - the Most-Pure Virgin Mary - spent her last years. As the legend says, already on the Cross, the savior has entrusted the care of Her beloved disciple - the Apostle John, and the one who holyly guarded the Teacher's order, took her to his home in Ephesus.

There is also a very beautiful legend associated with one of the caves located on the slope of a mountain next to it. According to the current belief, in the days of persecution of Christianity in her were seven young men who professed the true faith. To save them from imminent death, the Lord sent a deep sleep on them, in which they spent two centuries. The young Christians were already awake in safety - their faith by that time had become the state religion.