点评:This trip was made as part of a Viking cruise ship tour - it was included as a no cost shore excursion! My guide had been to the site thousands of times and was truly excellent. He worked our small crowd away from other crowds and provided tidbits I am sure that no other travelers get. He taught us the proper way to interact with the locals, and to not be offended by their forwardness in trying to sell things as it is part of their culture.
I have always wanted to visit Ephesus. For me it fulfilled part of a lifelong dream. I am slowly ticking off places where Saint Paul the evangelist visited. He was a tent maker for the Roman legions. As such his family was very prosperous and it allowed him to travel as a Roman citizen.
He made at least three trips there to tend his business, and during his last one was chased out of town by people selling statues of Artemis. He was hurting their business at the nearby temple. There is no indication that he ever returned, however, he sent letters to the Ephesians to keep the community together.
At Ephesus there was a large Jewish community - as demonstrated by my picture from the library of Celsus. The site is massive as it was one of the four largest cities in Roman times. Scholars estimate that 250,000 people lived here in its heyday.
It covers about 13 square miles and its amphitheater could easily accommodate 25,000 people. Only a small portion has been excavated, but it is incredibly beautiful. It died when the harbor silted up.
My time here was too short but my pictures do not convey how beautiful this place presents. It is worth every penny you spend to get here. Just before the exit at the bottom of the hill there are excellent bathrooms. At the exit there are numerous people hawking their wares. Don't be offended - its part of the charm of being in Turkey.
翻译:这次旅行是维京游轮之旅的一部分——包含在免费的岸上观光项目中!我的导游去过那里无数次,真是太棒了。他把我们这小群人从熙熙攘攘的人群中带了出来,还分享了一些其他游客肯定听不到的趣闻轶事。他教我们如何与当地人交流,以及如何应对他们热情推销商品的行为,因为这是他们文化的一部分。
我一直都想去以弗所。对我来说,这实现了我毕生梦想的一部分。我正在慢慢地去探访圣保罗到访过的地方。他曾是罗马军团的帐篷匠,因此家境富裕,也让他能够以罗马公民的身份四处旅行。
他至少三次到那里经营生意,最后一次去的时候,被附近神庙里卖阿尔忒弥斯雕像的人赶出了城。因为他抢了他们的生意。虽然没有迹象表明他曾返回,但他确实给以弗所人写信,以维系社群的团结。
以弗所曾是一个庞大的犹太社群——正如我从塞尔苏斯图书馆找到的照片所证明的那样。这座遗址规模宏大,因为它是罗马时代四大城市之一。学者估计,在其鼎盛时期,这里居住着25万人。
它占地约13平方英里,其圆形剧场可轻松容纳2.5万人。目前只有一小部分被发掘,但它依然美得令人惊叹。随着港口淤塞,它最终走向衰落。
我在这里的时间太短了,我的照片无法展现这里的美丽。来到这里绝对物超所值。在山脚出口附近有很棒的洗手间。出口处有很多小贩兜售商品。别介意——这是土耳其的魅力所在。