EPHESUS, Turkey - To step onto Turkish soil is to walk back in time. The Mediterranean nation mixes Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history. Perhaps no where else have so many grand traditions met, warred and died. Today Turkey is a secular Islamic state, but much of its history is Christian.
The Apostle Paul may have been a Jew from Israel who died in Rome, but he made many missionary journeys to Asia Minor, or modern Turkey. Christianity began here in Antioch-on-the-Orontes, where followers of Jesus were first called Christians. From there Paul, joined variously by Barnabas, John Mark, Luke and Silas, spread the good news throughout Asia Minor. They visited Alexandria Troas, Antioch-of-Pisidia, Derbe, Ephesus, Iconium, Lystra and Miletus.
Most of these communities disappeared long ago and are just dots on a map. Not so Ephesus. The people are gone, but ruins remain. And they are among the most dramatic that exist in the ancient world.
Ephesus was settled by Ionian Greeks in the 10th century B.C., when the Greek city states, led by Athens, dominated the Eastern Mediterranean. Around 550 B.C. the Ephesians erected the Temple of Artemis, considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A leading seaport, Ephesus gained a population of as much as 250,000 and was known as the Roman Empire's third city.
That empire, along with the sea, moved away. The Byzantine Empire soon followed Rome into oblivion and the Ottoman Turks captured Ephesus in 1304, only to later abandon the landlocked site. Ephesus is now a center of history rather than of commerce.
Excavations began in 1869, by British archeologists. Austrians and now Turks have continued the process. More wonders emerge from the ground every day.
Although no full buildings remain, the ruins, often benefiting from a bit of reconstructive aid, abound with columns, walls, pedestals, seats and statues. The grandeur, though but a pale echo of the original, continues to dramatically shine.
One begins a trip to Ephesus by the various baths and the Odeion theater, both built around the second century. Across the walkway is the State Agora, which dates back a couple centuries before and served as the city's administrative center. Little is left other than a few statues, which are displayed in the Museum of Ephesus.
Between the Odeion and State Agora is the Basilica, which included statues of the emperor Augustus and his wife Livia. (Roman rulers were not shrinking violets when it came to flaunting their egos.)
Next door is the Prytaneion, the municipal building in which the executive council met and received official visitors. Further down the walk is an elaborate fountain and the Temple of Domitian (built, naturally enough, by Emperor Domitian).
Alas, poor Domitian's glory was only temporary. He was assassinated by a servant in A.D. 96, after which the Ephesians dedicated the temple to his father, Vespasian. When Domitian fell into disrepute, the temple was destroyed and his name was erased from its inscriptions.
What makes Ephesus is not the beginning of the walk, however, but the end. From the Hercules Gate, bedecked with two reliefs of Hercules draped in lion-skins begins Curetes Street. The city's major passageway, it was lined with statues of prominent personages.
Continuing along Curetes Street is the Fountain of Trajan, named after another Roman emperor, and one whose good name lasted longer than did Domitian's. The substantial ruins hint at the impressiveness of the original structure, which housed a full-sized statue of the emperor.
The Scholastika Baths, of which little remains, were an important forum for discussing events of the day - from politics to gossip. Further down is the Temple of Hadrian, built, no surprise!, for another emperor. It presents the most impressive facade along Curetes Street - a semi-circular pediment resting on four columns.
The Latrina, or public toilet, follows next. One can sit where the ancients sat and ponder great thoughts.
Down around the corner is the House of Love, an A.D. second-century brothel. The House of Love was a fine affair, with its floor covered by mosaics and walls covered with frescoes.
The business included a statue of Priapos, also known as the God Bess. The original is on display on the Museum of Ephesus; the adventuresome can buy souvenirs of the pornographic figure from nearby vendors. Further down Curetes Street, the position of the House of Love is signaled by a left foot (meaning to the left) and a woman wearing a crown.
On the other side of the avenue is a hillside covered with homes. The houses, currently being excavated, belonged to wealthier families and offer a fascinating peak at life two millenniums ago. Many had frescoes and mosaics, which remain visible today.
On the opposite corner of the brothel is, ironically, the Library of Celsus. The fabulous two-story facade included a series of statues representing the virtues of Celsus: destiny, knowledge, virtue and wisdom. To reach the library, one must pass by the Gate of Mazeus and Mithrides, an imposing arch of triumph built by two freed slaves, Mazeus and Mithrides, to honor the Emperor Augustus for granting them their freedom.
Turning the corner yields Marble Street, which runs past the Mercantile Agora, then filled with shops. Marble Street ends dramatically at another theater. Constructed in the third century, B.C., it was the largest theater in Turkey, with a capacity of 24,000, a tenth of the city's population. (In contrast, the Odeion seated only 1,400.) It remains remarkably well-preserved and retains the amazing acoustics for which such structures were always noted.
Emerging from the theater is Harbour street, which ran 500 meters to the harbor. It was lined with shops, and passes the Harbour Gymnasium and Baths. These facilities, repaired by Emperor Constantine II in the second century, sported colored mosaics in their courtyard.
Although Ephesus is known to most Americans for its biblical provenance, it was never a Christian city as such. But on a nearby hill sits the remains of the Church of the Virgin Mary, reputedly the first church built for the Virgin Mary in Asia Minor. The Ecumenical Council of 431, called to discuss an early heresy being propagated by Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople (who distinguished between Christ's divinity and humanity), was held in this church.
In its day the church was an impressive site, and much still remains, including a fortification wall and gate surrounding the church. A smaller church was later built on the ruins.
What gives Ephesus added charm is the opportunity to stroll down the various boulevards while imagining what once existed. This was a city filled with people who walked, shopped and talked. They visited the marketplace, harbor, library, theater, baths, toilets and brothel.
Ephesus the town is supplemented by Ephesus the museum. Located in the nearby town of Selcuk, the museum is filled with objects uncovered during the more than century of excavations of Ephesus. Statues large and small, friezes, grave stele (tombstones), religious objects, theater masks, flutes, jars, bowls, lamps, jewelry, needles and other household objects abound.
The museum includes an impressive temple pediment, large sun dial, ancient water pipe and dramatically carved sarcophagus. Lest one need further evidence that the tax man never rested, one need only review the pillar with 152 lines of inscription regarding customs regulations and procedures. Although of secondary importance, the museum also includes items from the Ottoman-Turkish era, likely to be of interest to any first-time visitor.
Ephesus offers the most dramatic remains of a city with early Christian significance, but the Christian community spread far beyond those visited by Paul. For instance, the Apostle John, writing in Revelation, addressed the "Seven Churches of Asia Minor," which included Laodicea, Pergamum, Philadelphia, Sardis, Smyrna and Thyatira as well as Ephesus. Other early Christian communities included Colossae, Magnesia-on-the-Meander, Philomelia, Sinop and Tralles.
But more important today are the sites of the Orthodox Christian faith. Constantinople was the center of Orthodoxy until the city's fall to the Turks in 1453. Not surprisingly, the country is full of Orthodox churches, many of which were later converted to mosques.
Most dramatic in Istanbul is St. Sophia, turned into a mosque by conquering Sultan Mehmet II and a public museum in 1935 by the new, secular-minded Turkish state. Another museum is St. Irene, at which the Second Ecumenical Council was held in 381. St. John the Baptist of Studius was a monastery. Converted to a mosque and destroyed in an earthquake in 1894, the ruins of St. John are now protected as a museum.
Other Orthodox churches dot the city. Some remain as Orthodox places of worship; others were turned into mosques. Many contain beautiful frescoes and mosaics.
Outside of the city are many more churches. Orthodox churches offer a particular pleasure for visitors more used to less hierarchical and liturgical churches. Although far less evident than Catholic and Protestant brands of Christianity in the United States, Orthodoxy presents a unique blend of tradition and artistry. Turkey is a fine location from which to inhale this important spiritual aroma.
There are many reasons to visit Turkey, a fascinating crossroads of cultures, histories, peoples and religions. Indeed, despite the predominant role today played by Islam, Turkey is a critical fount of the Christian faith. Where better to spend a vacation?
Doug Bandow is a free-lance travel writer.
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