Ancient Civilisations with an expert archaeologist
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Ancient Civilisations with an expert archaeologist
The Oldest Houses So Far
Sometimes you visit a place and metaphorically rub your eyes because you can’t quite believe you are there.
We think Ephesus is one such destination.
Every step we take brings us closer to the incredible civilisations of the Hellenes, Romans and Ottomans.
Here once stood one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Temple of Artemis.
Our visit to Ephesus is the very essence of experiential travel and we are proud to be able to show it to you in the company of an expert archaeologist-guide as we feel, see and touch ancient history.
What a magnificent experience to take away and hold onto forever.
Ephesus ranks among the world’s most beautiful classical cities.
St John and the Virgin Mary visited and here St Paul wrote one of his most celebrated epistles, the Letter to the Ephesians.
Beginning at the Magnesium Gate we walk gently and leisurely downhill through Ephesus’ marble streets, passing historically-significant sites such as the gymnasium, Temple of Hadrian, Upper Agora and Roman Baths.
Opposite Hadrian’s Temple, at the foot of the Bulbul Hill and the covered part of the archaeological site, protected from the heat and natural elements, lie the Houses of Koressus or Terrace Houses.
It was here that the wealthy families of Ancient Ephesus lived. These villas are excellently preserved, especially the interior decor. The oldest houses so far unearthed date from the 1st Century BC, were built on two storeys and even had hot and cold and a heating system, clay pipes under the floor.
Then we come to the breathtaking Celsus Library, built in 135 B.C. and lavishly decorated with facades, columns and sculptures. The library once housed 12,000 scrolls of papyrus manuscripts, making it one of the largest in the ancient world.
A short walk away is the spectacular Greek Theatre, able to seat 24,000.
From here St. Paul preached to the populace, imploring them to give up their worship of Artemis and embrace the Christian faith.
Only foundations and fragment of the magnificent Temple of Artemis remain at Ephesus but just being at the site of one of the Seven Wonders is something special.
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