Ephesus & the Terrace Houses

Ephesus, Turkey

Crowded, hot and without sufficient caffeine (as I posted earlier, the coffee guy accidentally made us decaf that morning) ... my niece and I walked around Ephesus. Tour groups just kept arriving which made it hard to enjoy the place. I swear next time I will go in February. I heard it is cool but great then. 

Terrace Houses of Ephesus

But still nothing could stop my excitement when we walked around the Terrace Houses. It is a separate ticket, and it is so worth it. Seeing how the people lived all those years ago is just amazing. 

Wall painting of the Terrace Houses at Ephesus

I really felt as if I was transported back in time when I saw the wall paintings.

Terrace Houses of Ephesus

I love the above photo of the water bottle in some woman's hand. Way cool!

More information on visiting Ephesus and the Terrace Houses can be found here. It is so worth the extra money. The Terrace Houses made Ephesus come alive.

Pamukkale and Hierapolis: Close to Izmir

Pamukkale from Wikipedia

I haven't even left on my cruise for this year and I am already researching cruises for 2014. The same ship I am on this year, Norwegian Jade, has a cruise that looks amazing. I would love to do it. It overnights in Istanbul and goes to a lot of other fab places. I just might put down a deposit on a great room in anticipation and see if I like the ship. (Fingers crossed.)

Since I've been to Ephesus, I did not want to return there when we dock in Izmir. I am looking for something else to do and stumbled on this tour of Pamukkale and Hierapolis. Viator has a Tour of Pamukkale and Hierapolis that looks awesome. Pamukkale is a site of petrified lime cascades that have been used since Roman times for their thermal waters. 

Hierapolis from Wikipedia

The Roman city of Hierapolis is built on solid limestone layers. The name means sacred city and you can visit the Apollo Temple that rivals Delphi in beauty and importance, according to Wikipedia. More info on Hierapolis can be found on Wikipedia, click here.

Now I have to hope that if I take the cruise, they offer a tour to these two great places.

Ephesus, Turkey: A Truly Awe-Inspiring Site

Ephesus, Turkey ruins

me

The day my niece and I went to Ephesus on our Roman Empire cruise, the young guy working in the coffee shop on the ship mixed up the decaf and regular coffee. We ordered cappuccinos expecting to get a nice jolt for our tour day. 

Instead, I walked around Ephesus bleary-eyed. But looking back now on the photos, I am blown away by how truly awe-inspiring this site really is. It is so amazing that it is hard to believe that it is real. 


From a website on Ephesus, "During the 2nd century BC, Ephesus was the fourth largest city in the eastern Roman Empire, famous for its Artemesium, the Library of Celsus and its medical school." Additional information on Ephesus can be found here.

Library of Celsus at Ephesus

I mean, come on, The Library of Celsus ... this is the same Celsus that is responsible for centigrade readings of temperature. It doesn't get more special than that. And the preservation and restoration are incredible. The best part of the tour was the Terrace Houses, which we paid extra for. But I will cover that in another post. For now, I am remembering the walk we took through time.

The day was sunny, hot and bright. There were what seemed like a million people there. Groups from all over the world speaking with group leaders speaking in over 15 languages at the same time. What I wouldn't give to go back and walk the site alone or with a small group!

Is it Greek or Roman?

The archaeology of Ephesus is especially interesting to me. On Wikipedia, I found this, "The history of archaeological research in Ephesus stretches back to 1863, when British architect John Turtle Wood, sponsored by the British Museum, began to search for the Artemision. In 1869 he discovered the pavement of the temple, but since further expected discoveries were not made the excavations stopped in 1874. In 1895 German archaeologist Otto Benndorf, financed by a 10,000 guilder donation made by Austrian Karl Mautner Ritter von Markhof, resumed excavations. In 1898 Benndorf founded the Austrian Archaeological Institute which plays a leading role in Ephesus today."


More information on Ephesus can be found here.

My favorite Ephesus cat

Port of Kusadasi where the Noordam docked