Ephesus and the Aegean Sea

This weekend was a good blend of historical sight seeing and relaxation. On Saturday, we took a bus 2.5 hours north to the ruins of Ephesus, and saw what was once the 2nd largest city in the world during Roman times, behind Rome itself. The city is still undergoing excavation (as it has been since the 70's) every summer, as there is still a lot yet to be uncovered. It held one of the 7 Wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of Artemis, before it was destroyed in 400 AD.



The Library at Celsus is one of the highlights. It was the 3rd largest ancient library, containing over 10,000 scrolls at its peak. The only larger libraries were those at Alexandria and Pergamon. The library was reconstructed from its remnants by archaeologists.

The other prominent structure still standing is the theater, which held over 25,000 people when in use. It was here that Paul spoke to the Ephesians, and was eventually imprisoned at the city. This was around 55 AD when he wrote 1 Corinthians during his imprisonment.



Pictures of the boat trip will have to wait until tomorrow!