Our last stop in Turkey was the port town of Kusadasi. It was a beautiful day, with plenty of sunshine and warm weather. We ported about thirty minutes before our tour so we spent some time looking in the shops and taking pictures of the beautiful views.
The first place on our tour was the old ruins of the Greek and then Roman city of Ephesus. It was very interesting to see these ruins and how they had been modified as the different cultures ruled and lived in this city.
Above are some of the original mosaics from when the Romans lived in this city. Those houses of the more wealthy people often had mosaics on the floors along with heated floors. Below is a picture of us in front of the Library of Celsus.
Before leaving Ephesus we had this great view of the theatre which is still used today to hold concerts.
From Ephesus we went to see where it is believed that Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent her days after Jesus was crucified. There was a very peaceful spirit there and the lush foliage all around was beautiful.
Above is a wall that was near Mary's house that was covered with notes and prayers and peoples handkerchiefs. Below is a picture of the delicious meal that we had at a little Turkish community. This particular community was a school where they made Turkish rugs. It was very interesting to watch them make the rugs and the intricate nature of the whole process.
After lunch we stopped by the Basilica of St. John where a church was built in honour of the Apostle John. Then after he died, they built a tomb inside the church for John's body.
Our last stop of the day was the Temple of Artemis. This temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Today their is only one column that still stands along with a few sculptural fragments.
Before returning to the port, we stopped at a beautiful vista point over looking the port town, the ocean, and our cruise ship. It was a wonderful day seeing lots of old bits of history and enjoying the gorgeous weather.
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