聖約翰之墓
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Ephes, also known as Ephesus, is spelled simply "Efes" in Turkish. During my visit to Turkey, Ephesus was one of the top cities to visit because of its renowned ancient city, a cultural landmark visited by many from around the world. Ephesus was one of the early Christian centers. Paul stayed there for over two years (Acts 19:8-10), strengthening the church, edifying believers, and serving as a base for evangelism in Asia. The New Testament even includes a letter from Paul called "Ephesians."
For Christians, this is a truly worthwhile destination, not only for its ancient city but also for the once-splendid Basilica of St. John. Just beneath the magnificent Basilica of St. Peter in Rome, Italy, lies the tomb of Peter. John, a fellow apostle and the one closest to Jesus, is buried beneath this ruined church.
From the Lord's arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane to his crucifixion on Calvary, the disciples fled in panic. Of the Twelve Apostles who came to accompany Jesus at the cross, only John was present. (Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing nearby.) For this reason, Jesus entrusted his physical mother, Mary, to John. During the days of trouble in Jerusalem, they journeyed across mountains and rivers to Ephesus, the largest city in Asia Minor. For nearly thirty years, John faithfully cared for Mary until his death. After his martyrdom, John was buried there. What a blessing it is to be able to visit the Basilica of St. John in Ephesus (only parts of the structure remain) and see his tomb with our own eyes!
Delayed by police in Pamukkale, our departure was delayed by about two hours. We left Pamukkale at 11:30 AM and headed to our guesthouse in Selçuk, where we would stay for the day. The guesthouse is about a five-minute walk from the Church of St. John. It's a very elegant guesthouse with a quaint, antique feel. After settling in, we first headed to Ephesus to visit the Ephesus Museum and then explore the market in the relatively small city center.
After unpacking, we looked for a restaurant for lunch and dinner. Since the town is small enough to walk around, we found Agora Restaurant online, which had great reviews. It had a great location, facing the main intersection, with a large tree in the front yard providing shade. We ordered three dishes: mushroom cheese, stir-fried beef, and grilled lamb kebabs. It was a feast. I ordered a glass of pomegranate juice (a specialty of Turkey), which I quickly finished. When the waiter asked if I wanted a refill, I thought it was free, but when the bill arrived, I realized I'd been charged for two.
The Ephesus Archaeological Museum houses a rich collection, the most notable of which are these two statues of the goddess Artemis, symbolizing life. Artemis was the chief deity of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In Greek mythology, Artemis was the goddess of the moon and hunting, and the twin sister of the sun god Apollo. The statues of Artemis are covered in densely packed breasts (some say bull testicles), symbolizing vigorous vitality. These two statues are truly terrifying, enough to make anyone with severe phobias scream.
A restored model of the Temple of Artemis in the museum.
The temple steps are approximately 100 meters long and 55 meters wide, with 126 marble columns standing 18 meters high, creating a majestic and imposing sight.
The Ephesus Archaeological Museum has a very rich collection, and the most famous among its many collections are these two statues of the goddess Artemis, which symbolize "life".
The mother of all living beings, Eve, is the most creative fertility goddess of the Greeks. Greek gods were truly extraordinary, and this also affected the Christians in Ephesus at the time. They were influenced by these false gods, leading to immoral lives and worshipping them.
These goddess statues were excavated from the Ephesus archaeological park. Acts 19:24 There was a silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis. He made a prosperous business for these craftsmen. Acts 19:25 He gathered them together with their fellow workers and said, "Men, you know that our wealth comes from this business. Acts 19:26 You see and hear that this Paul has persuaded and misled many people, not only in Ephesus but also in almost all Asia, saying, 'Gods made with hands are not gods.' Acts 19:27 Not only will our business be condemned, but also the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be despised, and her worship will be tarnished throughout all Asia and indeed throughout the whole world."
The ruins of the Temple of Artemis are not far from the Ephesus Archaeological Museum. We took a walk around the temple this morning and found its location. Since the ruins only open to the public at 8:00 AM, we decided to stop by after our visit. This unassuming column was once one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Someone had previously lamented that they didn't think much of the broken column, so I quickly took a few photos to avoid disappointment. The Bible, Acts 19:35, mentions Artemis (also known as "Diana") in the city. Acts 19:35 Then the city clerk, having calmed the crowds, said, "Men of Ephesus, who does not know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image that fell from Deuce?"
Basilica of St. John
Amid the rippling waters of the Sea of Galilee and amid the clouds of Patmos, the Apostle John's figure was sought, his wandering footsteps never pausing. Until they came upon a small hill bearing his name prominently. Beneath a square stone slab, John's burial place was confirmed. Stone pillars at the four corners seemed to guard the life that had been closest to Jesus, where he rested. This is Selçuk Hill in Ephesus, Turkey.
Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea—the churches scattered in a clockwise circle along the ancient highway of Asia Minor—must have been the objects of John's tireless touring and teaching. Of the seven churches, Ephesus was where John remained the longest, until his death. His life's experiences and teachings must have been most deeply felt and reflected upon by the Ephesian church. His joys, sorrows, and sacrifices were felt most profoundly there. John completed nearly all of his writings in Ephesus. He was not only one of the Twelve Apostles; he was also an overcomer deeply remembered by the Lord within the Ephesian church. He would receive the fruit of the tree of life! Because of his unwavering faithfulness, the Lord entrusted John with the ultimate revelation of the mysteries of Scripture. Not only did the Lord, through an angel, point out to John the beautiful holy city descending from heaven, but He also made it clear to John that through his loving following, he himself would become a part of the deepest glory of the New Jerusalem!
St. John's Cathedral was built in the sixth century and only part of the structure remains today.
The carving in the photo is what a roadside guide said: Agape is used to describe the love that belongs to and comes from God.
Beams and columns from the reconstruction of St. John's Cathedral.
The Basilica of St. John in Ephesus, built on the tomb of John.
The tombstone reads "ST. JEAN IN MEZARI THE TOMB OF ST. JOHN." It is said that the apostle John came to Ephesus with Mary, the mother of Jesus. John died in the early second century and was buried on the Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk (near Izmir). When Justinianius proclaimed himself emperor in the mid-sixth century, Ephesus experienced another period of glory: the Memorial Basilica of St. John was built on Ayasuluk Hill by the Byzantine emperor.
This guy was very chatty and friendly, speaking some English. He explained that he worked in the park and came over to greet us when he saw us. We were curious why he wasn't home, sitting here watching the sunset and chatting with us, even though it was already after work. He explained that he tried to stay home late because his wife missed him.
He kindly explained the meaning of the carvings on the wall. He said he knew the park better than a professional tour guide and asked if we had time. He could take us to see the citadel and Ephesus at night. This was the second tour guide we'd encountered in Turkey who showed up on his own initiative.
He also told me that from this point, we could see the Temple of Artemis. He also claimed that many of the columns at the current Ruins of St. John were taken from this temple. I wondered if this was true. However, the information he provided was valuable, and he pointed out the location of the temple. Unfortunately, we felt that it was getting late, and firstly, he was a stranger, secondly, we had to walk some distance, thirdly, we had to climb a hill, and fourthly, we had an important trip tomorrow and were afraid we would be too tired, so we politely declined his offer. However, we still couldn't eat lunch for free, so we gave him some lira as a thank you.
The Temple of Artemis with one column remaining as seen from the Church of St. John
Morning shot of a pillar of the Temple of Artemis taken from the street outside
The Isa Bey Mosque on Ayasuluk Hill in Ephesus (AD 1375) and the Ottoman-era citadel in Selcuk, Türkiye.
Morning scenery in Ephesus. I woke up early this morning and wanted to take some photos of the ancient town at dawn, but I didn't see much to photograph. I passed by a cemetery on the roadside and looked at the local cemetery in Ephesus.
The place we passed was the street outside the Temple of Artemis. There were straight white mulberry trees planted on both sides of the street. Each mulberry was very large and tall. The mulberries were also falling all over the ground, emitting a strong smell of fermentation.
I entered someone's orchard, where peaches, apricots, and plums were grown. It was harvest season, and I saw farmers busy harvesting.
As we walked from the street to St. John's Church, there were also some ruins of the city wall, but what was special was that the pillars were all nests of large wild birds. This landscape was really amazing!
The streets of Ephesus were quite clean and tidy, but the markets were quite messy. The stalls selling the same fruits and vegetables were everywhere, which was quite a sight. The garbage everywhere was really backward!
Wild flowers under the overpass
Turkish guys love being in the camera. No one will refuse you if you ask them to. They will also pose.
On the way from Pamukkale to Ephesus, we stopped to buy some fruit and took a photo with the couple who owned the fruit stall.
After visiting the ancient city of Ephesus, we departed around noon and drove about five hours to Çanakkale, arriving at around 4:00 PM. The day before our trip to Troy, we drove from Ephesus to Çanakkale, planning to spend the night there before continuing on to Troy the next day. Along the seaside promenade stands a striking giant wooden horse. This horse was the actual horse used in the 2004 film "Troy," starring Brad Pitt. After filming concluded, the horse remained in place and has become Çanakkale's most famous tourist landmark.
The drive to Çanakkale was quite long and tiring. After so many days of long-distance driving, Wei Li helped drive for about three hours, which gave me a good rest. There are two routes to Çanakkale: one along the coast and the other up a mountain road. The mountain route is shorter, so we decided to take it. However, we encountered a fascinating sight: herds of cattle and sheep roaming the mountain roads, a truly enchanting scene. On this remote mountain road, we encountered armed police conducting a roadside checkpoint, seemingly arresting insurgents. This was our second such inspection; the first was on the way to Safranbolu.
The shepherd man also made a very friendly greeting gesture with his hand. It is a very beautiful picture.
We stayed overnight at Hotel Helen in Çanakkale. The hotel is located near the seaside promenade and features a striking giant wooden horse. This horse was used in the 2004 film "Troy," starring Brad Pitt. After filming concluded, the horse remained in place and has become Çanakkale's most famous tourist landmark.
Trojan Horse
Trojan Horse
Taste Turkish Street Mussels
Çanakkale is the last stop of our driving tour in Turkey. We will stay in Istanbul for five days next, so before leaving the hotel, we took a photo in the parking lot with the Peuguot Peugeot car that has been with us for 12 days.
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