We spent yesterday in Ephesus, getting up at 4:00 AM to snag a flight to the city where The Apostle Paul preached, John the Beloved was buried, and the Virgin Mary resided until she died — or, at least, this is what the local customs maintain.
Nothing can quite prepare you for Ephesus. Though earthquakes leveled the city, along with the nearby Basicilia of St. John, centuries ago, restoration efforts (which will take another two centuries to complete) have brought the city’s main street, library, and Harbor Street back to life. Because the monuments are so well preserved, Ephesus is an immersive experience. Unlike many Roman ruins in Italy, Ephesus rises up and surrounds you. With just a little imagination, you can slip back twenty centuries and feel the bustle of the city around you.
Except for the lack of WiFi, I would have been very happy in Ephesus: studying at the massive library (larger than any others in the ancient world, save Alexandria), taking the underground walkway to the public baths (connected, conveniently, to the local brothel) and returning home late in the evening to my temperature-controlled home, complete with central heat and running hot and cold water.
A final detail: some 2,000 years ago, an enterprising soul etched into the marble paving stones what may be one of the earliest advertisements. It’s still there, worn by time but clearly visible along Harbour Street: the outline of a human footprint (to show which way to walk) and the face of a beautiful prostitute (to show the newly arrived sailors what they could purchase just 100 meters down the street).
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