Hi there,
For our last Sunday in the Fethiye area, we had planned to go to Ephesus.
Here it should be noted that what we did in Italy and Turkey was visit between 7 a.m. and 12 p.m. and then work from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. It is a dynamic that is very tiring because you are doing things all day and when you finish working, you must plan for the next day and do the things of daily life such as buying food, cooking, washing clothes, etc. This way, you end up exhausted.
For this reason, it was annoying for us to drive 4 hours to Ephesus and another 4 hours to return. In the end we decided to go because “We were not going to leave Turkey without seeing Ephesus”. Thus, at 7am we were already leaving Ovaçik.
To have a little background, Ephesus was in ancient times a town in Asia Minor. It was one of the twelve Ionian cities on the shores of the Aegean Sea and was an important religious, cultural, and commercial center. In addition, it is a World Heritage Site since 2015.
It is one of the largest archaeological zones in the world. It was excavated during the late Ottoman Empire, in the 19th century, by English archaeologists. Many of the city’s highly valued figures and objects are now housed in the British Museum.
We arrived and the parking lot was already full because it was already eleven in the morning.
The entrance cost 185 TL per person (around 18 euros) and it is the most expensive we paid in the whole trip. The ticket included Ephesus, the Hanging Terraces that are within the same complex, the Basilica of Saint Johns, and the museum.
We began to walk energetically because that day we had it very complete. There were a lot of people.
We entered the Old Theater that had a crane next to it and a part was closed for construction work. Here I was stunned that people would come in and sit on the first step. It never occurred to them to go up and tour the structure.
This day was also so hot. We arrived at the Celso Library and for me it was one of the most impressive things because of how well the structure is preserved. Of course, all the tourists are concentrated here, the guides with their groups and etc.; so, it’s absolute chaos. I can’t imagine it in high season.
A little-known detail is that it is actually a funerary monument. When a consul wanted to build a mausoleum for his father Celso inside the city, they only gave him permission if the building had another function. Thus, he spent a large amount of money in obtaining bibliographic funds, which allowed him to bury his father in the basement, which was discovered by archaeologists in 1904.
Most Turks suck as tourists. They just do what they want. Here they entered the areas that were closed, and their photos were taken as if nothing had happened.
We entered the Hanging Terraces, which is a complex within Ephesus itself that is closed and for which you must pay extra. It is a roofed part that they are still excavating. It is impressive how well the paintings on the walls and mosaics are preserved.
We finished there and went to see The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. It is a group of caves, and its name comes from the legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, which is one of the oldest in Christianity.
Admission is free and there are a couple of caves and nothing else. I didn’t even take photos; If you want to see what it was like, it does come out in my YouTube video.
We went up the mountain to see the House of the Virgin Mary and since we had to pay extra, we left. In addition, we saw on Google that it was not worth it.
Then we went to see the Basilica of Saint Johns which is in the middle of the city. Here I was already dead tired. After sitting for a while under a tree, we toured the basilica and visited the ruins of a Byzantine castle just behind it on top of the hill. I liked the castle more than the basilica.
Finally, we went to the museum, and they let us in, even though it was 10 minutes before they closed. It is small, but it has some interesting things.
We left and around 5:30 p.m. we had lunch at a nearby restaurant. We ate the typical Turkish pizzas (they included a salad) that tasted great with our hunger and exhaustion. In addition, we were shocked because the lunch cost us 4 euros.
We took advantage of the day because we saw many things in record time. I would say yes that Ephesus is worth it, although as I always stress, it is best to visit as soon as the site opens. Also, to take photos, it is better early with better lighting. Finally, we must consider the heat that is going to hit us and do not forget the sunscreen or water.
Here is the link to my YouTube channel: