While exploring Cappadocia and Pamukkale, we learned that early Christians fled to different parts of Anatolia to escape Roman persecution. It makes sense; geographically, Jerusalem is near Turkey. But I had no idea that this country held much history and references to places in the Bible. Ephesus, in particular, is one of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation, and there have been accounts that the Gospel of John was written in this city.
One of my favorite books in the Bible, Ephesians, is an epistle written by apostle Paul for the people of Ephesus. He came to the city to preach the gospel and invite more people to Christian faith. In a short period of time, Ephesus became the third most important city of Christianity after Jerusalem and Antioch.
The Ancient Ruins of Ephesus is the best archaeological site in Turkey, as Colosseum is to Rome. It’s a real place that existed 2000 years ago and gives people of today a tangible connection to the past. Earthquake and war may have shattered the city in antiquity, but it is now carefully being piece back together as the most restored ancient city in the world.
Just thinking about how the apostle Paul and other famous people used to walk in the same place I walked on is a surreal experience.
Library of Celsus, Ephesus
The Celsus Library is a real stand out from the crowd of ruins. Hailed as the third richest library in ancient times, the library can hold more than 12,000 scrolls. However, a fire destroyed the interior of the library and its records, and an earthquake damaged its fortifications. Today, we only see what is left of the grand façade, but the impressive architecture and engraved details remain.
I wonder how people used to build these structures back then. Even with modern equipment and technology, there isn’t much detail put into constructions nowadays.
I would have wanted to explore and know more. But, we didn’t have a lot of time and only had the chance to see the Ephesus Library of Celsus. We’re flying to Istanbul on the same day and didn’t want to risk arriving late at the airport which is still an hour away from Selçuk.
What do you think? Is this a place you’d be interested in?
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