EPHESUS (Efes)
The
findings obtained in this region where the native people, namely the Lelegs
and the Carians have lived since the beginning,
indicate that the city is dated back to 2000 years B.C. As far as the years
of 1000 are concerned, it is assumed that the Ions
came to this region, lead by Androckles. Ephesus was captured by the Kimmers
(Cimmerians) in the 7th century B.C., by the Lydians
in 560, and later in 546 B.C. by the Persians; and was rescued from the
Persian domination when Alexander the Great
defeated the Persians in 334 B.C.
Lysimachos, a commander of Alexander's,
had the settlement removed from the whereabouts of the Temple
of Artemis to the location between the Mount of Panayir and the Mount of
Bülbül, and had a wall built around the city. The city
was taken by the Kingdom of Pergamon after 190
B.C., by Rome in 133 B.C., and later by Byzantium,
Ephesus maintained its importance during the period of Christianity,
and the apostle St. Paul arrived there during the
years of 50 A.D. It is also a known fact that St. John
was buried on the hill of Ayasuluk (Selcuk, near Izmir)
at the beginning of the 2nd century. Ephesus lived through its third glorious
period during the reign of Justinianus in the middle of the 6th century
A.D. and, at this time, the Church of St. John was
built on the hill of Ayasuluk by the Byzantine
emperor.
The
Temple of Artemis is also one of the
places to visit in Ephesus besides the Church of St.
John. The Temple of Artemis, which
had been built at first during the Archaic period (8th c. B.C.), was one
of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world later
during the Hellenistic period and, in the year 356 B.C. when Alexander
the Great was born, it was destroyed by a lunatic called Herostatus
who always wanted to be remembered in the future (and he succeeded) and
was reconstructed by the people of Ephesus. It has 127 ionic
columns and its dimensions are 55 x 115 m. Some of the bases of the columns
of the temple are ornamented with raised relief design. Today two marble
statues of the goddess Artemis can be seen
in the nearby museum. Some other friezes are in British Museum in London.
The
ruins of Ephesus, situated near Selcuk - Izmir,
are centers of interest owing to the ancient remains that are still existent.
When you enter through the Magnesia Gate from above you see the State Agora
(or Upper Agora). The Temple of Isis is situated at the center of the Agora,
and Stoa is placed on the North side of it. The Odeion (Bouletarion or
Parliament) with a capacity of 1400 persons is placed
behind it and the Prytaneion (Town Hall) where the sacred fire used to
burn, is on its flank. The Baths of Varius are placed on the east side
of Odeion. On the west of the Agora, the Monument of Memmius built in the
1st c BC., the fountain of C. Sextilius Pollio built in the year 93 A.D.,
and the Temple of Domitian (81-93 A.D) are placed. On the south of the
Agora, the fountain of Laecanius Bassus is situated. The Curetes
street starts downwards from the Temple of Memmius. The Gate of Heracles
(Hercules) is placed on this avenue.
After passing through this part, the fountain of Trajan built in the years
102-114 is seen on the right hand side and after this, the Temple of Hadrian
appears in front of us, in all its splendid beauty (117-138 A.D). The Scholastica
Baths, built in the 4th century A.D., are situated behind the Temple of
Hadrian. The houses of the rich people of Ephesus which were in front of
it, have been restored and opened for visits at present with special permits.
At the corner formed by the Curetes
street and the Marble Road, the House of Love (Pornaion or Brothel) is
placed and the Library of Celsus, restored and reestablished in recent
years, stands right in front of this. The library which had been built
in the name of proconsul Gaius Celsus completed in the year 135 A.D. by
his son Tiberius Giulius Aquila, is entered by way of a stairway, 21 m
in width and having 9 steps. The southeastern gate of the Trade Agora opens
to the Library of Celsus. Emperor Augustus' slaves, Mazaeus and Mithridates,
liberated by him had this gate built in the year 1st c. A.D.; it comprises
three sections and has been restored today. The Corinthian columns of the
Stoa encircling the Trade Agora with the dimensions 110 x 110 m, are standing
erect today. The Temple of Serapes built in the period of Antonine (138-192
A.D.) is placed behind the Trade Agora.
One of the magnificent buildings of Ephesus is the theater, largest
in Asia Minor, which had a capacity of 24.000+
people and is in a rather well preserved condition. The construction had
started during the Hellenistic period but it could only be completed during
the time of Trajan (98-117 A.D.). Festivals are
celebrated in this theater today. St. Paul was dragged
into this theater to face the crowed, but rescued by the security corps
of the city.
The Port Avenue extends in front of the theater. The avenue is 11 m
wide and 600 m long, and it has been called Arcadian Street because it
was renewed during the time of Arcadius. All the streets of Ephesus were
illuminated at night with oil lamps, this shows us the richness of the
city. On the whole north side of the avenue, there are the Harbor Gymnasium,
baths and the Theater Gymnasium. The avenue that passes along the front
of the theater, extends towards the Stadium built during the Nero period
(54-68 A.D.) and towards the Vedius Gymnasium. The Church of the Virgin
Mary built at the beginning of the 4th century A.D. is situated behind
the Port Gymnasium before the exit. This was also the meeting place of
the 3rd Ecumenical Council.
On
Bulbul Dag (Nightingale mountain) there is the House of the Virgin
where it's believed that she passed last years of her life and died. Virgin
Mary came to Ephesus together with St. John and
taken up to Panaghia Kapulu mountain to survive the Roman persecutions.
The House was destroyed by many earthquakes and
not discovered until 1951 thanks to a German Nun Catherine Emmerich who
saw its location in her visions. It is recognized as a shrine by Vatican.
Now the House of Virgin Mary is renovated by George Outman Foundation
from Ohio and serves as a small church which attracts many Christians
as
well as Muslims coming to pray
for Her. The Mass is held here every weekday and Saturdays at 07.15 and
Sundays at 10.30 AM. On 15th August 2000 there was a great ceremony for
the Assumption of the Virgin.
The Seven Youths of Ephesus
Maximilian, Jamblicus, Martinian, John, Dionysius, Exacustodian (Constantine)
and Antoninus
These saints lived in the third century in .Ephesus.
Saint Maximilian was the son of the Ephesian city governor; the remaining
six youths were the sons of other notable Ephesian citizens. The youths
were friends from childhood, and all were in military service. When the
Emperor Decius (249-251) arrived in .Ephesus, he commanded
all the citizens to appear for the offering of sacrifice to the pagan deities;
but torments and the death penalty awaited the recalcitrant. Upon denunciation
by those who sought the Emperor's favor, the seven Ephesian youths were
also called to account. While standing before the Emperor, the holy youths
confessed their faith in Christ. Immediately, their military insignia -
their military belts - were taken from them. However, Decius set them free,
hoping that they would change their minds while he was on a campaign. The
youths left the city and hid in a cave on Mount Ochlon, where they passed
the time in prayers, preparing for the martyric
struggle. The youngest of them - Saint Jamblicus - clothing himself in
pauper's rags, would go to the city and buy bread. During one such excursion
to the city, he heard that the Emperor had returned and that they were
being sought in order to be put on trial.
Saint Maximilian inspired his friends to leave the cave and appear voluntarily
in court. But the Emperor, having learned where the youths were hiding,
ordered that the entrance to the cave be blocked up with stones so that
the youths would die therein from hunger and thirst. Two of the officials
present at the blocking up of the entrance to the cave were secret Christians.
Desiring to preserve the memory of the saints, they placed among the stones
a sealed coffer in which were two tin plaques. Written thereon were the
names of the seven youths and the circumstances of their passion and death.
But the Lord brought upon the youths a miraculous sleep, which lasted
nearly two centuries. By that time, the persecutions against the Christians
had ceased, although under the holy, right-believing Theodosius the Younger
(408-450), heretics appeared, who rejected the resurrection of the dead
at the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some of them said: "How
can there be a resurrection of the dead, when there will be neither body
nor soul, since they will be annihilated?" Others asserted: "Only souls
will have a recompense, since it is impossible for bodies to rise and come
to life after a thousand years, when even dust from them does not remain.
It was then that the Lord revealed the mystery of the awaited resurrection
of the dead and the future life through His seven youths.
The owner of the parcel of land on which Mount Ochlon was situated began
a stone building, and the workers took the entrance to the cave to pieces.
The Lord revived the youths, and they awoke literally from ordinary sleep,
not suspecting that nearly two hundred years had passed. Their bodies and
clothes were completely incorrupt. Preparing to receive torments, the youths
charged Saint Jamblicus once more to buy them bread in the city to fortify
their strength. On approaching the city, the youth was astounded to see
the holy Cross on the gates. On hearing the Name of Jesus Christ freely
pronounced, he began to doubt that he had come to his own city.
When paying for the bread, the holy youth gave to the merchant a coin
with the depiction of the Emperor Decius and was detained as one who had
hidden a treasure of old coins. Saint Jamblicus was brought to the city
governor, whom the Ephesian bishop was with at that time. Listening to
the youth's perplexed answers, the bishop understood that God was revealing
through him some mystery, and he himself set out for the cave together
with the people. At the entrance to the cave, the bishop drew the sealed
coffer out from the pile of stones and opened it. He read the names of
the seven youths on the tin plaques and the circumstances of their immurement
in the cave at the command of the Emperor Decius. On entering the cave and
seeing the youths alive therein, everyone rejoiced and understood
that the Lord, through their waking up from a long sleep, was revealing
to the Church the mystery of the resurrection of the dead. Soon the Emperor
arrived in .Ephesus and conversed with the youths in
the cave. And then the holy youths, before everyone's eyes, laid their
heads on the ground and again fell asleep, this time until the general
resurrection. The Emperor wanted to place each of the youths in a precious
reliquary, but the holy youths, appearing to him in a dream, said that
their bodies were to be left in the cave on the ground. In the twelfth
century, the Russian pilgrim, Abbot Daniel, saw these holy relics of the
seven youths in the cave.
The memory of the seven youths is celebrated a second time on the 22nd
of October. (According to one tradition, which entered into the Russian
Prologue, the youths fell asleep the second time on this day; according
to a note in the Greek Menaion of 1870, they fell asleep the first time
on the 4th of August, and awoke on the 22nd of October. The holy youths
are also remembered in the service of the ecclesiastical new year - the
1st of September.)
Today the Cave of Seven Sleepers is on one of the sideways going to
.Ephesus.
Other
places to visit in and around Ephesus are; the Mosque of
Isa Bey built in 1375, The Church of St. John where he
was buried after his exile in Patmos, Roman Aquaducts, and the Museum of Ephesus where
the ancient remains found in the ruins of Ephesus and environs are beautifully displayed.
Also Sirince village represents an interesting mixture of past-Greek existence
with today's local Turkish people producing home made wine and olive oil.
For Tours to Ephesus and excursions around
Izmir, please Click Here.
