Ephesus - A Witness to Prosperity in Turkey

Ephesus (also known as Ephesos) was established by Athenian colonists in the 10th century BC. This place name, which appears in the New Testament, is one of the most intact ancient cities in the world and is currently the largest Greek-Roman ancient city. It was once one of the five major cities of the Roman Empire and had a period of great prosperity during the ancient Greek and Roman times. Human activity traces date back to before 5000 BC in this area, but it was not until the Greeks took the stage of history that prosperity came. According to archaeological findings, Athenian colonists began building the city of Ephesus in the 10th century BC, and by 334 BC, Alexander the Great had incorporated Ephesus into the territory of the Greek Empire. Located near the mouth of the Cayster River on the Aegean coast, less than a kilometer from the estuary, Ephesus quickly developed into one of the most prosperous economic and cultural cities in the Mediterranean region, thanks to convenient maritime trade. For a long time in history, it was the second-largest city of the ancient Roman Empire, second only to Rome. Ephesus is often referred to by Westerners as the 'Pompeii of Turkey'. The main street of ancient Ephesus leading to the port, at its peak, had water and sewage pipes installed under the marble slabs, with 50 street lamps hanging on the colonnades for illumination, which should be the world's oldest street lights. There were many shops on both sides, and the wheel marks pressed by carriages can still be seen on the ground today. It was famous for the Temple of Artemis (the primary shrine of the goddess Diana), the library, and the agora, but after hundreds of years of topographical changes, its estuary was gradually silted up, and the maritime trade that Ephesus relied on came to an end. Coupled with frequent earthquakes along the Mediterranean coast, Ephesus could not escape the misfortune of being abandoned, and this city mentioned in the New Testament eventually became a pile of marble ruins. In 2015, Ephesus was approved by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee as a cultural heritage and included in the 'World Heritage List'. Ephesus is a witness to the highly developed civilization of the Hellenistic, Roman Empire, and early Christian periods, as reflected in the monuments in the city center and Ayasuluk. This ancient city was a Roman seaport city, with navigable waterways and port basins along the Kaystros River. The early and later ports show the changes in the river landscape from the classical Greek period to the medieval period. It began with the worship of Cybele/Meter and continued until the revival of modern Christianity, which is visible and traceable in Ephesus, playing a decisive role in the spread of the Christian faith throughout the Roman Empire. When you come to Turkey and want to understand Turkish history, Ephesus is definitely a place you must visit.