Turkey
So much ancient history in one area to see! Taking vacations on a cruise helps us see more in less time, but it is rushed and it usually makes it necessary to go back to the same country and see more. What a sacrifice:-) House of Mary We arrived in the Port of Izmir about 10:00 a.m. and headed towards the House of Mary near the ancient civilization of Ephesus. The House of Mary is ruputed to be the location where Mary, the Mother of Jesus, lived the remainder of her life. The shrine is located on Mt Koressos. Although the Catholic Church has never made known their position, there were reported visions of the Roman Catholic nun, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerick (1774-1824) which led to the discovery in the 19th century and she was Beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 3, 2004. The visions by the German nun were very specific and accurate. It was officially declared a shrine of the Catholic Church in 1896. Visits by several popes began as early as 1896 with the most recent in 2006. The foundation of the shrine is from 1 AD. Outside of the shrine there is a wishing well supplied by the underground spring. Since the name of Mary is also mentioned in the Koran, the site is visited by many muslims as well. Visitors whos wishes have come true, have donated items such as carpets, and walking sticks at the shrine. |
Visiting the Shrine
From November to February, the hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from March to October, the hours are 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m with a holy mass on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Entrance is about 4 Euros. |
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Ephesus
A short distance away from the House of Mary, we entered the ancient civilization of Ephesus, one of the largest Roman archeological sites in the Eastern Mediterranean. Ephesus, originally a Greek city, was built in the 10th century B.C. and was under Roman control in 129 B.C. Ephesus is mentioned in the Book of Revelation and the city was destroyed in 263 AD and then rebuilt. In 614 AD it was partially destroyed by an earthquake. There have been many discoveries as well as conquerors through the Bronze Age, Period of Greek migrations, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods, thus lending itself to a history of rich archeological research. |
By the 15th century, Ephesus was abandoned. The main sites are The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Library of Celsus, a amphitheatre to seat 25,0000, the Temple of Hadrian, the Tomb of John the Apostle and the Temple of the Sebastoi and the Gate of Augustus. We didn't believe our tour guide when he told us that Ephesus was actually closer to the sea, 2 miles away, but due to erosion and overgrazing, the area full of sediments from the Mediterranean Sea.
Visiting Ephesus
From November to March, the hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from April to October, the hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Entrance is about 9 Euros.
Visiting Ephesus
From November to March, the hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from April to October, the hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Entrance is about 9 Euros.
Izmir
At about noon, we started our drive back to Izmir (old Smyrna in ancient biblical times), stopping at a small town for lunch and met the locals who were very friendly. The older gentlemen loved posing for a photograph as well as the children coming home from school. We had another Turkish coffee here, purchased a few souvenirs and continued on our journey to to the city of Gurcesme in search of our Sephardic ancestors. Roman Aqueducts On the road from Ephesus to Izmir, still visible are the Roman aqueducts which carried water into the city during ancient times. Turkey has an abundance of archeological excavations in search of artifacts dating back to biblical times. Gurcesme Cemetery My ancestors on my father’s side are Turkish, but the only evidence I had is my great-grandfather’s marriage certificate dated 1910. Our boys asked questions about our ancestors so in order to confirm where my father’s family came from I randomly chose someone with the same last name in a phone book from Argentina. He agreed to a DNA test and it was a match, confirming our family traced back to Izmir, Turkey. Our tour guide gave us an opportunity to see a few graveyards belonging to our ancestors. |
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Port of Izmir
As we drove back to the port to board our ship, we spent time walking through the town, shopping for souvenirs and enjoying seeing the locals in their daily routines. Turkish baths are very popular here, if only we had extra days to be pampered! We purchased silver jewelry, coffee and pashmina scarves. This was a positive cultural experience for our boys. As a muslim country, we didn't expect it to be so welcoming to tourists, especially having a Starbucks in their city. I collect Starbucks mugs from all over the world, but I think it would have been an insult to have a Starbucks rather than Turkish coffee. The roads were beautiful and clean, the people were very friendly to us.
As we drove back to the port to board our ship, we spent time walking through the town, shopping for souvenirs and enjoying seeing the locals in their daily routines. Turkish baths are very popular here, if only we had extra days to be pampered! We purchased silver jewelry, coffee and pashmina scarves. This was a positive cultural experience for our boys. As a muslim country, we didn't expect it to be so welcoming to tourists, especially having a Starbucks in their city. I collect Starbucks mugs from all over the world, but I think it would have been an insult to have a Starbucks rather than Turkish coffee. The roads were beautiful and clean, the people were very friendly to us.
TIPS: We traveled on a cruise, but did not do any of the ship excursions because with 50 passengers on a tour bus, it takes much longer to see the sights and you end up seeing less. Even if you're not doing a cruise, feel free to do some research on the Cruise Critic boards. There are many recommendations as well as complaints about private tours and tour companies. Register for free and you can post a question.
Izmir is not near Istanbul. Having more days here, we would have traveled to see the Göbeklitepe (6500 years older than Stonehenge), Hattusha ruins, Perge (captured by Alexander the Great in 332 BC), Zeugma Mosaic Museum (closer to the Syrian border), Mt. Olympos (natural gas-fueled dancing flames) Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, the Topkaki Palace, the Grand Bazaar and Cappadocia's Göreme Open Air Museum which contains about 30 ancient churches. Many of these are designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Istanbul is a 5 1/2 hour drive from Izmir. Cappadocia is a 6 hour flight to Kayseri Airport or 11 hour bus ride, from Izmir. Using Rome2Rio is helpful in planning any itinerary.
Izmir is not near Istanbul. Having more days here, we would have traveled to see the Göbeklitepe (6500 years older than Stonehenge), Hattusha ruins, Perge (captured by Alexander the Great in 332 BC), Zeugma Mosaic Museum (closer to the Syrian border), Mt. Olympos (natural gas-fueled dancing flames) Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, the Topkaki Palace, the Grand Bazaar and Cappadocia's Göreme Open Air Museum which contains about 30 ancient churches. Many of these are designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Istanbul is a 5 1/2 hour drive from Izmir. Cappadocia is a 6 hour flight to Kayseri Airport or 11 hour bus ride, from Izmir. Using Rome2Rio is helpful in planning any itinerary.