Ephesus: An Ancient City More Grand than Pompeii

We took a cruise to the Eastern Mediterranean last summer (July 2015) and one of the most interesting stops was Ephesus (Efes in Turkish).

Your first question (you’re going to have a lot more):  What the hell is Ephesus and if I’ve already seen Pompeii, why would I want to go there?  Gather ‘round studly, well-traveled men of the world, and glamorous, sophisticated ladies.  Glamorous ladies, feel free to find a spot on my knee, while your husbands tremble with jealously.

The ancient city of Ephesus has many ties, not only to antiquity, but to the Bible.  Yes, it’s in Turkey, just below Izmir, but it was a Greek city, founded a thousand years before Christ, and it may have been a Hittite settlement even earlier.  Then came the Romans. The Middle East is like that.  A wedding cake with too many layers to count.  You can only take a bite at a time and in the limited time we were there, about a six-hour tour, all you could do was lightly nibble, like a tiny, sunburned mouse on a 30 second diet.

Hot?  Oh lordy!  Talk about needing some slaves with fans.  I should have brought a Camel Pack, or a six pack of Efes Beer, brewed in Istanbul.

But, enough about my dehydration. How big was Ephesus back in the Greek/Roman days?  Some 300,000 people.  It was often referred to as the Gateway of Asia.  In fact, back in the shadows of antiquity, it was the fourth greatest city of the world, after Rome, Alexandria (Egypt), and Antioch (Syria).

We walked in, marveling at rubble, reconstructed edifices, and cobbled streets. Recognizable names sprang out of our guide’s mouth and we chewed on those for a bit.  St Paul probably wrote here and he certainly preached in the great amphitheater more than once.  He had a close call when merchants who made their living selling magic charms of The Goddess Diana (Artemis in Greek) thought he was cutting into their business and took it personally. 

It is believed that St John wrote his Gospel here. (see the following photos)

The Ruins of the Church of St John

The Amphitheater

The amphitheater at Ephesus offers one of the best microcosms of Greek and Roman life. How do archeologists know the size of an ancient city?  A rule of thumb:  Take the number of people the amphitheater held and multiply by ten.  Not exact, to be sure, but the amphitheater was in many ways the focus of social life.  Discussions, political and philosophical, athletic contests, gladiator fights, live theater, and executions all took place here. 

Not into the Biblical and historic aspects?  Ok.  Sting and Elton John played the ancient amphitheater and after one raucous performance, when powerful speakers the size of tanks threatened to make the walls come tumbling down, the government put a limit on volume.  Other cities could take a lesson.

The Arcadian Way. In the distance is the Library of Celsus

Cleopatra and Mark Anthony strode the flagstone-covered main street, the Arcadian Way.  At one time it was a hundred feet wide and even today it’s impressive.  It's startling to realize your Nikes are striding along exactly where famous Roman sandals trod.

Onward, with far more to see. There are elaborate terraces where the rich lived, and even now many of the delicate tiles and frescoed walls survive.  For a long time, these homes were not excavated because archeologists hadn’t devised a means of protecting them from the weather.  Now the whole area is tarp covered and digging continues.  A walkway allowed us to wander up the side of the digging and permitted a god’s eye view of  the wonders from top to bottom.  Below us, archeologists in ones and twos dusted and cleaned, reclaiming the past.  Much more activity here than in Pompeii.

 (see the following photos)

Note the archeologists at work.

One thing you will not see is the Temple of Artemis (Diana), which was four times the size of the Parthenon in Athens, and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  The Goths destroyed it in 268 A.D.  It may have been rebuilt, but another John, St John Chrysostom (a noted anti-Semite) led an angry mob in 401 A.D. to finish the job.

Immediately, you find yourself asking:  What were the other six Wonders of the Ancient World?  Second question:  Where the hell is my guidebook?  Gotcha covered, bro.  The Great Pyramid of Giza (still standing), The Colossus of Rhodes, Lighthouse of Alexandria, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (all three destroyed by earthquakes, Statue of Zeus (like The Temple of Artemis purposefully destroyed), and The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which may or may not have existed.

The Library of Celsus

Back to Ephesus’ stone streets.  A most impressive structure is the façade of the Library of Celsus, built to hold some 12,000 scrolls.  Completed around 135 A.D., 130 years later earthquakes and fire wrecked it, and a thousand years after that, a similar catastrophe completed the destruction.  Archeologists reconstructed the face of it in the mid 1970s.

I’ve given you just a few tidbits, a small hors d’oeuvre at a banquet of archeological and historical delights.  If you enjoyed Pompeii, you’ll suck up Ephesus like an alcoholic historian. Both cities lead you back thousands of years, into the still beating hearts of lost civilizations.

Applause follows.  Light kisses on the cheek from the glamorous, sophisticated ladies.  Boisterous slaps on the back from the well-traveled men of the world.

The Temple of Hadrian as it looks today

The Temple of Hadrian as it once looked.

Remains of the Roman (and Greek) baths.

Chestnut Festival in the Ancient Village of Annweiler

Wine Country

The man has a thirst.

Looking for a date?

A village of canals

Yes, we went to another fest, this one celebrating chestnuts.  And yes, I’m a fan.  I like them roasted by an open fire, etc. Feel free to join in.   Also like them in cookies, cakes, and as I found out….beer.  Also, wurst.  Once you turn cooks, brewers, and eaters loose on an ingredient, there’s no stopping them.

But, you really don’t need an excuse to spend an hour or three in Annweiler, a medieval town of half-timbered houses, canals, water wheels, and interesting shops and restaurants.  When you step into this sleepy village, you can’t help saying:  This place is really cute!  I mean that in the truest sense.  Just like seeing a baby, or fragrant flower, Annweiler brings a smile and a happy sigh.

With waterpower at hand, this ancient spot developed as a tanning center and remained so for hundreds of years.  Annweiler weathered The Thirty Years War, The French Revolution, and a host of sieges.  They all took their toll in taxes and seizures, until the tanning industry finally left the town completely in 1903.  Commercial evidence remains.  There are the large water wheels on each end of town and an amazing village of stone homes, narrow, cobblestone streets, and lazy, meandering canals in between.  The only tanned goods you’ll see, however, are imported.

Must have been sad days to see family owned businesses, centuries old, wither and die.  What the last owners must have felt as generations of work and wealth slipped through their fingers, with only the sketches of history and memory remaining.

But, for Annweiler, spring has come again.  It’s a tourist center, although you’d never know it.  Through careful preservation and avoidance of modern trappings, the city fathers have carefully maintained the spirit of old Annweiler.  It’s a wonderful place to idle away an afternoon, explore the nooks, and soak in the atmosphere.

On a mountain over looking the town, Triels Castle stands proudly, as it has since the 11^th Century.  It’s been restored and holds replicas of dynastic jewels from The Holy Roman Empire.

Hey, the festival wasn’t bad either!  Lots of different wursts, including many made from wild game.  Local cheeses, breads, and wines.  Plus the local brewery served a very tasty chestnut ale.  Would you expect anything less at a German festival?

Chestnut beer, locally brewed!

Sometimes when you're drinking beer with your buddies, you need a little privacy.

I think the woman in the lavender dress found one!

Roamin' With the Romans in Trier

Porta Nigra, the lasting symbol of Roman power

Inside Germany's oldest cathedral

The Hauptmarkt

A flower seller on the Hauptmarkt

Time for lunch

The bar at the Kesselstatt

The smoked fish and smoked fish plate

Coffee in an old wine cellar

View from Porta Nigra

 Ok, centurions, gird your loins, grab yourselves by the togas!  The battles are won, the Frankish rabble scattered like stray dogs at a Korean barbeque! We’re off to shrug the tempestuous turmoil and savagery of conflict and get some R&R  (that’s rollicking and rolling) at the wine center of the northern empire, Trier.

            What can we say about Trier?  Everything.  It’s such an old, cobblestone city, dating back to well before the Romans.  Population is just over 100,000 and the location, right on the Mosel River, has played a big part in making this a center of wine commerce for thousands of years, right up to the present.  Really great wine was another good reason.

            Officially, the city dates from 16 B.C.E., making Trier the oldest city in Germany, but there’s plenty of evidence to suggest there were settlements here long before.   Under Roman rule, the city really came into its own and the remnants are still the highlights of any visit. 

It’s not exactly Roman, but a good place to start, and one of the stars of your visit, is the Dom St Peter.  It was, however, built on a Roman foundation and contains what some believe to be the robe of Christ. When it was originally constructed, the cathedral was about four times the size it is now, but attacks by the Franks and Normans smashed it down to what you see today. There are relics galore in the Dom’s museum, including what is reputed to be one of the nails from the cross, now encased in gold and jewels. Tarry awhile.  Enjoy the magnificence of the towering ceilings and the majestic serenity.  You can drink later.  It’s the oldest cathedral in Germany, dating from near 330 C.E. Sometimes I think of Trier as a city of churches.  There’s the Dom and the Lieberfrauenkirche, The Church of Our Lady next door, with its fabulous gothic architecture. There’s an old Roman palace, now a protestant church (Aula Palintina), and dozens more.

Most famous of all the Roman ruins is Porta Nigra, or Black Gate. If you get to Trier, don’t miss this one.  There are also Roman baths, and an amphitheater.

Shortly after you leave the Dom, heading for the Porta Nigra, you’ll find yourself in the center of a huge walking plaza, Hauptmarkt, fully equipped with, food, drink, shops, and always a festive air. On the way, you’ll walk from the Hauptmarkt, down the Simeonstrasse.  No vehicles allowed!  About half way there, glance to the right at the House of the Three Magi.  Looking like something out of the Arabian Nights, you can’t miss it.  Dates from the 13^th Century.  That big hunk of dark stones and open portals at the far end of the street?  That’s the Porta Nigra. You can buy a ticket and visit both the Gate and the museum next door.  Climb the stairs; look out the highest windows for a spectacular view of the city.

Time for a break.  Time for lunch.  Head back toward the Dom.  Right across from the Dom is the perfect lunch spot, the Weinstube Kesselstatt, or Cauldron/ Kettle Place.  At lunchtime the weinstube is bustling, but the service is fine and the food wonderful.  Check out the wine–by-the-glass list over the bar.  Ask a barista to suggest something.  She'll probably off you a sip to try.  The waiters are also knowledgeable and speak English.  Try the local platter of smoked fish and smoked meats over salad.  It’s enough for two big eaters or three reasonable people.  It’s also a delight to just stop in the weinstube for soup or wine.  The décor is striking.  A large wine press and dark barrels stacked along the walls draw me back again and again.

Sated?  Time to pick up the pace.  Karl Marx was born here in 1818 and his home is now a museum.  To get there, you’ll have to wander out of the very center of town, but not very far.  Within easy walking distance of the Dom and the Hauptmarkt are the Roman baths, the amphitheater, the Roman museum, Aula Palintina, and the Roman bridge over the Mosel, dating to 150 C.E..  Short paragraph, but a long time, if you really want to give things more than a passing glance.  There are also stop-and-go buses that hit all the highlights.

All that walking and it’s time for Kaffee und Kucken.   Reverse course and trot back to the Haupmarkt.   I can think of no more interesting place for coffee and cake than in an old wine cellar.  It’s right near the House of the Three Magi, but on the opposite side of the street, underneath the Karstadt Department Store.  The entire city is an underground warren of wine tunnels and cellars.  Most cannot be visited except by appointment.  But, in this café, you can sip, nosh, and enjoy seeing the cellars, minus the wine.

            Even my glittering words do not do justice to Trier, a city of never ending discovery and enchantment.  Makes you want to paint a picture, write a book, light a candle, make a wish.  I think I’ll settle for another glass of wine.

Note:  You are probably used to seeing historic dates as B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D.  B.C. is English. A.D. is Anno Domini in Medieval Latin, translated as: in the year of our Lord.  B.C.E. stand for before the common era and C.E. stands for the common era.  C.E. has been used at least since 1708 and B.C.E. since 1856.  Short answer:  B.C. = B.C.E. and A.D. = C.E.