The ruins at Ephesus

After arriving 10 hours later in Izmir in our night bus from Istanbul, we stored our luggage and hopped on a minibus and then a taxi to arrive at the ruins of the ancient city of Efes (Ephesus). Extremely hot and sunny that day, we toured the site in only a few hours. The city was first Greek and later taken over by the Romans and converted into the second largest city in their Empire. Ephesus also has Christian importance and Biblical fame, as the Apostle Paul was said to have lived in Ephesus and written the books 1st Corinthians as well as Ephesians from this city.

Roman Library

Most impressive was definitely the enormous Roman Theater, which can seat over 25, 000 people! The large stone streets are still intact, as well as the front facade of the Roman Library. All in all it's great if you are interested in history because it is mixed with artifacts from multiple civilizations. And even if you are not, the ruins are right next to a mountain range, making the setting beautiful. I tend to enjoy sites like these, as it's neat to see how the Romans and other ancient civilizations were living over 2000 years ago. Also, after hearing about Ephesians and reading it myself, it is incredible to finally walk in its streets!

A Roman statue left intact?