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EPHESUS |
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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
because of his famous letter to Ephesians, 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.
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