20190415- T5:Kusadasi/ Ephesus/ Artemis/ House of Virgin Mary

The Great Theater, Ephesus

Seating Capacity of nearly 24,000 - is the largest theater of Asia Minor

Building took 70 years ti complete due to modifications necessary at that time. When apostle Paul visited Ephesus at that time, this theatre was not yet completed.

The Artemis temple was in ruins today. In 1986, Artemision excavated revealed architectural fragments dated back 3000BC, the Hittite period! Very pre-historic.

In 8th BC, the Cimmerians attacked Ephesus and destroyed part of the city and the temple of Artemis. The excavations around Artemis Temple revealed to the Lidian era.  Croe-sus, King of Lydia. According to Herodotus, Croe-sus reigned for 14 yearw from 560BC until his defeat by Persian King Cyrus the Great in 546BC.

Behind us - The Celsius Library, Ephesus.

In 262AD, during th Goths invasion, the Celsius Library was set on fire, but the facade was rescued.  Like other Ephesus edifices, in the 6th BC, the library went through a restoration, but a violent earthquake destroyed it again.  Between 1972 and 1978, an Austrian archeaologist completed the facade restoration.

In front of House of Virgin Mary. Mary -Believed to be brought by St John to Ephesus in around AD42

St John built his church in Ephesus and stayed until death towards 1st Century. He also wrote his epistles here