Kusadasi: Virgin Ruins, Blinged, Fed, and Bathed

Several friends and family members have told me that Turkey is a destination I should add to my list of countries to visit. On top of those recommendations, a few of the passengers on board had started this trip by spending a few days in Istanbul. They all said that it is quite an amazing city and that they had a blast. So, I was eagerly looking forward to our stop in Kusadasi.

Because of the expected heat, we had an early 7:30 AM departure time. The tour guides hustled the hungover party zombies onto our buses and we headed out of the city into the countryside. We lucked out with our tour guide, Oz, whose enthusiasm was infectious. He showed great pride in his country and was eager to share his knowledge about the history of Kusadasi, the discovery of the Virgin Mary’s home, and the ancient Roman city of Ephesus.

First stop, the Virgin’s home. I admit I was a little disappointed to learn that it is unknown if this is the historical home of the Virgin Mary. From the official website: 

"The modern history of the Virgin Mary's House is unusual. It was "discovered" in 1812 by a German nun, Sister Anne Catherine Emmerich, who never traveled away from her home. 

Sister Emmerich, an invalid confined to bed, awoke in a trance with the stigmata and visions that included the Virgin Mary and Apostle John traveling from Jerusalem to Ephesus. She described Mary's house in detail, which was recorded at her bedside by a writer named Brentano.

Emmerich described a rectangular stone house, which John had built for Mary. It had a fireplace and an apse and a round back wall. The room next to the apse was Mary's bedroom, which had a spring running into it."

The "alleged" home of the Virgin Mary near Ephesus

Regardless of whether this is the actual home in which the Virgin Mary spent her final years, it has become a pilgrimage site for both Christians and Muslims. As such, there is a reverential feeling about the place, not to mention the lovely gardens and views.

One of the more touching moments was coming upon the prayer wall, which was draped with pieces of cloth and paper onto which people had written prayers and wishes. I became a bit emotional upon seeing the sheer number of wishes attached. This sight touched even the more cynical people in our group – you know who you are….

Wish / Prayer Wall

Our next stop was down the hill in Ephesus. Our tour guide brought us in through the back entrance in order to avoid some of the traffic from another large ship that had also arrived this morning. I looked around me, and was just a bit underwhelmed by these ruins. It was more a tawdry collection of mismatched columns with a smallish amphitheater than the remains of one of the best preserved Roman cities.

The back entrance of Ephesus: Ho Hum....

Oz - Our tour guide

Some Columns - continued ho hum....

After a bit of orientation about the city, Oz took us around the corner and I was gobsmacked! It was easy to imagine the sheer magnificence of the city at its height. The main street was paved in marble with columns all along the street, which would have supported a wooden roof to shade pedestrians. Temples to gods, emperors, and governor lined the street. The history geek in me went nuts.

Main Street, Ephesus

Temple along the main street

Another temple with a carving of Medusa over the door

Half way down the street is the entrance to the terraced homes, which have been excavated and are in the process of being preserved. It would appear that life in Ephesus was actually rather nice. Of course, these were the homes of the rich and powerful, but nice nevertheless. I was particularly impressed by the mosaics on the floors that looked a bit like area rugs.

Mosaics in the terraced homes located just off main street

A Roman home: Note the wall paintings

Close up of the wall paintings (early Roman wall paper)

More floor mosaics: Looks like a hallway runner

I want this - it would look stunning on my concrete floor....

After the terraced homes, we hit the main attraction - the remains of the library and the main amphitheater. Superb!

The remains of the Ephesus library

Where in the world is Glenn?

Ephesus Amphitheater

Completely loaded on history, we settled back into our comfy air conditioned bus for the ride back to the port. Oz had one more "treat" for us – a visit to a Turkish rug outlet. There we learned the differences between silk, cotton, and wool rugs, about the industry, and that Turkish salesmen are among the most persistent on earth. My lord, used car salesmen have nothing on a carpet salesman.  

Bling!

Once out of the maze of carpet showrooms, we were on our own for a few hours. As Jay and I walked past a jewelry shop we were greeted by another smiling Turkish man, who was eager to show us his silver jewelry. Jay and I both declined, but the man was very persistent. Although we were not in the market for any bling, I bought a silver ring, John bought a ring for his mom, and Jay bought an exquisite necklace.

Lunch!

I am not sure if it was the merchandise, the salesmanship, or the freely flowing alcohol, but we were now suitably blinged out and hungry. We asked the jewelry shop owner if there was a good restaurant. He responded, “My cousin, he owns kebob shop. I take you there.”  Oh my goodness. Great food, great service, and free wifi. It was heavenly.

As we left the kebob shop, I asked the restaurant owner if there were any Turkish Baths near by. His response “My cousin, he works in Turkish bath. I take you” was music to my ears.  Jay headed back to the ship while John and I headed deeper into the city in search of a new experience. 

This it the place

The bath itself was a great experience. First you undress in a little cubicle and wrap yourself in a flimsy cloth - a bit like a tablecloth. Then you are escorted to the steam room for a nice relaxing sweat. After about 15 minutes, John and I did a bit of exploring until we found a hairy little man in a similar cloth who was assigned to bathe us. In a cool down room, he exfoliated my entire body, lathers me with a huge sponge, and poured buckets of water over my soapy body to rinse it clean. Once we were all sparkly, we were sent upstairs for an oil massage accompanied by a bit of singing.  Afterwards I was refreshed and relaxed. I think I would love having that done everyday. It was delightful. 

Exfoliated, lathered and oiled, we headed back to the ship to prepare for our Disco themed tea dance. After such a long day of touring and the upcoming evening of partying, I was looking forward to a day at sea to relax by the pool. 

Leaving the port of Kusadasi

Next stop: The Disco Party!