Turkey : Kusadasi and Ephesus

 September 30, 2023

Day Two of our Cruise

Kusadasi, Turkey 

While we were sleeping last night, our Celesyal Olypia was cruising the Aegean Sea and landed us on the southwest corner of Turkey.  Our ship had already docked and we could disembark.  Sylvia decided to stay on board and get some rest after her fall yesterday on Mykonos.

Kusadasi , Turkey

    

Crurse Ship Celestyal Olympia

 A bus tour took us to the Ruins of Ephesus.  When our tour bus arrived at the excavations, the National Park was not yet open to the public.  We had a great guide named Can (John).  He gave us a good background history of the significance of Ephesus as a port city and the home of the Goddess Artemis.  Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, chastity, childbirth, wild animals and the wilderness.  St Paul lived here for three years in late 50 AD.  He railed against the idol makers (big business) and was run out of town.  St John the Evangelist was also a fellow missionary in Ephesus and was eventually deported to the Greek Island of Patmos.  The ruins in Ephesus are amazingly extensive.   Most impressive are the Library, the Agora (market), the Theater, and the Temple of Hadrian.

Entrance to Ephesus

Turkish Bureau of Culture 

Main Street Ephesus

Tourists approach the Theater

Excavations continue 

Temple of Hadrian

The Agora or Marketplace

Ephesus Ruins  10th Century BC

Libary of Celsus facade

Steps of the Library of Celsus

Ephesus Excavations

Now our bus takes us to a nearby Mt. Koressos.  Here there is the House of Mary.  You recall that she was in St John's care after the crucifixion. The site is visited and venerated by Muslims as well as Christians.  Pilgrims drink from a spring under the house which is believed to have healing properties. A liturgical ceremony is held here every year on August 15 to commemorate the Assumption of Mary.  Here our group celebrated Mass at an outdoor chapel next to the stone house.

Pilgrims entering the House of Mary

Our group had Mass at an outdoor chapel

The church in the picture above is not the house.  It covers the house which was more like a cave in the hillside. A spring that flows through the House of Mary is believed to have special healing properties.  There is a wall with water spickets that pilgrims use to take a taste or sample with them.  Many people have left thankyou notes or requests for help on small slips of paper attached to the wall.

We return by bus to Kusadasi where we visit a carpet making co-operative.  Here women are trained in the method of making hand made rugs on looms.  The manager of the project welcomes the group.  He offers us a free glass of wine or juice (your preference).  Now we witness the rolling out of rugs of all sizes and colors.  Everything is offered at 50% discount with free shipping to the US.  Who could resist?  Well, maybe you might.  Most rugs cost around $2,000 at the discount level.  Now we return to our cruise ship for lunch.

Rug Maker's Co-Operative

  

Patmos- Grotto of the Apocalypse

 September 30, 2023

Island of Patmos

While we are having lunch aboard ship, Celestyal Olympia takes us to the Island of Patmos.  This is a smaller Greek Island so the ship cannot dock there.  Tender boats must be employed to travel from ship to shore.  We had a local guide named Nicolas.  He gave an impressive exposition of the history of St John the Evangelist and how  cSt John came to Patmos exiled from Ephesus by Roman Emperor Domition (81 AD).  He lived high on the rocky hillsides in a cave.  It was there he had a vision of the Second Coming of Christ which he dictated to a disciple named  Prokhoros. This is known as the Book of the Apocalypse in the Bible.

Tender Boats used to transfer to shore

Grotto of St John

Patmos port city Skala

Monastery of the Apocalypse

Now our bus took us higher on the island.  We were headed to the Monastery of St John the Devine.  This is a Greek Orthodox monastery that has had a monk community in existence since 1100AD. 
                                                      
The Monastery has many medieval icons.  Among the multiple donations of the pious from across the Orthodox world, especially Russia, a filigreed cross of incredible delicacy stands out. Pride of place goes to the eleventh-century parchment khrysóvoulos (chrysobull) of Emperor Alexios Komnenos, granting the entire island to Abbott Khristodhoulos.

In the evening back on ship, I saw a performance about Greek Mythology which turned out to be more of an acrobotics and dance show.