Efes was originally a prosperous port city on the Aegean Sea. As the sea water slowly receded, Efes has now become far away from the blue Aegean Sea and has become a city far away from the sea.
Looking back at history, the earliest settlers in this area were the Carians and the Lelegians, but it was the Ionians from Greece who actually became a city in 9 BC. Century established.
The original name of Efes is Ephesus, which was built around 1,000 BC by the Ionians who lived at the western end of the Anatolian Plateau. of. Historically, the Ionians made great contributions to Greek culture, and Homer's epic poems are still read by the world today. Their achievements in philosophy, geography, history, and architecture created the ancient city of Ephesus. As for how they chose this place to build the city, there are also some legendary stories. It is said that they invited sages and chose the location of "fire, fish, and wild boar" based on divine metaphors. Because a fish accidentally caught fire while frying, the wild boar appeared to escape the fire (this is an explanation I saw in a tourist brochure).
The Ionians living in central Greece, led by their leader Androkles, crossed the Aegean Sea to the western coast of Anatolia and settled at Ephessus. Large-scale urban construction began, with columnar structures widely used and equipped with a large number of sculptures and murals. Ioian architecture also got its name and became one of the five architectural styles of ancient Greece. The ancient city of Ephesos, like many cities in history, has experienced the rule of many emperors.
Entering the gate of Ephesos, you will see a Turkish bath, and you can still see the most advanced ceramic water pipes at the time laid on the ground. The rows of stone pillars erected on the roadside were the national market at that time, also known as the market above. Although the stone pillars are arranged neatly, the stones used and the carved floral shapes are integrated. Behind these stone pillars is a reduced Greek-style theater Odeon. Oden was built in the 2nd century AD and is younger than other surrounding buildings. Next to it is the government office Pryaneiom, which was built in the 3rd century BC and was later converted into a Christian church. The Oden is a gathering hall for senators and is also used for concerts. It can accommodate up to 1,400 people. The city hall was actually built during the reign of Augustus. At that time, on a holy land where Dorian-style stone pillars were erected, the holy fire as a symbol of the city was burning. In order to keep the holy fire from extinguishing, priests named Curete searched for firewood everywhere. They dragged the firewood through the streets. Everyone had to give way to them as they walked up the hill, so the famous Couriet Avenue winds down the hillside to Marble Street. Under the road is a sewage drainage system, which reduced urban pollution. However, the city was eventually abandoned because of the plague.
The main existing buildings in Efes are concentrated near Kuret Avenue. The Headless Manmier Monument commemorates the tragic massacre. The two door gods on the Gate of Hercules when entering the avenue are Hercules. This gate means protecting the important land of the municipal government. The main buildings and art works of Ephesus are concentrated nearby. Countless fountains have been decorated into exquisite large-scale handicrafts, leaving modern people with wonder and admiration. Countless statues stand around the avenue. Looking around from ancient times to the present, they see What you see here is vicissitudes and changes. The temples on both sides of the road are more magnificent, and the meticulously crafted floral patterns show people's yearning and pursuit of beauty at that time. It’s impossible to count exactly how many gorgeous fountains there are here based on the arrangement of life. Standing next to the broken ones, buried by time, and the fountains that are now preserved, I imagine the girls and boys of Ephesus drinking water and laughing there. , Zengjing must be happy to live in such an exquisite place. The Trajan Fountain was built in the early 2nd century AD. It is a two-story building with a height of about 12 meters. The fountain pond in front can still be discerned. The Fountain of Pollio is obviously not as well protected as the Fountain of Terra Front. It looks a bit shabby, but you can still see the momentum of the past.
There is another building next to the fountain. I can’t tell the name. Statues on two well-preserved stone pillars stand there, seemingly inspecting the tourists. They have seen more of the world than me and experienced thousands of years of experience. Years of ups and downs have washed it away, but its majesty remains unchanged.
The huge stone sculpture at the entrance of the avenue is Gaius. Monument to the architect Gaius Memmius, who designed the city's aqueducts.
Hariander (76 AD - 138 AD) has been the Roman emperor since 117 AD. During his reign, Rome was at its most prosperous and the Roman Empire was at its largest. The Temple of Hariander is a typical example of the Corinthian temple. Different mythological characters are carved on the columns of the inner wall. One side is from the Greek era; the other side depicts characters from the Amazon woman country. The statue on the front of the inner wall is the Gorgon Medusa, whose powerful qualities serve as the patron saint of the temple.
The most unexpected thing is that there is an alley next to the temple with white stone walls on both sides. Entering a small door turns out to be a city public toilet. This toilet is not squatting like the ones in China. There is a toilet lined with bluestones along the wall, which is convenient for sitting down. The water channel is connected below for easy cleaning. But there are only men's toilets here, not women's toilets. Maybe women are at home when it's more convenient. I wonder if this is also a social part like the hammam. This is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning. It is a good opportunity to exchange information and communicate emotions. If you are tired from shopping, you can take a rest here. As long as there is a dedicated person responsible for cleaning regularly, and the interior is designed to be very open, I don't think there will be much of an odor. The library, built in the 2nd century AD, was built by a Roman consul in memory of his father. This library was built on his father's grave and was named the Library of Celsus. There are 16 pillars at the top and bottom, and the shape is very particular. The pillars are thick in the middle and thin on both sides to appear majestic. The four goddess statues on the front represent erudition, wisdom, science and patience respectively. Its scale was claimed to be the third largest library in the world at the time. The library experienced earthquakes and fires, and was completely restored by the Austrians in 1972. Every stone piece was restored and built back to its original position. The cultural relics inside are preserved in the National Museum in Vienna, Austria. Opposite the library was a brothel, so there were many times-related jokes. First, when someone wanted to go to a brothel, he said: I will go to the library. Secondly, there is a sign on Marble Street. There are different opinions handed down from generation to generation, but they are all related to the brothel. One theory is that it was a sign of soliciting prostitutes in ancient times. If you have money, you can go here and talk to women; another theory is that because the footprints are the size of an adult, it means that only adults can enter.
Next to the library is the Memorial Gate at the entrance to the market. Entering, you will find an open square, surrounded by towering stone pillars and shops with vaulted structures. From the remaining layout, you can imagine the prosperity of that year. The difference between it and the market above may be that it is more slum-oriented, so it is also called a low-end market. It may be closer to the appearance of a modern domestic farmer's market, a place where wealthy men can make a fortune. The intersection of Marble Street and Kuret Avenue also features a number of different monuments, such as a Byzantine-era fountain and an octagonal cemetery. Now every city in Europe has a square used for this kind of market trade, but the opening time of each city is different, which is somewhat similar to the markets in rural China in the past. When that day comes, city people will go " Go to the market” and buy what you need. Mainly fruits and vegetables. In the past, the vegetables, fruits, and meat sold there were cheaper than in supermarkets. When we first came to Europe, we got most of our vegetables and meat for the week there. The situation is different now. Vegetables and fruits in markets are not cheaper than in supermarkets, but sometimes more expensive, so we don’t go there much.
At the end of Marble Road is one of the largest ancient theaters in the world. The theater is located on a hillside and can accommodate 24,000 spectators. The entrance is a Roman vault-style building, which was built in the 3rd century BC. The inside is Greek-style, and the auditorium gradually rises along the mountain. The band performed on an open, horseshoe-shaped platform. It took five centuries to build the theater before it became what it is now. Large-scale concerts are held every summer with excellent sound. They are limited to classical music. It is said that modern pop music is not performed well here. The last days were spent in the mountains of Ephesus. St. John lived in Ephesus until the end of his life, where he wrote his Gospel.
Before Jesus died, he entrusted his mother to John. In a preserved crypt on Mount Koressos near Ephesus, archaeologists found some artifacts and fragments of coal, which were confirmed by the carbon 14 method to indicate that the Virgin Mary lived here. Authenticity. Now it is a holy place for local Christians, where traditional celebrations are often held. Pope Paul III also came here to worship.
Today it was opened as a small church. It is a place of pilgrimage for Christians from all over the world, and it is also respected by Islamic believers. The sign on the roadside recorded such an incident: A nun in Germany heard a voice in her dream telling her that the Virgin Mary lived in the mountains of Efes, Turkey, before she died. Later, archaeologists found it based on her memories. Found the basement.