Today, we are finishing up our walk in Ancient Ephesus, Turkey; an UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you missed my first blog of this huge site and would like to know some history about it, look HERE. We started on top of the mountain and are going down the Main Street. The lower we got, the more embellished the city was. The richer folks lived in the lower city and the working class had the climb furthest from the port. So, let’s get a move on ………will we see doors? In this photo, we see arches and columns!

The columns got fancier too! Mind the slick marble and watch your step…….the marble is very uneven!

The Trajan Fountain, built around 104 C.E., is one of the finest monuments in Ephesus. It was constructed to honor the Emperor Trajan and his statue stood in the central niche overlooking the huge pool and fountains. In addition to the statues of his family, there were, the statues of Dionysus, Satyr and Aphrodite. These three statues were moved to the museum in Ephesus.

Finally, a door at the opening of one of the hillside flank houses in the working class area. Notice, the tent higher up, where excavation is currently taking place.

Here is a one of the Baths…….you’d think we might find a door here!

No, not even at the public latrines!

There are cats to keep out the rats!

This is a much smaller temple dedicated to Emperor Hadrian, who had visited Ephesus several times. It lies on the south side of Curates Street, on one of the main arteries of Ancient Ephesus, connecting the Gate of Hercules with the Library of Celsus. Over the years, the temple was destroyed by several earthquakes and blocks from the temple were used for the construction of a retaining wall to prevent the debris from devastated structures and abandoned hillside houses from falling into the street. In 1957, the temple was built from the original fragments and supplemented with modern building materials. Another extensive conservation project was completed  from 2012 to 2014. Many of the fine friezes and statues were also taken to the museum in Ephesus. Don’t worry we are going there another day! So, we can see all the innards then!

The Celsus Library has to be one of the most prominent buildings in Ephesus! There were doors, archways and niches!

Celsus served a successful military and political career. As a commander in the Roman army, he was elected to serve the consul in Rome in 92 A.D., the highest elected office in Rome. He was later appointed governor of Asia, a Roman province that covered roughly the same area as modern-day Turkey. The Celsus Library is the only remaining library from the Roman Empire. Celsus left a large legacy to pay for the library’s reading material. There were over 12,000 scrolls and the library was open to the public. Celsus was buried in a crypt beneath the library in a decorated marble sarcophagus.

and a side view………

Two freed slaves of Octavian Augustus and Marcus Agrippa named Mazaeus and Mithridates, built one of the three gates allowing access from the north onto Harbour Street and the west. It was the most impressive and best-preserved gates. It is the only large-scale structure of the Augustan building program to survive the earthquake of 23 CE. The ancient gates were hard to keep clean. An inscription found on the gate informs that, “Whoever urinates here will be punished.” The punishment remains a mystery. But, we do know the contents of the latrines were used for cleaning textiles! The present Gate of Mazaeus and Mithridates is a result of restoration between 1980 and 1989. It was restored with almost exclusive use of ancient building materials. We can see tunnel-like entrances here too!

We’re coming to the final parts of the city at this level. My, it is a big place and we didn’t get to all of it, because it is so spread out! There was another Agora or public space in this part of the city too!

and one more huge theater.

one last look at the theater…………..

We have another long hill to climb to get back to our transportation ……..and we are very hot! I hope you have enjoyed Ancient Ephesus, today, and although we didn’t see a lot of actual doors we made good use of our imaginations! See you next time in another spot! Cady

Follow our leader, Dan, at No Facilities, to see doors from all over the world, or to add your doors too, look HERE!