Edens of Turkey

Ephesus (Latin Ephesus, Ἔφεσος Greek, Turkish Efes, hittite Apaša verm) was one of the most important and oldest Greek cities of Asia Minor (now Turkey) in antiquity. Both name and initial settlement date from vorgriechischer time.

Ephesus is located approximately 70 km south of Izmir, near the western Turkish coast (Aegean) in the ancient landscape Ionia. In ancient times it was right on the sea. By sedimentation, as well as climatic and seismic changes shifted the coastline over time, to the west, so that today the city is located several miles inland.

History
The oldest certificates for the presence of people in the city of Ephesus later go to the Spätchalkolithikum around 5000 BC. Already in 2nd Millennium BC, the Hittite texts from known and probably with the later Ephesus identifiable settlement Apasa, Arzawa located in the country, an important centre in the sphere of influence of Hittite and Mycenaean cultures. From the 2 Half of the 2nd Exist millennium BC Minoan and Mycenaean remains. Around the 10th Pre-Christian century began with the settlement Ionian Greeks.

Lyder locals and Karer lived northeast of the current city boundaries, the immigrant Greeks founded the delivery to a separate settlement called Koressos. After the conquest by the Kroisos Lydian king in the year 560 BC, there was a Synoikismos, that is, several small villages were merged and a new settlement in a field near the Temple of Artemis (Artemisium), as one of the seven wonders of the world was built.

Only 296 BC was Diadochen Ephesus by the king of Thrace Lysimachos to the present station and temporarily relocated after his wife in Arsinoeia renamed. Since that time Ephesus was a major port city of almost 350 hectares of land, of which 189 to 133 BC, the Kingdom of Pergamon belonged, after 133 BC to the Roman Empire.

Ephesus was one of the most important and perhaps with more than 200,000 inhabitants [1] also one of the largest cities of the Roman Empire and seat of the governor (Proconsul) of the province of Asia. Many public buildings, which both from the city as well as wealthy citizens were funded. These included Temples for the Emperor Vespasian and Hadrian, in the framework of the Kaiserkultes revered. The city maintains its outstanding position to the late, as one of Pilgrimage and bishop’s seat, the other, as the capital of the (secular) Asiana diocese.

Also in connection with the development of Christianity Ephesus is of importance: After 19 EU Acts of the Apostles Paul stayed during his 3rd Mission (50) in Ephesus. He attracted there among other things, the unwillingness of Devotionalienhändler, for their good business with the “Diana of the Ephesians” feared. Paul was legally but tolerated in the city. Also in the New Testament is the Ephesians, which he later at the town of the city have to be addressed, however, possibly from his students and followers came circle. The Christian community in the Ephesus is the recipient of the first letter of John Send Apocalypse (2,1-7 Rev. EU) to the seven congregations in Asia Minor 

One außerbiblischen legend education are that Maria after the Ascension of Jesus to the circle of women around Jesus and the apostle John in a house near Ephesus (the Meryemana) have established, and up to their own Ascension many people in medicine and teaching Christianity teaches.

Also found here, probably around 157, the Platonic dialogue of Christians with the Jews Justinus Tryphon, one of the earliest clashes with the traditional Judaism.

In the year 431 met in Ephesus of the Emperor Theodosius II convened 3rd Ecumenical Council, also called the Council of Ephesus in 449 years to the so-called robber Synod, whose decisions were already 451 discarded. The so-called St. Mary’s Church, the only remains intact, was several times as a place of the Council called, which is in the research, however controversial.

Until well into 6th Ephesus century flourished in the late life. In Byzantine times lost the city but gradually its former importance - especially by the increasing silting of the harbour. 867 captured an army of Paulikianer under Johannes Chrysocheires the city. In the year 1090 - just before the First Crusade - Ephesus was conquered by the Seljuks; nearby emerged in the Turkish city Ayasoluk time, and later renamed in Selçuk.

Archaeology
In the 19th Century began the archaeological exploration of Ephesus with the search for the remains of the Temple of Artemis. They were also the first part of the actual city. Initial excavations made by the British railway engineer John Wood Turtle (between 1863 and 1874) and the archaeologist David George Hogarth (1904/05) on behalf of the British Museum. Since 1895, by the Austrian Archaeological Institute scheduled excavations. These have large areas of the city revealed, in addition to public buildings and some large houses ( “Hang houses”), with frescoes and mosaics of the best private residential buildings in the eastern Mediterranean.

Today, Ephesus one of the main tourist attractions in Turkey with hundreds of thousands of visitors annually dar. This fact pregnant, tried to be as a restoration to modern point of view also, in the presentation of the ancient ruins new avenues. This is especially true in the reconstruction (Anastilosis) of the so-called Celsus Library in the early 2nd Century AD. This is not just a library building, but also to the tomb of the founder Tiberius Julius Polemaeanus Celsus.

Among the public buildings in the city have been uncovered include the so-called “national market”, inter alia, the Bouleuterion, the meeting room of the City Council, and the Prytaneion, the Offices of the leading representatives of the city. In addition to private residential buildings (of which the hillside houses an example of luxurious living culture), the ancient streets, such as the Kuretenstraße from other public buildings lined. These are monumental fountains (Nymphaeum Traiani), as well as temples, such as the so-called small Hadrian’s Temple.

Testimony to the culture of bathing Ephesier are the big bath Gymnasium complexes, including the Vediusgymnasium, the theatre, the east and the port and the Variusbad Gymnasium. Besides the personal care and exercise, they also an important social centre of the social and public life dar.

In the large theater of Ephesus, the apostle Paul in Acts mentioned scene with the Devotionalienhändlern the Artemis Temple have experienced.

Of the temples for the emperor worship, including those for Domitian and Hadrian, are now found only small remnants.

Important findings from the early days of excavations, with the permission of the Ottoman ruler out of the country, are today in Ephesus Museum of the Art History Museum in Vienna at the New Castle, a part of Vienna’s Hofburg. Today, the findings from the recent excavations in the Archaeological Museum in nearby Selçuk issued earlier findings are to some extent also in the archaeological museums in Istanbul and Izmir, and the British Museum.