TURKEY'S MAGICAL HIDEAWAYS
May 22 - June 7, 2009
Page 19
Mediterranean Cruise, Aegean Sea, and Ephesus
We drove north from Marmaris initially paralleling the Aegean Sea coast but well inland. Our destination
was the popular seaside town of Kusadasi on the Aegean. At a lunch stop along the way, we ran into yet
another group of school kids, who were thrilled to have their picture taken so that they could look at themselves
on the LCD screen of our cameras. They kept jostling each other to get into our photos.
School pals
This girl was very shy and was being pushed away by the other
kids whenever anyone took a picture, so I took her photo so she could see it.
Before arriving in Kusadasi, we viewed the ruins of the 6th century Basilica of St John.
The Basilica of St. John was a great church in Ephesus constructed by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century.
It stood over the believed burial site of St. John, the apostle.The basilica is on the slopes of Ayasoluk Hill near the center
of the town of Selçuk, just below a Roman fortress about 2 miles from Ephesus. During St John's era, this area
was the Temple of Artemis. It is believed that St John, who lived to be 97 to 103, brought the Virgin Mary
to live at the temple. Later she moved to a house on the other side of the hill.
Rana explaining a map of the area to us
St. John's grave was marked by a memorial and enclosed by a church of modest proportions in the 4th century.
In the 6th century, Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD) believed that a tomb was John's, so he built a magnificient church
on the site dedicated to the saint. It is believed that John died in the church named for him on Ayasoluk Hill.
Another view of the tomb of St John
A very young tourist posing for her mom at the ruins of St John's Basilica
View of Selcuk district from St John's Basilica
Seaside town of Kusadasi, where we spent our last 2 nights in Turkey. This view is from our hotel.
Big cruise liners in the harbor of Kusadasi. Kusadasi has a residential population of 50,000
rising to over half a million during the summer when the large resort fills with tourists
from Turkey itself, northern Europe and the Balkans.
Link to next page of Mediterranean Cruise - Page 20
Link to first page of Drive from Cappadocia to Fethiye on the Mediterranean - Page 11
Link to first page of Cappadocia - Page 6
Link to Page One of Turkey- Istanbul
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