Description
Kusadasi is a charming fishing village and resort on the Turkish Aegean. It is also the port for the ancient ruins at Ephesus. This great commercial city, once home to 300,000 people, flourished between 600 BC and AD 500. A Roman writer dubbed Ephesus Lumen Asiae – Light of Asia – for its beauty and location. In the books of the New Testament, Ephesus is the fourth greatest city in the world. Only Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch in Syria were more renowned. The city was simply stunning.
Arriving at Ephesus, Voyager Club travelers will tour these remarkable ruins and enjoy a private walking tour. Julius Aguila built the Library of Celsus in AD 135 in honor of his father, Celsus. Not only did this Royal Road library store between 9,500 and 12,000 parchment and papyri documents collected by this learned man (the walls were amazingly thick, so as to avoid any chance of mildew), but it is also the final resting-place of Celsus. The Arcadian Way (also known as the Royal Road) stretched from the harbor to the city’s theater for drama. You can just imagine the spectacle of parades – chariots abreast – on this one-hundred-foot wide roadway.
One of the highlights of our visit to Ephesus will be exclusive access to the recently discovered Yamac Terrace houses, a fascinating archeological site that is currently being excavated.
Construction of the great theater of Ephesus was started during the reign of Claudius (AD 41-54) and was completed under his successor, Trajan. The diameter of this immense hall was 495 feet. The Odeion had 22 tiers, could accommodate 1,500 spectators, and was acoustically perfect for performances by musicians and poets. The Temple of Diana – this Roman goddess of fertility and resurrection was most revered here – was four times the size of the Parthenon. Even in ruins, it is impressive. Curiously, the temple was built in marshy soil to protect it from earthquake damage.
After our visit, we will drive to the beautiful Degirmen Organic Farm and Stone House Restaurant. Here we will have a brief tour of the Organic farm where a huge variety of crops are produced and used to create the wonderful freshly cooked foods at their restaurant. At the restaurant you will have time to sample some of these wonderful olive oils and also some of the specialty local wines before enjoying a delicious lunch of local dishes including starters cooked in olive oil, fresh homemade bread made in special clay ovens and much more. After lunch, we’ll have the option of returning to the ship, or spending independent time in Kusadasi for some shopping.
Dress Code: Light casual clothing with comfortable walking shoes with non-slip soles. Sunscreen is highly recommended.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This tour includes at least two hours of walking outdoors with steps, cobblestones and uneven surfaces - it is not recommended for people with walking difficulties or requiring the use of a wheelchair.