The last stop on the Turkey tour was Kudasi. From here we were able to travel to nearby locations to see beautiful scenery, lots of amazing history, and a few religious sites too.
Kudasi in general reminded me of home. It is very mountainous and has trees running up and down the hillsides. As we got closer and closer to home I guess I saw what I wanted to see and that was the Blue Ridge Mountains. Looking back at pictures--I think I was starting to get a bit tired and homesick.
One of the bad things about this leg of the trip was the travel time. There are probably a lot of other things that could have been done and seen if we didn't travel the 3 hours each way to and from Pammukale. However, travel is never perfect, especially when someone else plans the tough stuff for you.
At Pammukale is the ruins of the city Hieropolis. It was a Roman city at one time complete with a theater, school, baths, and much more. Today, most of the buildings are just random collections of rocks--my opinion-- but the view from the city is beautiful. From Hieropolis you can look down on the town from cliffs or sheer white rock. Dotted along the cliff's edge are pool of natural spring water that you can wade through. It is rumored that Cleopatra and Marc Anthony came for a honeymoon like trip to the city because of the natural springs and pools. The beautiful views were gorgeous, but I am hesitant to say that I am not sure I would have made the long trip if I was planning it on my own.
The last day in Turkey ended well. It was a long day of touring and then travel, but it was worth it. We started by going to see Ephesus, an ancient Greco-Roman city. It is remarkably well preserved in the mountains near Kudasi. My favorite part was the detailing on the stones. From animals and food, to depictions of the gods each line and curve shapes a beautiful piece of art. The whole city stretches throughout a valley and ends with a long market street that takes you out to the water. It was really interesting to see how the people lived then, and to get to walk among so much history.
After Ephesus we went up the mountain to the House of the Virgin Mary. For those of you who don't know, it where she was rumored to spend the last days of her life. I think if this is true, she has really good taste. It is pushed back off the the main roads in a lush green area with flowers and trees. From parts of the grounds you can look down into the valley and see the ancient ruins of Ephesus. The house itself is something that would be considered very small by our modern standards, but I guess it served its purpose. Inside, of which I was not able to take pictures, one religious woman sits and prays and protects the shrine created for the Virgin Mary. With candles, pictures, flowers, and statues. Shrines are set-up to honor her. Once leaving the house, you may light a candle for a loved one and pray that Mary watch over them. Further down from the house is the spring where she got her water. It is believed that if you drink from this, you will receives blessings. Last is the wishing wall. Where thousands of wishes have been hung in hopes that Mary will help to make them a reality. I am not a deeply religious person, but it was still a moving experience for me.
Artemis Temple was next on our list, but I am not sure you can really call it that. In reality all that is left of the temple is a single column. Storks have built a nest and turned it into and home, and except for some intricate detailing it is hard to really imagine what the temple must have looked like.
The tour for us ended when we were dropped off at the port in Kudasi. From there we boarded a ferry that would take us to Samos where we would start our Greek adventures.
Kudasi in general reminded me of home. It is very mountainous and has trees running up and down the hillsides. As we got closer and closer to home I guess I saw what I wanted to see and that was the Blue Ridge Mountains. Looking back at pictures--I think I was starting to get a bit tired and homesick.
One of the bad things about this leg of the trip was the travel time. There are probably a lot of other things that could have been done and seen if we didn't travel the 3 hours each way to and from Pammukale. However, travel is never perfect, especially when someone else plans the tough stuff for you.
At Pammukale is the ruins of the city Hieropolis. It was a Roman city at one time complete with a theater, school, baths, and much more. Today, most of the buildings are just random collections of rocks--my opinion-- but the view from the city is beautiful. From Hieropolis you can look down on the town from cliffs or sheer white rock. Dotted along the cliff's edge are pool of natural spring water that you can wade through. It is rumored that Cleopatra and Marc Anthony came for a honeymoon like trip to the city because of the natural springs and pools. The beautiful views were gorgeous, but I am hesitant to say that I am not sure I would have made the long trip if I was planning it on my own.
The last day in Turkey ended well. It was a long day of touring and then travel, but it was worth it. We started by going to see Ephesus, an ancient Greco-Roman city. It is remarkably well preserved in the mountains near Kudasi. My favorite part was the detailing on the stones. From animals and food, to depictions of the gods each line and curve shapes a beautiful piece of art. The whole city stretches throughout a valley and ends with a long market street that takes you out to the water. It was really interesting to see how the people lived then, and to get to walk among so much history.
After Ephesus we went up the mountain to the House of the Virgin Mary. For those of you who don't know, it where she was rumored to spend the last days of her life. I think if this is true, she has really good taste. It is pushed back off the the main roads in a lush green area with flowers and trees. From parts of the grounds you can look down into the valley and see the ancient ruins of Ephesus. The house itself is something that would be considered very small by our modern standards, but I guess it served its purpose. Inside, of which I was not able to take pictures, one religious woman sits and prays and protects the shrine created for the Virgin Mary. With candles, pictures, flowers, and statues. Shrines are set-up to honor her. Once leaving the house, you may light a candle for a loved one and pray that Mary watch over them. Further down from the house is the spring where she got her water. It is believed that if you drink from this, you will receives blessings. Last is the wishing wall. Where thousands of wishes have been hung in hopes that Mary will help to make them a reality. I am not a deeply religious person, but it was still a moving experience for me.
Artemis Temple was next on our list, but I am not sure you can really call it that. In reality all that is left of the temple is a single column. Storks have built a nest and turned it into and home, and except for some intricate detailing it is hard to really imagine what the temple must have looked like.
The tour for us ended when we were dropped off at the port in Kudasi. From there we boarded a ferry that would take us to Samos where we would start our Greek adventures.
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