Turkey cashes in on Ephesus

By Ama Amankwah Baafi


Courtesy, Turkish Airlines

Ephesus is considered one of the great out-door museums of Turkey, perhaps in the world. Reading stories about Ephesus in the bible sounds like a myth, but a visit to Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey, proves that everything said in the book of Ephesus is real.

Ephesus, which is in the western part of Asia Minor, also called Anatolia and which today forms part of the Republic of Turkey, was one of the places Apostle Paul delivered his famous speech aimed at turning the people away from the worship of Diana, a Greek goddess. Though the city is in ruins, it still attracts lovers of archaeology and tourists, especially Christians.

About 10,000 tourists visit the ruins of Ephesus daily, especially during summer holidays. Each visitor is made to pay €11 and by extension €110,000 is amassed daily.

Ephesus could be described as one of the cash cows of the tourism industry in Turkey, with about 5000 people employed directly and indirectly. This is helping the economy of Turkey to stand on its feet while neighbouring economies are under pressure from the Eurozone debt crises.

People, particularly Catholics from countries such as Mexico, United States, France, Germany, and Korea, among others, come in droves to Ephesus. “Visiting Ephesus makes me understand what the bible says,” said Oscar from Mexico.

High on the list of places to visit in Ephesus is the bronze statue of Mary, the mother of Jesus, which was erected by the American society of Ephesus. The name Ephesus does not only remind one of the city itself, but also calls to mind Artemis (the goddess of hunting and the chase), the Church of St. John and the Church of St. Mary.

No visitor to Ephesus neglects to visit the remains of the Church of St, Mary, which is interesting not only from the spiritual point of view, but also for its architecture.

“Ephesus reminds us of great Christian leaders like St John and St, Mary who lived a life of meditation and it further brings Christianity into the mind of the modern believer,” said Amanda Clark from US.

However, the distance between St John and St Mary is about 10 kilometres and if you wish to see the monuments you should spend a whole day there. When you spend a night in Seljuk, you will not only be able to see the history and the wonders of centuries past and house of Virgin Mary which was discovered through the vision of a pious Bohemian woman, but you will also enjoy the hospitality and customs of the Turkish people.

People of different backgrounds especially Catholics, go there to pray in the house that mother Mary was believed to have lived with St Joseph after the death of Jesus.

Also at Ephesus can be found the tomb in which St John was buried. It is now known that there are five small graves around the tomb of St John. It is supposed that upon his wish, the other graves formed the shape of a cross with his tomb.

Other notable sites in Ephesus are a baptism pond and holy water pipes from which people fetch to their destinations for various uses. Hanging on the wall are millions of prayer requests by visitors to the site.

The Gate of Pursuit is on the southern tip of the slope of the castle of Ayasuluk, situated on a hill to the right of the Izmir-Ephesus highway. The chapel, with frescoes, is a small, wooden roofed chapel to the north of the tomb, dating from the 10th century.

When you look at the west over Ayasuluk hill, you face the Isa Bey Mosque erected in 1375 by Isa Bey, the son of Mehmet Bey from the Aydinogullar dynasty of Seljuk. The stadium occupies an area of 229metres by 295 metres and was built in the time of Emperor Nero in the first century A.D. (54–58).

You come across the harbour baths, the remnants of these buildings constructed with huge stones and gracefully carved marble, between the Double Churches and the Harbour Street.

There are those selling souvenirs ranging from handicrafts, books, clothes, etc, all made in Turkey. It is about six kilometres from the house of Mary to the old city of Ephesus, which is 13 kilometres square.

Notable things at the city include the fig tree and a handmade pipe system that carried water to various parts of the city. The old time technology that was used showed the prowess of the people.

“It is exciting to see the fig tree for real,” stated Sarah Maaku Tetteh from Ghana. From all indications, Turkey is making efforts as a nation to maintain its tourist attractions, knowing that is where the money comes from currently.

Though most tourist sites are old, a visit there gives one a feeling of how the place used to be.