The Ruins of Ephesus

I find it incredible to be standing and walking in a city that existed centuries ago. I was awestruck by the size of the ancient city of Ephesus, the Roman opulence, magnificence, eye for beauty in their architecture, and their sophistication - amazed that so much of the ruins are still standing. It would have been a beautiful city in its day - set on the sea (which had since receded) hugged by gorgeous rolling hills and mountains in the distance, with the great marble buildings shining white against the blue sky. With the amount of tourists there, it actually helped in imagining all the people, the noises, the colours, the activity and buzz of the busy city.
Rich in history, Ephesus was a major merchant/trading city of the Roman empire, however it dates back further than the Roman times to the ancient Greeks. It also holds significance in Christian history - one of the earliest Christian churches began here and the apostle Paul visited Ephesus on a few occasions. We had an exciting history lesson in the ancient city by an older Turkish man. He shared his knowledge with great passion, loads of personality and a wicked sense of humour. He would gather us all in close to whisper some secret historical fact (that ‘no other guide would tell you’). These ‘secrets’ were often insights into the somewhat risqué Roman culture, but it was the comical way in which he revealed them to us that was most entertaining! At one point, we sat down on ancient toilets - a row of holes carved out of a long bench made out of marble. Our guide showed us what our left hand would be doing… and assured us that these ancient people had adequate privacy with their long togas.