On the last day of our stay in Kușadasi we go to visit Ephesus.
I didn't get to visit it in 2018, so now the opportunity has arisen.
Ephesus is 17km (10,9mi) away from Kușadasi, so there is no stress.
The road is beautiful and we stopped for a few pictures.
We reach Ephesus and park in the paid parking lot: 10TR.
We leave our helmets and motorcycle jackets at a souvenir shop that also manages the parking lot, then we go to the entrance.
Kitty doesn't want to come in and tells me she's waiting for me on the terrace.
The ticket costs 120TR, the version without audio or human guide.
Legends say that Ephesus was founded about 3200 years ago by the Amazons and was ruled by 5 civilizations: Greek, Persian, Roman, Christian and Ottoman.
The most flourishing period was under the Romans, and the most destructive under the Christians.
During the Romans, Ephesus was the second largest city in the empire, after Rome.
Ephesus is where one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world existed, and named the Temple of Artemis, destroyed by fire in 356 BC, on the same night that Alexander the Great was born.
It was set on fire by a local who wanted to become famous.
Obviously, the temple was rebuilded later.
The ancient city of Ephesus did not lack well-made roads, sewerage, public lighting, water tanks, thermal baths, markets as a meeting and trade place, fountains and gates decorated by skilled craftsmen, library, theaters and stadium for competitions, and even public toilets.
The city main street is lined with bulidings grand even in their ruin state.
It had about 250,000 inhabitants and among them were the greatest artists and merchants of the time.
The amphitheater in Ephesus being the place of organizing the most important events and being the most important side of social life, here took place every year, in April, a great celebration in honor of the goddess Artemis.
The amphitheater could accommodate 25,000 people.
Here St. Paul preached and was "booed" by the locals who drove him out of the city fearing that the sermons would affect the stability of the cult of Artemis.
Ephesus produced and sold an impressive number of statues of the goddess Artemis.
Paul was expelled and that is why in the Bible we have Paul's letter to the Ephesians.
Ephesus was a center of learning and the birthplace and home of the great Pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus. Women enjoyed rights and privileges equal to men and there are records of female artists, sculptors, painters and teachers.
At night the streets of the city were brightly lit with oil lamps, a luxury not many cities could afford.
Ephesus remained under Persian rule until liberated by Alexander the Great in 334 BCE.
The city suffered severe damage in an earthquake in 17 CE. After that Ephesus became once more a very important center of trade and commerce. The historian Aristio, and others, describe Ephesus as being recognized by all the inhabitants of the region as the most important trading center in Asia.
It also remained a leading political and intellectual center, boasting the impressive Celsus Library and the second school of philosophy in the Aegean.
The library, the third largest of the roman empire is a higlight.
Statues of women celebrating the virtues of of learning and wisdom inspired the citisens.
From the 1st century CE onwards, Ephesus was visited repeatedly by early Christians (most notably Saint Paul, who preached and was 'booed' in the theater there), and Mary, the mother of Jesus, is said to have retired there along with Saint John (John's tomb and Mary's house may still be visited today).
The Biblical Book of Ephesians is an epistle written by Paul to the Christian community at Ephesus.
After Christianity became the dominant religion of the region, Ephesus declined in culture and intellectual pursuits. The Emperor Theodosius had all of the temples and schools closed and women were reduced to second-class citizen status, no longer allowed to teach men or work independently in the arts.
Worship of the ancient mother goddess Artemis was forbidden and the Temple of Artemis was destroyed by a Christian mob, the ruins used as a quarry for building materials for other local projects such as churches.
When I was there a couple of years ago luckily just before Covid I did a short tour of the black sea road from IZMIR to the border of GEORGIA on a bus it was beautiful scenery And to my surprise the roads were in pretty good condition Thought to myself got to ride these roads one day as I have a few relatives who live in IZMIR 
