Today the ship arrived in Kusadasi, Turkey. At 8:30 AM I left on a tour called "The Best of Ephesus". We began our tour with a visit to the house where Jesus' mother is said to have lived the last years of her life. The site, called the Virgin Mary's House, is a Catholic shrine and was visited by Pope Paul VI in 1967, Pope John Paul II in 1979 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. We then went for a visit of the ancient Ephesus, one of the most magnificent and best preserved archaeological sites in the world. We made a visit to the Terrace Houses located on a hill looking over a main street of Ephesus. The wealthy and important of Ephesus used these houses, which are finely decorated with mosaics and frescoes giving a true impression of the ancient lifestyle. We left Ephesus and visited the Basilica of St. John and headed back to the ship for a lunch at a five-star hotel with spectacular views of the sea. A folkloric show also entertained us during the lunch. We left the bus near the ship and I went to a Turkish carpet demonstration. I then walked back to the ship.
At 6 PM that night I left the ship for dinner and show back at Ephesus at the Great Theatre. When we arrived at Ephesus, hors d'oeuvres and drinks were available before the show started. We entered the theatre for a show put on by the Folkloric Dancers followed by a concert by the Aegean Chamber Orchestra. The Great Theatre is over 2,000 years old. It seats 25,000 people in a semi-circle. Other concerts have been held here including Elton John but no concert has been held here for ten years. No sound systems are aloud in the theatre because it may damage the structure. I walked up the ramp to the theatre and found a seat on the second row. A majority of the ship went to the concert. Some of the ships staff including dinning room attendents etc. had been bused to the site to help get the people into the theater and to point out any place along the paths to the theater which were dangerous. It was not easy for some people to get into the theater and the ships staff did a great job. Before the concert was over lots of people left. I don't know the reason but it may have been because they did not bring enough warm clothes or because they did not like the classical music. After the concert, I left the theatre and walked back to a bus waiting for us to take us back to the ship. I think the concert was well accepted by the people.
Below are some pictures from Kusadasi, Turkey and part 1 of my tour to Ephesus. See part 2 for additional pictures.
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