Chapter Four: Diary of a werewolf in Turkey (Ephesus)

(Editor's note: Gerry, sterling werewolf that he is, seems to be more concerned with beer and sailing than some other salient details. For example, our WGF (wicked good friend) Tess Gerritsen suggested this trip: in addition to being an amazing writer, Tess is a fan of archaeology, food, and travel. We were guided by the fine folks at Peter Sommer Travels (specialists in archaeological tours by gulet). Can you see how this was destined to work out brilliantly? Tess also has a description of our tour on her blog, along with her adventures in Cappadocia after. Now, back to Gerry.)

Although it is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the temple of Artemis at Ephesus is now almost nonexistent. Its marble and columns were robbed out to decorate other sites. Before, it might have looked like this (below):

If you look carefully enough, you might be able to see the cult statue of Artemis/Cybele in the back. Several were found in the city of Ephesus, and would have looked like this:


or this:

I dig a chick with architecture on her head.

The city of Ephesus itself, was HUGE and amazingly intact. It was one of the cities of the Ionian League and later the capital of Roman Asia Minor.



Not only do you have beautifully painted plaster walls still standing, like these (above),

but you get rows of high-style houses so well preserved that they have their own structure to protect them. It's also where the archaeologist do some of their restoration work. Nice gig.

And it's not only the big stuff that survives, like this temple to Hadrian,


or this major city roadway--imagine it filled with thousands of citizens, slaves, and visitors--but you also learn about some of the details of every day life, like this public toilet, below. Hope you get along with your friends.


But the best known buildings in Ephesus are still pretty neat. Like the Library of Celsus, below,
which made Dana and Tess downright giddy, and pose as caryatids.


To be fair, anyone would get excited about this place. Look at that crane--that's big boy archaeology!

And then there was an amazing theater, with much of the staging area and orchestra intact.


Some of the smaller artifacts are in the museum in the modern city of Ephesus.

This shows a battle, not with garden gnomes (check out the seated prisoner with the pointed hat in the middle), but with barbarians.
And this relief shows a bull tied to a ring on an altar, ready for sacrifice. Temples, like that of Artemis (above), had their altars outside (and you can still find some of those rings), so everyone could share in the offering. Barbecue!


I'm not sure I want to know what this one above is...

But I know a certain Herpet-American vampire who'll be very interested in the snakes in this carving!