Patmos and Ephesus

Our ship, the Cristal, docked at Patmos

We docked about 7 AM on the island of Patmos, a 13 square mile crescent shaped island. On the top of the hill is the monastery of St. John founded in 1088. We just wandered the small village along the port with its many white washed buildings.
In the afternoon we docked at Kusadasi and made the 20 minute drive to the home of the Virgin Mary. Here is a small chapel erected where her house was. She lived here with St. John, the evangelist, for the last years of her life. Then John went on to Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelations in a cave, the grotto of St. John.

Mary and John at Ephesus

We went on to Ephesus founded in the 11th century BC. Most of the ruins are from the Roman period when this seaport had 25000 inhabitants. Only about 13% of the city has been excavated. We walked down the main street with its marble roadway which used to be lined with columns. We had fun with a group picture at the public latrine with its marble seats. What was amazing to Mary and I was how much restoration had been done on the library of Celsus (once the 3rd largest in the world). Rather than just 1 face, the face has statues and a room behind the facade with passages to the Agorra to the right. The statues represent Wisdom, Character, Knowledge, and Judgment.

Library of Celsus

Our last stop was the grand theatre from the 3rd century, which has been reconstructed for concerts. Here St. Paul could have preached to up to 44000 people.