TAXIDI: Splendor Among The Ruins

The ancient city of Ephesus cuts a benchmark in the history of Greek and Roman civilization. Once a thriving port of 250,000 people, today it lies in well-preserved ruins, silted up and now 9 kilometers from the sea in the Izmir province of Turkey. Like most Aegean and Mediterranean sites, its only occupants are cats. Our ship, the Azamara Journey sits docked at its replacement port of Kusadasi, a 40-minute bus trip to the south. Gallipoli is 800 kilometers north. For tourists and amateur historians, this is where you will find the best example of Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine architecture. The Temple of Artemis, the Library of Celsus, the Basilica of St John and a cascading list of grand structures stand testament to the city's historical importance.

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