Izmir made a handy jumping off point for day trips to Ephesus to the south and Pergamum to the north, two ancient cities in very different locations, one subject to the other.
The harbour city of Ephesus now lies inland due to the silting of the harbour and even Hadrian's assistance couldn't prevent its eventual decline. It is now very prettily situated in a valley and thronged with tourists who now replace the statesmen, citizens, priests and shopkeepers.
A slightly peculiar sidetrip to Ephesus was a visit to Mary's house, said to be the place the Virgin Mary spent her last days, brought to Ephesus by St. John. The strangeness of this is offset by the spectacular views on the way to the chapel built over some very old house foundations; supposedly John didn't want her mixing with the pagans down in Ephesus, so he built her house on the nearby mountain. It's a very pretty spot.
Pergamum, perhaps because it's further away from the cruise ship port of Kusadaci, is much quieter, and in a way appropriately remote and regal, situated on a windswept mountain top. The views of the present day town of Bergama and valley below are magnificent, and as Bergama is built on the lowest of the four levels of ancient Pergamum, one can imagine the satisfaction of its rulers surveying their lands and the wealth they brought them.
We also went to the Asklepion, an ancient health centre catering to the likes of Hadrian, and the place where Galen, the physician who first advocated "fresh air and exercise" for health, practiced. Early symbol of medicine:
and the reception desk, seriously.
More pictures at the Flickr set here: Izmir, Ephesus, and Pergamum
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