Ephesus ancient city meets sea again

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Ephesus ancient city meets sea again
www.aboutephesus.com
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The ancient city of Ephesus, one of the premier
tourist sites in Turkey readies to have a harbor
on the Aegean coast again. Ephesus used to have a
harbor on the Aegean coast, Izmir Culture and
Tourism Provincial Director Abdülaziz Ediz
recently told Anatolian news agency. The citys
importance as a commercial center declined as the
harbor was slowly silted up by the Cayster River
(Küçük Menderes). Ediz said they had been working
to realize a project called Ephesus Reunion with
the Sea with the support of the Culture and
Tourism Ministry, as well as the Transportation,
Maritime Affairs andCommunications Ministry.
Currently, the citys distance is six kilometer
to the sea.
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Noting that the project was launched in 2012, the
official said We are conducting the works
within the scope of a common project and under
the direction of the Transportation, Maritime
Affairs and Communications Ministry. The
transportation from Ephesus Harbor to the Pamucak
Coast on the Aegean will be possible with
boats. Our aim is to revive history again.
Recreation areas will be established with proper
landscaping. We want to make the ancient city of
Ephesus more attractive to tourists. The visitors
will have a chance to live the experiences and
ambiance of the old times.
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Ediz, however, said it was not currently possible
to give any indication as to when the project
would be completed. Although Culture and Tourism
Minister Ertugrul Günay recently announced that
tourist numbers to Turkey as a whole through the
first seven months of the year had declined close
to 2 million on the back of regional tensions in
Syria and Israel, visitor numbers to Ephesus
continue to increase.
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This year welcomed more than 1 million tourists
in the first seven months of the year, Ephesus is
bringing in 4.6 million Turkish Liras in
revenue. Some 1,023,000 tourists visited the
ancient city along between Jan. 1 and July 31,
Izmir Culture and Tourism Provincial Director
Abdülaziz Ediz recently told Anatolian news
agency. The ancient city possesses a
6,000-year-old past and has hosted many important
civilizations throughout its history, Ediz said,
adding that excavation works have been continuing
in the region for the last 110 years.
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One of the most significant benefits of Ephesus
is that it serves as an advertisement for
Turkey, the provincial director said, adding that
visitors coming to the region contributed to
economy with specific expenditures like eating
and accommodation.
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The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis
(completed around 550 B.C.), one of the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World. Emperor Constantine
I rebuilt much of the city and erected new public
baths. Following the Edict of Thessalonica from
emperor Theodosius I, the temple was destroyed in
401 A.D. by a mob led by St. John Chrysostom. The
town was partially destroyed by an earthquake in
614 A.D. The citys importance as a commercial
center declined as the harbor was slowly silted
up by the Cayster River (Küçük Menderes).
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Ephesus, which is today a UNESCO World Heritage
Site, was one of the seven churches of Asia that
are cited in the Book of Revelation, and the
Gospel of John may have been written in the
ancient city. The city was also the site of
several fifth-century Christian councils.
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Todays archaeological site lies three kilometres
southwest of the town of Selçuk in the south of
Izmir. The ruins of Ephesus are a favourite
international and local tourist attraction,
partly owing to their easy access from Adnan
Menderes Airport and via the port of Kusadasi.
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