Ephesus–The Crown Jewel of Roman Ruins
by Jeffrey Guard
Viking Star Berths in Port of Kusadasi
The mornings at this point are rinse and repeat: Breakfast-Room Service to the cabin, watch the lecture, and get ourselves ready for the excursion.
One of my favorite parts of the Viking Star experience was berthing in port every morning. Kusadasi, the port city, was no exception. While it did not have that magical hold over me the way Rhodes did, it had its own intrigue, the hill with the city signage and the golden statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of modern Turkey.
The warm pink sunrise against the calm waters gave us a wonderful welcome as we got ready for our excursion to see the ancient ruins of Ephesus outside of Kusadasi.
One of the great surprises from disembarkation was a welcome dance provided by the locals. I love these when you can get a flavor of local culture! We, of course, didn’t have long to enjoy as we had to board the bus to get a move on to Ephesus.
Morning Shore Excursion: Download The PDFs
Our excursion was the free one: TRKUS03: Ancient Ephesus, and the drive from the port took about 30 minutes to the ruins of Ephesus.
Once on board, we discovered that our tour guide, a local history teacher, spoke in fluent, flawless American English! He shared that his wife was Texan and honestly, that elevated the entire experience as he was able to articulate and share with us things about Turkey and Ephesus in terms and context that most Americans could easily understand.
I’ve come to understand through this experience how much dialect matters. All of the tour guides were local to the regions, but most of them spoke with heavy accents and usually spoke with a British vernacular.
While these are not deal breakers, at times, it was difficult to understand the accent or what they meant when describing something. They often used parlance/vocabulary that may be common to British speakers but is not overly familiar in The States. At times, I found myself struggling to follow some of the guides, and there’s no time for clarification as we are on fairly tight timelines.
As our tour guide was giving us a primer on Turkish geography, history, and Ephesus, I enjoyed our drive through the countryside. For the free Viking excursions, this was by far the most scenic drive, twisting through the hills with the Mediterranean as a backdrop. It was gorgeous.
At The Site: Crown Jewel of The Roman Empire
A smart thing that we did was book the first excursion out to Ephesus (8:30 AM: TRKUS03 Ancient Ephesus) because we were first to the site and really had the chance to soak it up briefly before a Chinese contingent buffered up to our backs, followed my more tour groups behind them.
If you are interested in the ruins of The Roman Empire, then Ephesus is definitely something you will enjoy.
There are plenty of architectural wonders, including the Library of Celsus, which will visually blow your mind. It’s wild and wonderful when you consider that when they built the library well over 2000 years ago, they didn’t even have books; they were using scrolls!
If you appreciate Christian history, then Ephesus is also significant. Paul the apostle walked the steps along Kuretes Street where you are walking, and the Gospel of John was believed to be written in Ephesus as well. Mary’s final home is nearby (although it’s not part of the excursion or located in the ruins of Ephesus).
Other notable sites also included the Temple of Hadrian. One of the remarkable things about The Temple of Hadrian is the site of what archaeologists claim to be Medusa, but looks more like Melusine, the mythical nymph-mermaid siren like creature that the Starbucks logo is modelled after.
You decide: Melusine or Medusa?
After The Tour: “I am Delicious”
After the tour we had some brief time to use the restrooms (which are at the end of the tour) and shop the souvenir stands. One thing you will at once notice about Turkey is that it’s not as cheap as you might think.
“Tourist Turkey” is a concept that means, that if you are considered an outsider, you pay the “outsider” price which is often the highest tier. So, if a souvenir that costs a Turk €1, it will cost you €5. Turkey’s currency has crashed, but the locals are razor sharp and have become adept at using tourists to absorb the fallout from their currency collapse and the later inflation by offering a “tourist price tag” to almost everything.
This is one thing we rarely saw were price tags on anything. Often, people will quote you an outlandish price tag to see if it sticks.
Additionally, in Turkey there is an expectation to haggle/negotiate. This is so deeply ingrained in Turkish culture that it’s practically an art form. For Americans, like me, who hate to haggle, that means you will often pay the top tier prices for things that will feel like you’re in Switzerland, France, or Italy.
I bought two small stickers for about €5 and after using the bathroom we boarded the bus.
While the bus was filled with almost everyone from the excursion back on, an elderly man with a voice that can only be created from smoking 10,000 cigarettes per day began to speak at the bus entrance, “I am ‘Delicious’, and my Turkish delight is delicious.”
I’m not sure if he intended for his announcement to sound lewd but several older women gasped and others laughed. It was funny. His first price was crazy, and when he threw in three boxes for the original quote, I bought. How could I not from a man who calls himself Delicious?
Download the Kusadasi Shopping Guide provided on our Tour Bus
Carpet Co-Op in Kusadasi
On the ride back, our tour guide offered an optional experience at a carpet cooperative, an outfit that makes and sells hand-woven carpets. The owner, a suave and refined gentleman with a silky smooth voice, showed the way the silk is boiled.
Accompanying him was an award-winning carpet weaver (carpet weaving in Turkey is a female-centered occupation) who began to bring threads across a loom using silk to form the basis for a silk carpet.
They then took us upstairs to a showroom. These carpets were visually captivating. The silk would catch the light and completely transform it into a different set of shimmering colors. It reminded me a chameleon or how octopus can change colors. They were also soft and beautiful.
I made the mistake of expressing interest, only to be taken to a second location (with my husband,) which I hate doing in a foreign country. In this new showroom, one flight up, we were shown incredible rugs and soon learned that the price tag was way out of our budget.
On the backside of the carpet that I wanted, I saw a number I thought was in Turkish lira which, when I did a rough conversion, came out to just under $2,000. I was actually OK with that price until he told me that number was not in Turkish lira but in American dollars!
GASP!!!
Don’t get me wrong, they were absolutely beautiful, truly masterful pieces of work. He also has every right to charge what he wants, but I am not his customer.
The price kept coming down, 50% off, $25,000, $18,000. I loved that carpet, it was so gorgeous, but even with the discounts, it was way too rich for my blood.
As we walked out, the energy changed.
The stairwell outside the showroom was full of men, all lined up against the wall. They were the runners and lifters for the carpets, probably waiting to be called if they were needed.
The older man shouted out something in Turkish to them, and we at once felt very uncomfortable. Nobody said or did anything to us, just the sheer number of large men felt intimidating.
We felt a kind of predatory gaze upon us.
Outside of the shop, we felt that same energy everywhere with all the vendors. They looked at us like ATMs, and it felt so uncomfortable for us that we went back to the ship. We had seen Ephesus, and that was really what we wanted.
We spent the rest of the time on board, luxuriating, watching the sunset, and even some storm clouds roll in, which in its own way was also dramatic and alluring.
Practical Recommendations for Ephesus/Kusadasi
✅⏰ If you are doing the free Viking excursion, “TRKUS03 Ancient Ephesus” definitely sign up for the earliest one (8:30 AM). You’ll be one of the first groups there to enjoy as much of it as you can before it’s swarmed with people. Remember, it’s not just Viking groups, but other tour groups as well as descending on the space.
✅🚻Bring your own paper towels, hand towels, and/or hand sanitizer as the public restrooms may not have towels to dry off your hands.
✅👟Many of the stone-paved streets in Ephesus are made of marble that has been polished over time and is extremely slippery. Make sure you are wearing shoes with a grip, and if you normally use a cane, bring it. You’ll also be walking quite a bit so make sure they are comfortable.
✅💶Most people in Turkey will accept Euros or Dollars or Turkish Lira. Be prepared to haggle; this is normal in Turkey, and you will rarely see price tags on anything. Expect to be told a shockingly high price. Have in your mind what you’re willing to pay and try to haggle down to that amount/range. If not, leave…and if your price is right–they’ll call you back and make the deal…if not…you were probably too low for them.