We docked early and scheduled our private tour to start at 8:30 AM. But even that was a little late to try and miss the worst of the crowds at Ephesus. So.Many.People! Ephesus was a large city, population near 250,000. So a realistic experience I suppose! And, we were some of the lucky ones as the line of tour buses and taxis waiting to enter the area was very long when we were leaving.

Our guide Ismail, was so knowledgeable. He was proud of his country and heritage. David and I knew a lot about the New Testament era of Ephesus and Paul’s time there. So to walk by the amphitheater where he spoke and through the area of Jewish merchants where he worked as a tent maker seemed astonishing.

Much of the architecture is only now being reconstructed as earthquakes destroyed much of the city. But the one wall of the library of Celsus has been rebuilt and gives a sense of the massive structures in the city.

As many tours in Turkey, ours included a stop at a Women’s Cooperative were we saw a demonstration of the double knot technique and the spinning of silk thread. These coops were founded by the government to give the women in more rural areas a means of income. They are exempt from many of the taxes to make it more attractive to purchase from them. It was fascinating to hear the customs associated with the rug weaving.

Ismail’s wife is a nurse, yet she still made 2 rugs to bring to the marriage that they use in their home. His 10 year old daughter is going to an English school and speaks fluent English, yet she is also learning to make her own rugs. When it is said, “She has finished her rugs.” It is understood she is ready to marry.

After our lunch at the cooperative, we had some Turkish coffee, “middle” (coffee with just a little bit of sugar). They served it with a small container of water. If you were invited to a Turkish home for coffee, you would also be presented both coffee and water. If you started with the water, it meant you were hungry and you would also be offered something to eat. If you started with the coffee you were satisfied and did not need food.

So many ways of communicating indirectly about life and status. Who knew just the way you drank your coffee carried so much meaning.