EPHESUS

Of all the ruins in Turkey, the grandest and best-restored are at Ephesus. This prominent ancient capital was founded in the 10th century BC by the Ionian Greeks and flourished between 600 BC and 500 AD (it once had a population of 300,000). Biblical buffs may know the town as the inspiration for St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians and it was the site of one of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor.

According to the great historian Strabon, Karyas and Leleks who migrated West Anatolia from the inside of Anatolia at the 2000 years before Jesus; and again according to the historian Pausanias, Leleks and one branch of Lidians, settled down to the fertile lands which Kaestros watered, and around the temple that they assembled to the name of their mother goddess Kybele.

Again a branch, that’s formed from the same people, Settled down to the slopes of Pilav Mountain which is at the surrounding of Andiz Tower at Kusadasi. After a period of time, also public god Ales who established the first city government at Termessos that was on the north shores of Anatolia, and Amazons; the children of Hermione, came to this vicinity.many city Amazons had founded governments on the west and east of Anatolia. The amazon queen, who provided society’s passing over settled life from migratory, had given her name to Ephesus.attacked Dors, being violent and warrior persons, the places that can be lived and its ground can be scattered, they murdered the ones living there and they caught the cities.

Androkles, the son of Athens king Kossos, who was afraid of Dor’s invasion, got permission from his father for settling down in quiet places. And by getting on a ship with a group of his friends, he came out to this most beautiful shore of Aegean. According to the Ion beliefs, on the purpose of fixing the place of the city which would be newly established, he visited the priests of Apollon temple at Claros. The priests said him that; “a fish and a pig would show him the way”. On one evening, Androkles and his friends were cooking fish at a place near shore. One of the fishes which they cooked, fell down from the pot and fired the grasses. A pig, which was lying between the grasses, started to escape fastly. Androkles got on his horse and shot the pig. Here was the front of Kyble temple. The oracle’s words had been turned out to be true. First, Androkles and his soldiers clashed with Ephesus people for a short time. He established their temple to the name of their goddess Artemis at the sploses of Kolossos Mountain, front of Kyble temple and settled down his nation there.

The small societies, which established in Aegean before them, had decided to live in the places that are further north and they gave the names Ionia and Eolia there, and had started to form Polis (city governments) which were living in peace. At polis, laws had been being in force: these laws had provided equvalent living of Ions with the local public which lived in that vicinity. Androkles, called the Ephesus queen to form a bigger Ephesus. By this way they gathered and prepared a law string. This law string would provide their societies’ equivalent living; it would pass the things they knew about agriculture, trade, art, culture to a higher position. The city’s name remaining as “Ephesus” was accepted by the wish of the queen.

Ephesus nation was an expert at agriculture till that day. They were raising especially fig, olive and grape very well. They knew how to infect, fertilise and make the vegetables more fruitful by changing their places. They provided wine from grapes and oil from olives. They produced honey by feeding bee. They knew working with mines, marbles, stones, and by nourishing animals, they made good use of their milk and meat.However the ions were very good tradesmen and seamen.of products which they got, to the most far As a result of this two culture’s mixing, the selling countries that can be reached, had realised and thus a great richness began to flow Ephesus.

At last Ephesus became the biggest center of the trade road that was from Asia to Europe. Ephesus began to lead a splendid life. Ephesus’ name was started to be remembered with respect and inclination in everywhere. The shore governments of Ions, which directed their own selves, are the first examples of governments that were managed by democracy at history.

Neighbour governments and this provided a peace There was a war between the environment. At this peace environment, they made a decision for being rich by utilising the ground and this was put into practice. Ions held on the elements, which would provide their living together and peacefully, top of everything. They took pains not to break off their religious ties with Greek although they founded independent governments at Anatolia.