GROUP
JOURNAL FOR
TRADITIONAL WEAVING AND
FIBER ART TOUR
September 8, 2005 - September 22, 2005
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GROUP
JOURNAL FOR
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9/21/05 Day Fifteen Up early at 6:30 am to take a dip in the Aegean. Breakfast of yogurt, museli, watermelon and coffee.
On the
bus, Meli handed out the delicious stuffed grape leaves, which we had made
yesterday but had not eaten. Nov is the best time to visit the Turkish
coast. Many hotels close from Oct-April. Told us that Turks wanted imams and
priests only wear special clothes during prayer – not on the street but the
1923 Lausanne Treaty Temple of Artemus one pillar with a stork nest on top is the only piece left of one of the 7 wonders of the world; the rest is in the British Museum 4th millennium BC people started living there because a meteor fell in an orchard. People called it a “Reflection from Heaven”. There was then a matriarchal system responsible for business, defense, farming, temple, etc. Women were called Amazons. Stone was placed in a sacred tree. “Apasa” was the queen. In 1200 BC Byzas was built as a city. People came to the land of Apasa. There is a legend involving Androcolies who was living in Macedonia rocky mountains. He got permission and light from the gods to go to Delphi to ask for permission to head east. He spoke to a drugged out oracle who told him to find a place where there were fish, fire, and boar. He went to the Aegean Sea in boats. Got off at Ephesus where he caught a fish which jumped out of a pan. The fire underneath caused the forest to catch fire resulting in a boar running away, thereby satisfying the oracle’s prophesy. He blended in with the Amazonian people. The newcomers shipped the Amazonian products and connected Ephesus with western Turkey. It became rich and in 9th c BC was a center for people from Egypt, Greece, Anatolia. They moved it to enlarge the city. At a forum, he suggested the creation of one big temple for all deities (3 times bigger than the Temple of Apollo). It took 100-150 years to complete. Went back to the Forum to discuss the cost. Said that we have accomplished the biggest task for the mother goddess. If her house is safe, then people should feel free to leave their valuables in her home. Each year, Mother Goddess will offer an annual gift to those who had entrusted her with their possessions. This wealth allowed the city to grow and be stable producing more wealth. In 700 BC, decided to form a collaboration with 11 cities into Ionia. Began the Rule of demos. Became a Panionic Confederation. Ephesus benefited the most. One day when the Persians were coming from the east, the Convention decided to fight them. Reps from Ephesus said but if we fight, how will we show loyalty to Mother Goddess and protect her temple. They offered, as those closest to the Temple, to protect it and let the other cities do the fighting. (Like Switz neutrality as the center of banking). Persians took over. the result was the Dark Ages from 5-4 BC. Ephesus was not destroyed. The sea continued to recede. 17 years later in the Forum, the night of a man initiated fire to the Temple, reps faced an angry crowd. Where was their protectress goddess they demanded? Answer: Once in 500 years, she went to Macedonia to help the mother of Alexander deliver her son. She returned and now her place is again safe. Alexander stopped in Smyrna (Izmir) on his way to India. Someone told him that everyone knew he caused the Temple’s destruction and asked to see Ephesians. At 17, he offered to rebuilt the Temple. An elder said that he was sorry but that in our tradition, a god cannot build the house for another god. Alexander said “If you accept me as a God, I will build a Temple and a whole new city”. He turned to his general and 3rd c BC – 6th c AD built Ephesus nearer the water. 900 years later, the sea filled in the harbor. There were many mosquitoes and malaria. The Christians thought that it was the result of evil spirits and left everything in tact. There is a hillside burial of John the Evangelist. The architect who built St. John Basilica was the same who was invited by Theodora and Justin to build Hagia Sophia. Arabs tore apart Ephesus and built a high wall. Selcukians lived with Arabs and relocated to Selcuk (western most part of their Empire) until 1922. Turkish parliament was established in 1920. Turkey accepted Lausanne Treaty in order to get European recognition for their new Republic. Ephesus had 200,000 inhabitants during the Roman Empire. The houses were more impressive than in Pompeii. They had centralized heating, a medical school with surgery done 1st CE- 2nd AD. Soranos was a gyn. They had tweezers, mirror, puzzle ring, ate in a dining room on reclining “kline” couch Domitian’s Square was named after the Roman Emperor who only used superlatives (the most, etc); built him a temple on arches with a huge platform; surrounded by 3 story high columns with images of Roman soldiers and a huge statue of an emperor who, in 84 AD was killed by a slave. He had ordered the persecution of Christians Lower city was a residential area. Three story high colinated building with statues on each floor; water poured from the feet of the top female statue on to the others; the sun’s rays created rainbows; walkway and sidewalks with columns and statues of important people. Behind them were small shops. 2nd c AD, people knew that round. King/emperor had his foot on a globe mosaic sidewalks and public toilets with mosaic floors, columns, someone played music Large library with the words of well known philosophers. Other side was a brothel. Footprint indicates which way to it and what the fee was. Underground structure-included water pipes, sewage system with a grid on marble; sloping sidewalks so that the water would run off to the ground. People used lead rods at the corners of large rocks to connect them Theater used in 1974 for Yehudi Menuen. 24,000 people at full capacity. Paul could not be persecuted because he was a Roman citizen said the city clerk. They took Paul and put him in a fortress for 2 weeks before putting him on a boat. Wrote letters (Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians). Quarantine comes from French #40 for time that sailors were kept Priapos was the god of the city of Lampsakos and was the son of Dionysos and Aphrodite. He has an exaggerated phallus. He was the protector of the countryside. His importance signaled the end of Mother Goddess reign and connection of male with prosperity. In museum, saw foundations with semi-circular wall with marble reliefs telling the story of the Cyclops who killed 2 friends of Ulysses. They got the giant drunk, used an olive branch to poke out one eye and escape. Burials in the fetal position in urns. Mausoleum means it has a pillar building on top; otherwise it is a monumental tomb named after the person of that name whose wife built him a home for his ashes Augustus and his wife Livia ruled Rome during the time of Christ. To save earlier statues, they put a cross on their forehead. Brief lunch at Selcuk Kftecisi. Very good white bean cold salad, onions, tomatoes, parsley, cold yogurt and dill, delicious ground lamb meatballs, rice, onions, tomato and green pepper. House of the Virgin Mary up high hill past pine forest Many countries claim to be the last home of the Virgin Mary but it most probably is in Turkey based on Biblical, church sources and the fact that Jesus asked St. John the Evangelist to take care of her and he lived in Ephesus Concept of Mary, mother of God was accepted in the church of Ephesus; August 15th is the celebration of the assumption of Mary; both Muslims and Christians pray in this house Excellent final night dinner at a restaurant by the water. Meli’s daughter, driver, mother and maid joined us. We had eggplant dish, white fish, fresh fig dessert.
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