Ephesus

The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus. Picture found here.

I would have to say that one of the places that I am most excited to visit is Ephesus. Ancient European history has always fascinated me, and I especially enjoyed learning about struggles for power and imperialism and about how this imperialism affected societies' cultures and infrastructures. I enjoy being able to "see" history where it occurred, which is one of the main reasons why I wanted to apply for this course in the first place. My goal is to integrate what I already know about the area with what we see and learn while abroad to create a better understanding of the area and how its past culture has affected its society today. There is so much history surrounding ancient Turkey, with some of its evidence remaining for students and tourists to see today. Experiencing this history on site is what I am most excited about. I want to be able to see the evidence that remains and, as a result, be able to understand more about how and why the Romans, and eventually the Turks, took control of the city.
I remember learning about the Turks in my high school freshman and sophomore World History courses and being enthralled with how conflict and imperialism can change the course of history forever. For me, seeing the sights at Ephesus will allow all that I have learned about it to sink in and solidify the images that I have only seen in my textbooks and on Google. Although I am not sure of everything that we will being doing when we go to Ephesus, I am hoping to be able to see some of the ruins that give clues about Roman imperialism. Ephesus is home to the Temple of Artemis--one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Library of Celsus, and other sites that were built in or around the time of the Roman Empire. Visiting Ephesus, I think, will be one of the most rewarding experiences of the course because it will not only allow us to expand our knowledge about Roman imperialism, but it will also allow us to truly experience some of the most amazing aspects of ancient Turkish history and culture.