Basilica Cistern

It was so hard to pick just one place to talk about! I’m excited for this entire trip; it’s such an amazing opportunity to be able to experience a new city and culture as well as study the historical significance of all the palaces, mosques, etc. Only a few more days!

The Basilica Cistern was built during Emperor Justinian’s rule in order to provide the city of Istanbul with enough water. A cistern collects and stores water and this particular one is the largest of several hundred cisterns that are under Istanbul. It is 500 feet southwest of the Hagia Sophia and is 453ftx 212 ft, giving it the ability to contain 10,000 tons of water. However, today it only has a few feet of water along the bottom.

It was built around 532 AD under the Stoa Basilica Square, which explains the name. It is also known as the “Sunken Palace” or in Turkish, “Yerebatan sarayi”. 

 There are 336 large marble columns supporting the ceiling and 52 stone steps that lead into the entrance of the cistern. In one corner, there are 2 columns that have Medusa’s head carved into the base, one that is upside-down and one that is sideways. The reason for these orientations is still unknown. 

            It is considered one of the top tourist attractions in Turkey and has even been in the James Bond movie “From Russia with Love”.

            I can’t wait to hear the dripping water, see the beautifully designed columns and learn more about its history. It is such a unique place; I have never seen a cistern before and I’m happy that this one will be my first. 

Ephesus

            Ephesus was one of the most influential and important cities of the ancient Greek and Roman world. At its peak in the first century B.C. it had more than 250,000 inhabitants. It’s home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The city also features prominently in the Bible: the apostles Paul and John each wrote a letter to the church there, and the Gospel of John and 1 Corinthians were likely written there. The city has gone through dramatic rises and declines throughout the last few millennia, and today it is a prominent tourist attraction in northern Turkey, in the Izmir Province.

            I am very excited for this particular part of the trip, as I have always been a fan of exploring ancient ruins. The rich cultural and Biblical history of the city fascinates me, and I look forward to personally experiencing Ephesus.  -Addison

Ephesus

Hi everyone!

Like Sarah said earlier, I'm also really excited for our day trip to Ephesus.  Originally, I was looking forward to this because in religion class last year I had to do a project on the Book of Ephesians.  I thought it would be so cool to walk among the ruins of a city that once had a book of the Bible addressed to them.

I find the whole religious aspect of the city fascinating.  For example, two councils of the early Christian Church were held in AD 431 and AD 449 in the city, but even further back in its history are the gods of the Greeks and Romans.  This is demonstrated by many of the ruins, like the Temple of Hadrian, which was built in honor of one of the five good emperors of the Roman Empire, Emperor Hadrian.  It really interests me to see how religion and politics interact, and this ruin is a perfect example of that.

I also think that ancient ruins are interesting- it amazes me that the buildings have survived for so long and have weathered so much.  It makes me feel so small to think that we will be walking where people thousands of years ago walked as well.  I do not know exactly what we will be seeing, but I read about The Library of Celsus, and it seems like such a beautiful ruin.  Apparently, the statues in the niches each represent a certain trait: Sophia (wisdom), Arete (virtue),Ennoia (intellect), and Episteme (knowledge).

I hope everyone's having a good break!  Can't wait to see you all!

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.

Apocalypse Fever Hits Turkey . . . Again

Just received this in the mail today!

As most of you know I study the Book of Revelation, which is also known as John's Apocalypse and which is the last book of the Christian Bible.  The Apocalypse, which was written in the first century CE as a response to the influence of the Roman Empire in Asia Minor (i.e. modern Turkey), was addressed to Christian congregations in seven cities, including Ephesus . . . one of the cities we will be visiting while we are abroad.  (FYI: I'm giddy over the thought of visiting Ephesus and when we get there you all might have to help me when I faint with excitement.)

Anyway, you all may be aware of the fact that the "Mayan Apocalypse" is predicted for December 21. And, interestingly, it seems that excitement over this apocalyptic scenario (which happens to be a product of European colonialism--ask me about that later) has spread to a little town near Ephesus!  It's like the Apocalypse has come home!

We'll definitely be talking some about the Apocalypse of John when we are in Ephesus (and Laodicea), in part because it shows how one group of people understood and tried to resist Roman imperialism. Also, since one of the aims of this course is to think about how particular fields of study engage in academic inquiry, Michael and I will be highlighting some of the ways that our disciplinary lenses and scholarly interests relate to what we are experiencing in Turkey.

(FYI:  If you're interested in a peak at some of my scholarship that kind of engages the ancient Roman world as it emerged in Asia Minor, you can check out an online article I've published here.  It's written for those in biblical studies, so it's pretty technical.)

Orpheus Returns

One of the issues related to the study of ancient cultures is the repatriation of art and artifacts.  In the past decade there has been quite a bit of effort by certain countries, including Turkey and Italy, to have ancient art and artifacts returned to their original historical contexts.  Such is the case with this mosaic of Orpheus, which has been housed in a Dallas museum (click here for article).  In some cases, such as this one, museums holding antiquities from ancient contexts, especially pieces whose procurement might be questionable, are taking the first step, returning pieces to their countries of origin.  This issue raises a number of questions, including who should be responsible for historical artifacts and what are the benefits of having artifacts "in situ."