This must be the oldest library of them all, the Library of Celsus, and it doubled as a monumental tomb for Gaius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus. The grave itself was under the ground floor while 12,000 manuscripts lined the walls inside cupboards. The walls were specially constructed to protect the manuscripts from extremes of temperature. Originally there were three storeys, with an east facing reading room.
As I was looking up information about the library, I noticed that there is in Ephesus a temple to Hadrian, the Roman emperor who built the wall across the north of Britain, "to separate the Romans from the barbarians", in 122 AD.
I got sunburnt at Ephesus on what was the hottest and the most mind blowing day of two wonderful weeks in Turkey some yuears ago. It was well worth the sunburn and exhaustion to trawl this ancient town, of which the library is just one amazing example.
ReplyDeleteI love Ephesus! It is incredible there. It is one of the first places I ever visited when I startd my blog. I would have to second what jakill said - sunburn and tiring!
ReplyDeleteWow--that is an incredible photo! I would love to visit there someday.
ReplyDeleteYou were wondering about how to pronounce Puyallop. lol "Pew-al-up" I remember when we lived near there over 20 years ago. The locals set me straight on how to pronounce that funny name. lol
Cool. Did the books survice?
ReplyDeletePostcards, like stamps, can teach us something, or can incite us to go learn more, from more sources. :)
ReplyDelete@jakill, it sounds fascinating!
ReplyDelete@Emm, I'm going to have to find your report. I'm really thinking it's time I saw for myself.
@Beth, thanks for the pronunciation lesson, I needed it. :)
@dmarks, although I can't find any detail, I doubt it. The interior was burnt during an invasion and most of the structure collapsed in an earthquake. What you see now has been reconstructed.
@Dorincard, my thoughts exactly. I learn something from all of them.
I hope I get to go back to this area again. The day our ship was in Kusadasi, I was so exhausted from visiting several places in Greece and going on all day excursions to various ruins, I did not go to Ephesus but had a massage instead. It was fabulous but I did miss out on the ancient marvel.
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