Day 200 Thurs 3 May 2007 Selcuk, Turkey

The day is devoted to visiting the historic site of Ephesus, once one of the largest cities in Asia Minor and home to the library of Celsus as well as many magnificent ruins. It’s become one of the most popular tourist sites in Turkey and despite it being early in the year it was fairly crowded although by lunchtime the numbers had thinned out.

In the afternoon we return to the hotel and visit the restored remains of the Basilica of St John, who after the crucifixion came here to live with Jesus’s mum who had a house nearby. John wrote his bit of the bible across the road from the hotel. St Paul too used to hang out here until he was run out of town by the makers of idols whose livelihood he threatened. Anyway the Basilica built in C6 by Justinian (who was also a regular Bob the Builder – although we suspect being an emperor he never actually lifted a brick in his life – he just claimed to be the builder so he could get his name in the history books when in fact it was all done by slaves) was/is the 7th largest cathedral in the world and pretty impressive even in its ruined form.

Then its back to the hotel and from the roof terrace we watch the castle burn down. Amazing, its stood since Byzantine times, built in C6 and withstood earthquakes and attacks from all manner of mauraruders, but as we sit on the roof drinking sundowners it catches fire and all the fire engines from Selcuk eventually arrive and squirt water all over the place. Takes about an hour to get it under control and as the smoke clears we see that its only the grass and bush all around it which has been ablaze.