Walking in the Footsteps of Apostle Paul 🇹🇷 | Ancient Ephesus, House of Mary & Acts 19

Walking through ancient Ephesus, Turkey 🇹🇷 was one of the most meaningful days of our entire Mediterranean adventure. We booked a private guide for the day and explored the incredible ruins of ancient Ephesus, one of the best-preserved cities of the ancient world and a place with an amazing connection to the New Testament. As Christians, what made this day especially meaningful for Kristi and me was realizing that we were walking through the same city and along the same streets where the Apostle Paul walked nearly 2,000 years ago. Paul spent years ministering in Ephesus, and many of the places described in the Bible suddenly became real as we stood there. We walked through the ancient marketplace and learned about the commercial life of the city during Paul’s time. We also visited the enormous Great Theatre of Ephesus, which could hold thousands of people. This is the setting connected with one of the most dramatic stories in Acts 19. As Paul’s message about the one true God spread throughout Ephesus, it threatened the business of craftsmen who made silver shrines associated with the goddess Artemis. A huge crowd eventually gathered in the theater, shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” — Acts 19:28 Standing inside that same enormous theater while thinking about what happened there nearly 2,000 years ago was surreal. Our private guide also took us through the incredible ruins and archaeological museum and to the House of the Virgin Mary, traditionally believed to be where Mary spent the later years of her life. Beyond the biblical history, Ephesus itself is spectacular — ancient streets, columns, temples, homes, marketplaces and the famous Library of Celsus. It’s difficult to comprehend the scale of the city until you’re actually standing in it. After an amazing day exploring, our guide took us for a private authentic Turkish lunch, where we enjoyed local food and a cold Turkish beer. 🇹🇷🍺 It was the perfect ending to an unforgettable day. We’ve visited some incredible places on this trip, but Ephesus was different. There was something incredibly special about being able to connect places we’ve read about in the Bible with the actual locations where those events occurred. If you’re visiting Ephesus from a Mediterranean cruise, we would absolutely recommend considering a private guided tour. Having someone explain the history, archaeology and biblical significance brought the entire ancient city to life for us. Thanks for coming along on another adventure with us!