Tour bus after tour bus.  Cruise ships also send thousands of people each day, and this is off season.  Ephesus is a ruin of a large city of New Testament fame (Book of Ephesians, Acts, Corinthians, etc).  It is exciting to be in the outdoor theater where Paul took on the silver smithing union and barely survived (Somewhere in the book of Acts)!  Ephesus was eventually abandoned when the sea silted up, and moved several kilometers from the city.  Parts have been lightly restored by archaeologists with original materials, and the library facade has been rebuilt (again with original pieces).  Ephesus is near the modern town of Selcuk--there are some interesting photos from there as well.  One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis, is located a kilometer from Selcuk and Ephesis.  Nothing but a single pillar remains of the original temple.

 

Pamukkale ("Cotton Castle" in Turkish) is a village, a park, and a geological formation.  It is one of the most famous if not visited sights in Turkey.  The town is quite small...maybe 2000 people, and the main industry is tourism.  There are "wild" pomegranate trees all over.  They have far fewer pomegranates on them than when we arrived.  The Pamukkale National Park is only 100 Meters from the town "center".  The park contains the Pamukkale pools, and the ruins of ancient Hierapolis.  The pools contain beautifully colored spring water high in calcium.  The water deposits the calcium and creates strange pools with bleached white stalagtites.  The pools are on the edge of Hierapolis, a well excavated ruin.