Last night we stayed at the Richmond Thermal Hot Springs Hotel in Pamukkale, in downtown Turkey. The hotel had at least two hot springs swimming pools -- indoors and out -- and almost half our group availed themselves of these.
This morning, after a great buffet breakfast with a little bit of everything except pork sausage and bacon (and grits) we were on the bus by 8:00 a.m.
Our first stop today was about six miles down the road at Hierapolis, a spa town founded by the Greeks at the end of the second century BC. We took in our first view of the largest calcium hot springs deposits in the world from the base of the almost 650-foot cliffs; the cliffs are as white as snow. We drove on to the top of the cliffs, where the calcium-laden water has formed terraces and pools. Many off us waded a bit into the water to test the temperature -- lukewarm where we were, not as hot as the 102 degrees found closer to the springs.
Hierapolis, a World Heritage site since 1980, became a major Roman city. Some of us huffed and puffed our way up the climb to see the remains of an early Christian eight-sided church and the Martyrium of Philip, which was built in the fifth century for the apostle Philip, who was martyred in 80 AD. The tomb was discovered only three years ago.
On to Laodicea, a major Roman crossroads and trading city that became a very wealthy financial center. So rich, that when the city was devastated by an earthquake in 60 AD, they said, "Thanks, but no thanks," to the Romans' offer of aid, and they rebuilt their city themselves.
The early Christian community grew larger and larger here, until by 400 AD they had built a large church in the very center of the city. Laodicea is one of seven churches John mentions in Revelation -- but he refers to Laodicea in maybe not such a nice way. He seems to tell them that they might have gotten a bit fat and happy. He tells them they are "lukewarm." Much reconstruction has been completed on the church, enough that it is possible to see how really large the church was, but there are stacks and stacks of excavated rock still to be put in place -- and who knows how much is still underground.
Laodicea is mentioned four times in the book of Colossians, Paul's letter to the early church in Colossae. We were able to stand in Laodicea and look across the plain to the city of Colossae.
Today is the first of the four days of the Feast of Sacrifice, when Muslims celebrate the sparing of Abraham's son, Ishmael. (We Christians believe that it was Abraham's son Isaac who was spared. We learned from our guide Ahmet that it was from this story of Abraham and Ishmael that Islam developed.) The Feast of Sacrifice is a time when families visit each other and spend time together, and it is a time when young people show their respect for their elders by kissing them on their hands. Families purchase and slaughter an animal for a feast. Ahmet said that there are always accounts of people, who, not being butchers, end up in the hospital, needing stitches!
We are in the beautiful harbor town of Kusadasi, just minutes from Ephesus which we visit tomorrow.
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