Winter in Turkey impressions #14: Ephesus surprised me not only with its sheer size and the huge roman theatre, but also with some incredibly well kept mosaics and wall paintings in some excavated houses. Lucky i arrived early, because i spent way much more time than estimated before. It was so amting to roam trough these contemporary witnesses from so many eras and history.
There’s quite a controversy about the birthday of Jesus. While some historian beliefs it was actually in Nazaraeth, where he supposed to spend also his youth, other stays with the place written in the Gospels: Bethlehem.
After entering the city trough heavy guarded check-points, we stopped at one of the best known graffiti by the anonymous artist Banksy.
The main program lead to the spot where, according to the gospels and the belief of christians, Jesus was born in a little shack. Around this place a big church with several units and chapels were build.
This Church Of The Nativity has different section according to different Christians churches, similar like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Old Jerusalem. And like there, here too they have this agreement of ‚Staus Quo‘.
If in Vatican, or Rome respectively, you must go to the Vatican Museum, they said.
But be prepared for very long queue in front of the entrance, they warned me too.
Well, when i arrived there on this cold, but beautiful winter morning, there was only a few people wanting into the museum. I just could walk trough the entrance, literally.
And so i got a glimpse of all the treasures the Catholic church collected over the past centuries and the art, sculptures and paintings they got from various artists in many of the rooms and halls.
The first section i visited was the Egyptian museum. Does these even belongs here to the Vatican, i’ve been thinking. But then more and more sculptures, paintings, mosaics and huge tapestry followed on the other rooms.
The tourists been waving with their phones, tried to capture the beauty of art in their pockets. So did i, more or less. But honestly, it’s hard to get a proper picture from the huge paintings in the wall, if you can’t inhale the spirit of the hall. In this way, it was just right to forbid to make photos in the amazing and world famous „Sistine Chapel“ There are guards, who not only watch out for illegal photographers, but also remind the visitors to be silent.
rene bauer photography 