Upper Agora, Ephesus

his is one of the views you will see as you enter the site [sometimes without me :-)] When you approach to one of the plans ahead of you and turn to your left slightly and look on the crest of the hill, you will notice traces of Hellenistic or Lysimachus (one of the generals of Alexander the Great) Walls (Click here to read about the walls).

here I stand in the picture, on my right (on the left of the picure), there are examples of original water pipes which were manufactured between 3rd Century B.C. and 4th Century A.D. which fall on, mostly, Roman Period. Interesting as it is, these pieces of pipes were made in such a way that one end was male and the other end female connected and glued with a substance made out of three different materials (since they did not have glue in today's understanding):-

1) Water,
2) Real thin river sand (silt), and,
3) Egg-white.

Mixing these three things together made an excellent glue, and when they smeared the beginnings and endings of these pieces of pipes, it did not even let any air to leak out of them. Can you imagine how many chickens they were supposed to raise just for this purpose?

his agora was built on a rectangular shape in between of Water Depot, and Water Palace on the left hand side (when you face the agora from the entrance) and a Double Colonnade in front of the Odeon. But when you look at the lower skirt of the hill on the left you will see a small structure that looks like a piece of wall. This one was one of the 4 aquaducts which supported the city for water supply.

t the beginning of the construction of this agora, a small monumental building was built somewhere in the center, probably dedicated to the Goddess Isis of Egypt. (Ephesus was a cosmopolitan city and every nationalities were here and each one of them were allowed to build their own temples and worship their own deities.) (You will see the foundation of this temple on the picture at the page about Odeon or Concert Hall.) This place was used to announce the official government decrees and celebrate the religious days. But, later on, as you walk away from this point where you stand, just across from where you are at and to the end of the agora, you will see some arches. These were shops added to the agora that then really turned this place into a market area. And, as a result of one of the excavations, the corner at the south-east end (to your left from where you stand) relieved the information that this area was used as a cemetery during the time of Ephesus No. 2, which falls on the 8th, 7th, 6th and 5th centuries B.C.
Upper or State Agora viewed from the Byzantine Walls. On the mid-left is the Odeon, next on the left of the Odeon is the Temple of Vesta or Hestia (Domination Goddess or the goddess of hearths of homes).

Upper or State Agora viewed from the Byzantine Walls. On the mid-left is the Odeon, next on the left of the Odeon is the Temple of Vesta or Hestia (Domination Goddess or the goddess of hearths of homes).

his picture was taken from the Byzantine Walls above the Odeon which is on the mid-left of the picture and next to it is the Temple of Vesta or Hestia (a goddess worshipped as Domination Goddess and the Goddess of Hearths of Homes. Above the picture is the Upper or State Agora with a probable Temple of Isis of Egypt. And upper-right corner of the picture is the Water Palace.