Day 05 - Aphrodisias, Philadelphia

Today was an amazing day. We visited Aphrodisias and Philadelphia spending the majority of our day in Aphrodisias.

We began our day as we always do with the Shema but we had to do it twice as Pastor Josh needed a restart! Logan prayed for our group and for healing as we are beginning to show a little wear and ear with some blisters and a few aches and pains but overall everyone is doing great.

On the way to Aphrodisias we saw many tobacco fields. Smoking is still very popular in Turkey. We also saw miles of cotton fields. Turkey is regarded as the founder of the textile industry which was founded in the Roman times. They developed the ability to color cotton which became very popular with the Roman fashion lifestyle.  

Aphrodisias was named after Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. It must have been a magnificent place in its glory! As you enter the city, you would have gone through the Sebasteion where hundreds of carved marble squares  depicted the history of the city. Above those squares were the mask and garland frieze carvings of many  of the residents faces. The city was located close to a marble quarry and was home of the best known sculpture school.  It became known as the "city of marble." Next came The Place of the Palms which was a long water feature that must have been splendid to see. It is 170 meters long.  

The next sight we visited was the stadium. It is the best preserved Roman Stadium in the world. At the stadium, Josh shared several verses encouraging us to run a good race that will be pleasing to Jesus. We all joined together at the center of the stadium. Josh asked us to think of a burden that we could leave there. We each left the group and prayed for our burden to be lifted. We then ran back to the group where we were encouraged and applauded. It reminded us of the importance of supporting our Christian friends. It created a bond that we can always look back to when we need encouragement from the Lord. 

Next was the Temple of Aphrodite. The iconic columns at the beginning of the temple demonstrated their amazing sculpting abilities. Professor Kenan Erim is buried close to the entrance because of the years he dedicated to excavating the site. Our visit to Aphrodisias gave us true insight to the glory and power of Rome. 

At lunch we were greeted by a Turkish man playing a Turkish guitar. He was accompanied by a dancing parrot!! The traditional Turkish food and music were great!!!

Our final stop of the day was to the ruins of the ancient city of Philadelphia. It was a major gateway to the East. These ruins were in the middle of the town. The site was small in comparison to others we have visited. Paul visited here on his third missionary journey on his way to Ephesus. 

It was a blessed day where we were reminded of the things we cling to when times get hard. Josh shared to always trust in Jesus, He has your back, and He knows what you are going through. 

Clark and Beth