Edward Falkener
Edward Falkener, Ephesus and the Temple of Diana, London, Day & Son, 1862
It is wonderful to consider, as we walk through this vast metropolis of the present day, that cities of antiquity as large as London have once existed and disappeared, leaving not a trace behind; it is wonderful to reflect that as many multitudes of persons as we now see moving constantly about, each occupied in the busy affairs of life, once existed there, and have passed away, without children or successors to record their history. It is peculiarly solemn and striking, in travelling in these regions, to journey sometimes for days together without meeting with a modern town, and this in plains and valleys which we know to have been once densely populated; to wander over the remains of cities, sometimes so perfect that their inhabitants seem only to have left them yesterday; to find these cities often so close together as to excite marvel how their inhabitants could have subsisted, – and now, instead of the pleasant faces of mankind, to see a howling wilderness; to behold splendid public buildings in some ancient city, – so splendid as to denote considerable importance and prosperity,– and to search history in vain for the name inscribed upon its walls: and, on the other hand, to search for the remains of some well-known city of antiquity, and not to be able to fix even upon its very site. […]
The city of Ephesus (from Mount Coressus)
The city of Ephesus (from the Theatre)
Mosque at Aiaslik
Panoramic views