Can a giant amphitheater at a well-known tourist attraction feel like a secret?
Well, it depends on where you go.
During our Izmir and Pamukkale weekend, we went to two different sites of ancient Greek ruins, each with its own amphitheater, and the experiences couldn’t have been more different.
Ephesus
Ephesus is the more famous of the two. With its well-known library, large amphitheater, and convenient location outside of Izmir, it’s a mainstay of tour groups, day trips, and Ancient Greece enthusiasts.
Ephesus Amphitheater
It is pretty impressive, as most ancient ruins are. But Ephesus was overrun with busloads of tourists, cheesy reenactments, and loud tour guides hoisting umbrellas. Sure, I met a guy from Boston at the top of the amphitheater, which was kind of cool. But mostly I felt overwhelmed by the swarms of people all over the site. I’m glad we went, and I was glad to leave. 
Hierapolis was a completely different matter. 
For whatever reason, Lucy and Kivanc didn’t realize that there are ancient ruins above Pamukkale—and Kivanc is FROM this part of Turkey. So they were both pleasantly surprised when our casual walk down a flower-lined path led directly to the ruins of an ancient city that were completely deserted. 
There was absolutely no one else around, which was eerie—we weren’t totally sure we were supposed to be there at first—but ultimately amazing. We frolicked, explored, and posed with the giant ruins, walking the cobblestoned streets of the ruined forum like we owned the place. 
Up a hill lies Hierapolis’ amphitheater, where we encountered a handful of humans but nothing compared to the numbers at Ephesus. You can only access the top of the amphitheater, so you get the most epic views into the space, but you can’t go onstage and recite monologues like you can at Ephesus (which, let’s be honest, is what I REALLY wanted to do). We sat in the hot Pamukkale sun and just absorbed the immensity and majesty of the ancient ruins—reflection that was nearly impossible to accomplish at Ephesus, but inevitable in Hierapolis’ sweet windswept quiet.
Hierapolis Amphitheater
Don’t skip Ephesus—it’s an accessible and impressive site. But if you’d like a calmer, more intimate experience of ancient ruins, don’t forget to keep walking when you reach the top of Pamukkale—there’s a whole city, quietly waiting for you to rediscover it.
No Comments