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Cruise Day 2, Troy, was a bonus for the Istanbul visitors.
Not on the original itinerary, Troy took replaced Istanbul.
Disembarking at the port of Cannakkale, we were bused to Troia,
given a two hour tour of this former powerhouse of Asia Minor,
today a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Layers of civilization covering thousands of years of life and downfall
light the imagination conspiring to recall the Trojan horse, Helen, and
the Iliad and the Odyssey. Heinrich Schliemann’s mid-late 1800’s efforts
begin a century of archaeology that is still a small first step.

the Horse of Legend

Nine layers of civilization, Schliemann's efforts in the late 1800s, and the allure of myth and romance

WWI gun of Gallipolo campaign, a covered Troy archaeology pit, and backgammon at nearby Cannakkale

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not Deb's favorite toilet, in Troy; in honor of Ataturk, in Cannakkale; Jim and Pat in front of amphitheater of Ephesus

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views of the wonders that is the Ephesus ruins: public bathrooms, the lower street, the 24,000 seat amphitheater

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Cruise Day 3, Ephesus presents “one of antiquities best preserved cities,
offering an unparalleled look into the lives of the ancients.”
And time was spent at the port city of Kasudasi.
 Home for a quarter million, Ephesus hosted the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders;
the 12,00 scroll Library of Celsus; the 24,000 seat amphitheater;
as well as ground where early Christians such as St Paul and Mother Mary probably visited or lived.
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below: the fortress guarding Kasudasi; the impressive facade of the Library of Celsus