Ephesus and Delhi by Mia

One of the ruins we visited in Turkey was Ephesus. It was built in 1000 BC by the Greeks. In the 2000 years it was standing, Ephesus was part of many different empires.The conquerors were drawn to the city because of its advantageous location. The same is true for most big historical cities. 

Front of the Library of Celcus.

       Ephesus was built by the Greeks in the 11th century at the western end of an important Asian trade route. This desirable location caused it to be passed through the hands of the, Cimmerians (7th century B.C.), the Lydians (6th century B.C.), the Persians, and again the Greeks (5th century B.C.). Under Alexander the Great Ephesus reached its heyday as a major port city and continued thriving under the Romans as on of the most important Roman cities in Asia Minor. The wealth and prosperity of this era is well represented in the beautiful buildings they built at the time, the most important of which was the library of Celcus. During the Byzantine era the port silted up, leaving the city far inland. Unable to continue trading, the city declined and slowly lost importance. Today, the remains of the Ephesus are only a tourist attraction because no one wanted the dirt that Ephesus stood upon enough to rebuild it. 

       Another example of this is Delhi, which has a history as the capital of several empires. It was destroyed by many invaders during their raids, but it’s superb location caused it to rise over and over again. Delhi served as the capital of numerous empires under different names. Indoprastha was the first city in Delhi’s location and it was the capital of the Pandavas in 1450 BC. Since then it was been the seat of power for seven dynasties (Tomaras-Chauhans (736-1192 AD), Mamluks (1206-90 AD), Khilji (1290-1320 AD), Tughlaqs (1320-1413 AD), Sayyids (1414-51 AD), Lodhis (1451-1526 AD), Mughals (1526–1857 AD)) and one colonial power (Britain 1857-1947). There are numerous monuments and buildings left standing around the city, showing the different eras and lives that were lived out on the same soil. Now it is the capital of India and is still growing and thriving, unlike Ephesus. 

         Ephesus and Delhi are only two of many cities that rose high because of their location. A good piece of land can mean wealth and progress for a civilization. The best places have cities on them that keep coming back no matter what destruction they face.