Izmir, Turkey (Biblical Smyrna)
Sunday morning...finally finished filming this morning in Ephesus! Onward to the modern city of Izmir (population 4.5 million) which has a small excavation of the ancient city of Smyrna (Rev 2:8-11).
The modern city is build right on top of the ancient city which was grand and glorious for a time 1st century BC and 1st century AD. It had a busy port, was connected to Ephesus by a good road, it had trade from all over the known world. And it had a small community of early Christians who lived a difficult life in amongst the imperial cult and other Roman trade gods.
The site has a beautifully preserved arch system that supported the floor of an agora (market place) overhead. Fresh water canals ran beneath these arches as well.
Saw, but could not go into, the current church of Polycarp, a Christian bishop and martyr 155AD, born in Smyrna 65 AD. He was burned at the stake in Smyrna for his belief in Christ. He was a disciple of John’s.
Turkey has several several days left of a lock down during which citizens can only leave home for essential activities and shops are largely not open. Our guide and driver tell us that it usually takes a very long time to inch thorough traffic here- as you can see from our selfie in the middle of one of the busiest streets downtown by the bay, completely empty.
