Ephesus was actually on the Turkish shore of the Aegean Sea, which featured spectacular Roman engineering, especially plumbing.

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The trip also included a three-day cruise of the Greek Islands (highly overrated), plus Rhodes, and Ephesus (not overrated).

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Traditions continually renewed themselves: just as crowds of worshippers once assembled in Ephesus, so today they wait in front of St Peter's in Rome to receive the blessing of the pope.

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This comprised one city each on the islands of Chios and Samos and ten on the mainland of Asia Minor opposite, namely, Phocaea, Clazomenae, Erythrae, Teos, Lebedus, Colophon, Ephesus, Priene, Myus, and Miletus.

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The pope will remain in Turkey for the rest of the week, visiting Ephesus, the site of a shrine where Mary, mother of Jesus, is believed to have lived out her final days, and Istanbul.

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