All the way to Ephesus, aboard Turkish Airlines

To understand the incalculable value of Ephesus, history must be noticed. The Greek geographer and historian Strabo (63 BC – 24 AD), known for his work Geography, said that Ephesus was called Smyrna after an Amazon. There you´ll find the small town of Ayasaluk, whose name is believed to come from the Greek hagios theologos, which means holy theologian.

After long years of revolts and wars, Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia, arrived in Ephesus in the year 334 BC. C. after fighting the Persians and establishing the Greek-style democracy.

The Greeks, under the rule of King Croesus, built a temple that they dedicated to the goddess Artemis, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.

Two centuries later, when the Roman Empire occupied the Asia Minor peninsula, and following the great battle of Actium in 44 BC, the Romans built a port and Ephesus prospered to be an important city in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea.

Ephesus today

Three important avenues of the ancient city distinguish this archaeological center, recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

If we enter the secondary gate of the archaeological area, where the agora or main square was located, we will walk along Curetes Avenue, until we reach the magnificent Celso's library.

As we walk, we see the Gate of Hercules, the fountain of Trajan and the temple of Hadrian, all built in the 2nd century.

Hadrian's temple stands out for being one of the best preserved and most beautiful structures on Curetes Avenue. It was built before the year 138 and dedicated to Emperor Hadrian, who visited the city in the year 128.

There are also the famous public baths: a row of 36 holes, built in marble, where fresh water used to run to carry away the waste.

On one side of the ancient library is the marble road, which leads to the great theatre built by the Greeks and enlarged by the Romans. From there you can see the old port and the sea.

Airline

We chose Turkish Airlines to fly from Miami to Istanbul and continue to Izmir by air for one day only.

Although Turkish Airlines is well known for its food, beverages, and lounges, we were happy to fly this version of the Boeing 777-300 ER.

This aircraft Business Class layout is not extremely popular. The cabin includes 49 seats spread over two sections with a galley between them. Many complain about the 2-3-2 configuration as an uncompetitive business class product, and I would never wish to be sitting in a middle seat.

Nevertheless, these seats are comfortable. In the lie-flat mode, they are quite comfortable for lounging and sleeping.

If you are traveling alone, you might have to engage in a conversation onboard with your neighbor, unless you find another row available and you excuse yourself to move over.

A shoe bag with slippers inside was waiting for me on my seat.

Flight attendants later distributed a Versace-branded amenity kit with dental kit, eye shade, and Versace-branded skin products among other convenient items.

Turkish Airlines offers a large In-Flight Entertainment library with hundreds of movies, TV shows, and games, as well as a wide audio selection and channels of live TV.

Free of additional charge wi-fi onboard is available.

Food and drink

Turkish Airlines is well known for its catering, which includes a multi-course meal and an extraordinary beverage selection.

When food is ready, flight attendants dress as chefs, as they present menus for the flight.

After takeoff, you are offered regular drinks, cocktails, international wines, and nuts.

A few minutes later, my table was set for dinner, including tablecloth and a simulated candle to give some ambiance to the meal table.

I chose seafood with grilled vegetables as the appetizer.

I also had half a bowl of creamy soup with plenty of mushroom flavor and topped with croutons.

There is a snack bar available in between meals, with cheese sandwiches, cakes, mixed nuts, and cookies.

Breakfast

About two hours from Istanbul airport, breakfast was ready with another feast.

First, I chose a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice.

The breakfast starter included a fruit plate, yogurt, chicken breast and smoked turkey, and a small selection of cheese.

And yes, pastries and bread were also offered, along with butter and jam, and an almost perfectly cooked omelet.

Immigration

If you carry a US passport, you can choose to apply for an entry permit to Turkey through the airline's portal or another one enabled by the Turkish government. In both cases it is a quick process, which now requires paying $50 on-line prior to your arrival.

Flight back to Miami on Economy Class

On my way back, I chose Economy Class to have a full idea of service aboard. And yes, economy class is economy class, but still a positive verdict overall.

With 300 seats in Economy Class, in a 3-3-3 configuration, the seats were relatively comfortable, but it would still be a long flight with 32″ of legroom.

You get a blanket and a pillow, and each seat has a USB port, In-Flight Entertainment touchscreen, bi-fold tray table, and coat hook.

Wi-fi aboard is available for a fee, unless you can get a special code at the ticket counter when checking-in.

You also have an economy class amenity kit with socks, lip balm, ear plugs, eye shade, and toothbrush. Don´t expect Versace-branded skin products here buddy.

After takeoff, a hot towel is offered.

Food and drinks

A savory lemonade with fresh mint was offered, as a printed menu was distributed including hummus and a garden salad as appetizer, and two choices of main course: chicken and pasta.

Turkish wine and liquor were also available during the meal service.

During the flight, any time, cheese sandwich and chocolate cake were available.

Before landing at MIA airport, another garden salad, and macaroni and cheese were offered.

Accommodation

On the European side of Turkey, overlooking the great natural Bosphorus canal, the biggest part of Istanbul, the very ancient Constantinople, has the best accommodations, and the Shangri-La Bosphorus hotel is facing precisely the Bosphorus.

It is a spacious 5-star hotel near the financial center and shopping area in the busy Beikta area.

The interiors are particularly lavish, and rooms are some of the largest in the city. Deluxe Rooms are especially large for an entry-level category.

Dining options and leisure facilities are also top-notch and in-room tech such as TV mirrors impress.

You must take a taxi or public transportation to the main attractions of the old city. However, this hotel is a few steps away from the clubs, shops, and restaurants where you’ll find the young, glamorous faces of modern Turkey.