Not far from the Turkish city of Kusadasi is Mount Pion, which the locals call Panayir Dagi. The height of the mountain is 155 metres and from it offers a beautiful view of the ancient Byzantine wall, surprisingly well preserved to this day. The area of Mount Pion is part of the National Park and therefore the hill is covered with its natural vegetation. More than half of the slopes are immersed in dense thickets of Mediterranean macchia. In addition, an evergreen tree, very rare for the eastern Mediterranean region, grows here - the fell oak. Its lush and glossy crown with small, smooth leaves smooth leaves can be spotted from afar because the oak is usually about ten metres high. The rest of the flora is a mixture of of rather tall cypresses and maples, together with an abundance of plantain, laurel and oleander. Various species of pine are found in places.
Under the northeastern slope of Panayir Dagi is the famous Cave of the Seven Cave of the Seven Sleepers. In it, according to legend, seven young men from Ephesus were walled up alive during the persecution of Christians in the second century. Nearly two centuries later, they were were discovered alive and well, but in a deep sleep. After an earthquake opened the cave and the young men awoke, having been asleep for about 200 years. In this way God wanted to restore the faith of Christians in the miraculous Sunday. After the young men died, Emperor Theodosius had them buried in this cave and built a pilgrim fortress in their honour.
On the northern slope of Mount Pion in the tenth century BC, the large city of Ephesus, named in honour of the Amazon Ephesia, the lover of the son of the of the son of the ruler of Athens. The city quickly became a major trading port and was so wealthy, that it didn't even build fortress walls, relying only on the authority of its temples and politicians. The sea level in those days was 57 meters higher than today, so the city was located on the shores of the Aegean Sea. Ephesus is the largest and best preserved ancient city in Turkey. Here are perfectly preserved ancient objects: the famous Church of the Virgin Mary, the Celsus Library, a large Roman theatre, baths, Trajan's fountain, and the Odeon. The Temple of Athena is also considered an interesting structure.
