Ephesus Archaeological Museum
Its best-known exhibit is the ancient statue of the Greek Goddess Artemis retrieved from the temple of the goddess in Ephesus.
Original frieze slabs from the Temple of Hadrian depicting the foundation of Ephesus, 4th century ADEphesus Museum, Selçuk, Turkey
Carvings depicting Cybele, the Anatolian mother goddess. An important deity, she was the only known goddess of Phrygia, a kingdom in west central Anatolia now known as modern Turkey.
scholarly controversy. While traditionally interpreted as multiple breasts symbolizing
fertility, many experts now believe these oval objects are bull testicles, hung as
offerings during sacrificial ceremonies. Some scholars even suggest they could be
bee larvae, as bees were sacred to Artemis.
What makes this debate particularly intriguing is that none
of the “breasts” have nipples – a detail that ancient sculptors,
masters of human anatomy, would hardly have
overlooked.
Pictured below is a gigantic bust of Domitian, the emperor
of Rome from 81 to 96 AD.
The archetypal und archaic Anatolian goddess, Cybele, was revered not only throughout Anatolia but also on the neighboring (modern day) Greek islands.
Evidence of her cult can still be seen today in the cave formations and niches carved into hillsides. Her great gift to humanity is the mystery of rebirth.
Many of these caves symbolize the birth canal and end in womb-like forms. On the island of Samos, for example, one enters the caves as if stepping back into the darkness of the womb—not of a biological mother and father, but of the Great Goddess of eternity.
During our journey through Anatolia, we will visit many such places—caves and rock niches where Cybele was likely venerated long before the appearance and unveiling of the many goddesses who later emerged in human consciousness, in our hearts and in our souls.
