Shops in Ephesus

[Viper]

Hi all,
We will be going to Ephesus in Sept 09. As we have never been there before we will be engaging a local tour operator to show us around.
Can anyone tell me what kinds of shops are available in/near Ephesus (restaurants, eateries, souvineers, etc) From the map it looks pretty barren with just ruins. But it may simply be that the shops are not shown on the maps.

Thanks
Craig

[Hank]

Ephesus is a very historic archeological site located about 15 min drive outside of Kusadasi. This is actually one of the largest active digs (at least 2 teams working in the area) and the thought of ruining the stie with shops is enough to make most visitors cringe. There are a few local vendors near the entrance where you can probably buy some cheap T-shirts, post cards, etc. For real shopping there is a real Turkish bazaar in Kusadasi (across the street from the cruise port) and lots of shops in the area full of the usual tourist junk (probably made in China). Of course you can also find some so-called jewelry factories that will be happy to sell you overpriced junk at high prices. Keep in mind that this is Turkey, where venders are very skilled at bargaining and selling you anything you want at prices well beyond their true value. There is an old saying about bargaining with the Turks which translates to something like "if they sell it to you..you have paid too much." By the way, the local tourist companies (and guides) all have deals with certain vendors who kick-back a percentage of sales. You can be sure your guide will only take you to venders that help line the guides pockets. You will generally do a lot better to simply return on your own.

Hank

[Viper]

Thanks for your reply Hank.