Selcuk Things to Do

The ruins of Ephesus are a favorite international and local tourist attraction in 9 km from Selcuk. In fact Ephesus contains the largest collection of Roman ruins East of the Mediterranean.

You can visit my separate Ephesus VT-page.

Maryemana Evi (or Meryemana Evi) is Turkish for Mary-the-mother's House. It is located 7 km from Selcuk.
Mary is mentioned no fewer than thirty-four times in the Quran, and she is the only woman in the Quran to have her own chapter or sura.

The site is an important pilgrimage destination for Christians and also for Moslems, who revere Mary as an especially holy woman and the mother of the second-greatest prophet.

The most interesting material I’ve found in internet is the following Abraham Heather MA.

You can visit my separate Meryemana VT page.

Pliny described the temple as 115 meters long and 55 meters wide, made almost entirely of marble, making its area about three times as large as the Parthenon. The main part of the Artemision Temple is displaying in the British Museum of London today. Unfortunately today the site of the temple is marked by a single column constructed of dissociated fragments discovered on the site.

You can watch my 1 min 39 sec Video clip Selcuk Temple of Artemis Slide show with Khachaturian – Suite from “Lancy Ball”.

The mosque is located close to the Ayasuluk hill at west slope of the St. Jean Bassilica. It is a Seljukian piece of art. It was constructed in 1375 by Aydýnoglu Isa Bey.
In the 19th century it was also used as a caravanserai.

The Isa bey Mosque was built in 1375 at the direction of the Emir of Aydin. It incorporates columns and stones recycled from the ruins of Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis.

2 more images

The strategic location of Selcuk has provided to be a popular place to settle down during the centuries. The grand fortress on Ayasoluk Hill is well seen from everywhere in an excellent state of preservation.

It was built in Byzantine times and extended by the Seljuks. The mighty enclosure wall had fifteen towers, mostly rectangular. Within the walls are several cisterns, a small Seljuk mosque and a Byzantine church.

The Basilica of St. John is located at the Ayasuluk Hill slopes. It was built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century over the traditional tomb of John the Evangelist. The site became a major pilgrimage destination in the Early Middle Ages.

In the middle of the basilica, under the dome and at the eastern side of the grave of St. Jean which is lower than the ground level, there are the places of the priests. These structures are separated from the church with their half squares.

The original name of Selcuk in Greek was Ayios Theologos, from which the Ottoman Turkish name Ayaslug is derived.
Ayasoluk Hill dominates the surrounding area, with several historical buildings on its slopes.

The neighbourhood next to this small park is actually the one I really loved walking through. Small, white and very cute houses, with lovely gardens, quiet and very... well, atypical in terms of tourist-like places. I noticed that some of the pensions and hostels mentioned in the Routard Guide were located here: ANZ, for example, which, I have to admit looks very inviting from outside. The location is so nice, and they have a cosy garden. Hope the inside is just as inviting.