Historical Sites

Earliest History of Ephesus According to Herodotus the Karians were the original inhabitants of Ephesus. Archaeological excavations have yielded remains dated to the 8th-7th cent. BCE under the Commercial Agora. Moreover a Mycenean necropolis has also been discovered near the car park of the Church of St. John. It is dated to the 15th and 14th centuries BCE and the most ancient remains discovered at Ephesus, although the remains of the settlement have yet to be found.

Artemis Temple This temple was one of the seven wonders of the world. Artemis was considered the most powerful of all the goddesses, for she possessed the characteristics and the powers of many of the other goddesses. She was the goddesses of fertility and abundance, she helped women in childbirth and protected nature. The Ephesians tell that one night she came and personally put the architrave in place over the columns which were over 20 m in height. Of the Artemision all that remains is one column which can be seen to the left of the road leading from Selçuk to Kuşadası. The temple was most probably destroyed by the Christians of Ephesus and what remained of it was covered up by the alluvia of the Cayster river.

The House of Mary Around 4 to 6 years after Jesus’ death St John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary came to Ephesus and are said to have lived and died here which was determined during the ecumenical council of 431 which was held in Ephesus. In the 19th century a German nun A.Katherina Emmerich had visions which confirmed these traditions and showed the exact location of the house where Mary lived. The nun had never left Germany or even her monastic cell. Her visions were investigated and in 1891 the house of Mary was found on Bülbüldağı. In 1961 Pope John XXIII declared the house a Christian pilgrimage site and since then Pope Paul VI visited in 1967, Pope John Paul II visited in 1979 and just recently in the year 2006 Pope Benedict XVI visited the house of Mary. Every day the house is visited by Christian pilgrims but also Muslims who venerate Mary as the mother of Prophet Jesus come to honor Her. Ancient structures dated to the Byzantine period have been restored and a cistern has been found just outside the house. In the garden are several wells with water that is said to have healing powers. (Telephone: 0232 892 6008)

Basilica of St. John After the death of St. Paul according to tradition John became the leader of the church in Ephesus and here he wrote his gospel and died. He wished to be buried on Ayasuluk hill and about 300 years after his death a small church was built above his tomb. But later under the reign of emperor Justinian in the 6th century a large basilica was erected above the small church. These most impressive remains can nowadays be visited: one enters the site through the Gate of Persecution, but there were another two gates, to the east and to the west. The church has a cruciform plan and six domes once covered the main part of the church. At the end of the nave is an apse and in front of it the tomb of St. John situated beneath a two-stepped podium.

Village of Şirince Şirince is a wonderful little Aegean village of 600 inhabitants. It is located in the hills at about 8 km from Selçuk  and at 350 meters (1000 ft) above sea level, which means pleasant nights even in hottest July, and in winter some frost and the occasional snowfall. Most of the houses in the village date from the 19th century or earlier. They were built at a time when Şirince was predominantly a Greek village. The village lies in a lovely bowl of hills surrounded by peach orchards, vineyards and olive groves. Some tourism has unfortunately come into the village in recent years, bringing with it more than twenty souvenir shops, a dozen restaurants and a few guesthouses. But farming remains the principal activity. Villagers make wine and olive oil, and grow some of the best peaches in the country. They greet strangers with a smile and very often invite them in for a cup of tea.  (Telephone: 0232 8983010)

İsabey Mosque This mosque is a nice example of the transition between Seljuk and Otoman architecture. The Syrian architect Ali, son of Mehmet Bey built it in 1375 commissioned by İsa Bey of the Aydınoğul family. The main entrance to the mosque is on the west side into an inner courtyard and a house of prayer. The courtyard is surrounded on three sides by colonnades with a prominent wadirvan for washing in center. The mihrab which was the most prominent feature of the mosque is now in Izmir because the mosque fell into disuse and thus a new mihrab had to be built. Many architecural fragments used in the mosque have been taken from earlier ruins in Ephesus.

Grotto of the Seven Sleepers
In the year 250 CE during the reign of emperor Decius seven young Christians were forced to flee Ephesus, since they were convinced Christians and refused to bring offerings to the imperial temples. They hid in a cave and fell into a deep sleep only to wake up several hundred years later when Christianity had prevailed. After their death they were buried in the same cave and later a church was erected above their tombs.  

Aqueducts
Remains of several aqueducts can be seen in and around Selçuk. The most impressive remains are in the town center and date to the Byzantine period. It brought water from east to the hill of Ayasoluk where the Basilica of St. John is situated. Nowadays only storks build their nests on the columns. Remains of the Gaius Sextilius Pollio Aquaduct can be seen on the main highway from Selçuk to Aydın. And if you keep your eyes open on the way to Izmir you can see other remains of those water conducts.

Gallesion Castle 
Situated 9 km away from Selçuk on top of  the “German Mount” (Alamandağ). From the top at 300 m you have a beautiful view on Selçuk and the surrounding landscape.

İslamic Period
Selçuk (Ayasuluk), was occupied in the 14th century CE by the Aydınoğulları (a Turkish tribe) and became again a prosperous town. The rulers adorned the town with Turkish buildings, such as mosques, hamams and caravansarays. But during the Ottoman Empire the town was completely abandoned.

Ayasuluk Fortress
The Early Christians built a fortress on top of Ayasuluk Hill to protect the tomb of St. John. The castle was enlarged during the Byzantine period and strengthened in the Seljuk period. The entrance gate to the castle had been built with stone taken from ancient Roman sites. In the castle there is a small chapel and a cistern.

Belevi Mausoleum
The Belevi mausoleum was built for Lysimachus, one of the successors of Alexander the Great. However, he was never buried in this tomb, because he was defeated by Seleucus I Nicator at Curupedium (281) and lost his life and his kingdom. Instead, it seems to have been the final resting place of the Seleucid king Antiochus II Theos (261-246). The Belevi mausoleum was probably inspired by the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. The sarcophagus is in the museum of Selçuk.

Museums
Selçuk Archaeological museum is entirely devoted to finds from Ephesus and the excavations in the immediate surroundings. The main exhibit hall shows finds, which date from the Mycenean to the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Otoman periods. There is also an additional room where temporary exhibits are held. At the time of the writing a fabulous exhibit on the gladiator cemetery un Ephesus is shown there. 

The Çamlık Open-Air Rail Museum is situated around 10 km from Selçuk. Ataturk had his headquarters here and kept his special white train at this station during the Aegean maneuvers, from where he was able to control the on going of the war. The Museum which has one of the largest steam engine collection in Europe displays up to 80 years old steam TCDD (Turkish Railway Company) locomotives.  
(Telephone 0232 894 8021)

The Çetin Museum of Culture displays models of Anatolian village life.         (Telephone 0232 893 1379)