Selcuk
Aegean, Turkey 19 tours visit here
Selcuk is a small town in Izmir Province, in Turkey's Aegean region, and the modern gateway to ancient Ephesus. The classical city lies just outside town: most visits run a half to full day, walking its marble streets past the Library of Celsus, the terraced slope houses and the great theatre. The town has a long history of its own. Ayasuluk Hill rises above the centre, crowned by a citadel and the ruins of the Basilica of St John, built over the site traditionally held to be the apostle's tomb. At its foot stands the Isa Bey Mosque, and in a field nearby a single re-erected column is all that still stands of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The Ephesus Archaeological Museum in the centre holds much of what was excavated at the site, and the House of the Virgin Mary on Mount Koressos draws Christian and Muslim pilgrims. Selcuk is compact and easily walked, with Byzantine aqueduct arches running through it and the hill village of Sirince among vineyards to the east. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons; in summer the ruins offer little shade, so early morning and late afternoon are the easier times to walk them.
