Selçuk and Ephesus Guide

Aegean

The remaining column of the Temple of Artemis, Selçuk (photographed 1992). Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Selçuk is the small town at the gates of Ephesus: the base for Turkey's greatest classical site, 3 km away. The town itself holds the Temple of Artemis, the Basilica of St. John and the Ephesus Museum.

Go to Ephesus at opening time to beat the cruise crowds. The Terrace Houses cost extra and are worth it. Şirince village and the House of the Virgin Mary fill the afternoons.

What to do in Selçuk

Ephesus and town

1Library of Celsus 4.9The great facade: Ephesus's icon, built around 114 AD.
2Great Theatre 4.8The 25,000-seat theatre carved into the hillside.
3Terrace Houses 4.7The rich Romans' houses: mosaics and frescoes under the roof.
4Temple of Artemis 4.2One column stands where a Wonder of the World stood.
5Basilica of St. John 4.3The 6th-century basilica on Ayasuluk hill.
6Ephesus Museum 4.4The finds from the site: the Artemis statues.

Around

1Şirince 4.4The old Greek village in the hills: fruit wines, olive oil, cobbled streets.
2House of the Virgin Mary 4.3The hillside shrine above Ephesus.
3Isa Bey Mosque 4.1The 14th-century mosque below the basilica.