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| The Library of Celcus at Ephesus |
The small town of Selcuk was the 3rd stop on our Turkey tour. Made famous for the ancient ruins of Ephesus the town is also home to the Temple of Artemis, St. John’s Basilica, Seven Sleepers and some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. We spent two nights at a hillside pension/hotel/hostel called ANZ House. Harry, the Turkish owner, spent quite a bit of time in Australia (18 years) hence the hotel name and also owns a carpet shop down the road. The town of Selcuk used to be a lot busier but since the arrival of cruise ships to a nearby port, most of the tourists now come by boat and only stay for the day. Walking around the streets at night you get the sense that it used to be quite a lively place but now just a few people are around. The benefit for us was there were no problems finding a dinner table and every shopkeeper was more than willing to chat with us for a while.
Ephesus
Pamela and I caught a taxi to the top gate of Ephesus at a cost of 10 Turkish Lira ($6 USD), we could have walked the four kilometers but weren’t 100% sure where we were going. At the top gate we made our way through the gauntlet of touts and shopkeepers, bought our 20 Turkish Lira ($12 USD) ticket each and got into the site with about a million other people, mostly tourists from the cruise ships. The sites at Ephesus are pretty well signposted in English but you can purchase an audio guide for an additional 10 Turkish Lira ($6 USD). A word of warning, make sure you go to the toilet prior to entering the park as there aren’t any inside the two kilometer long park. We both didn’t and had to wait until the end, three hours later.
Pamela and I caught a taxi to the top gate of Ephesus at a cost of 10 Turkish Lira ($6 USD), we could have walked the four kilometers but weren’t 100% sure where we were going. At the top gate we made our way through the gauntlet of touts and shopkeepers, bought our 20 Turkish Lira ($12 USD) ticket each and got into the site with about a million other people, mostly tourists from the cruise ships. The sites at Ephesus are pretty well signposted in English but you can purchase an audio guide for an additional 10 Turkish Lira ($6 USD). A word of warning, make sure you go to the toilet prior to entering the park as there aren’t any inside the two kilometer long park. We both didn’t and had to wait until the end, three hours later.
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| Ancient amphitheatre once capable of seating 25,000 |
St. John’s Basilica
St. John’s was built by Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century AD on the believed spot of John the Apostles Tomb. If still standing, St. John’s Basilica would be the 7th largest Cathedral in the world. We visited these ruins about an hour before sunset and stayed to watch the sunset, we definitely recommend you do the same. The ruins which sit at the top of a hill in Selcuk will cost you 5 Turkish Lira ($3 USD) each to get in. Outside you might run into touts trying to sell you real/fake ancient coins. Dodge them and walk through the old gates and into the ruins. Once inside the ruins check out the various older rooms, check out St. John’s supposed tomb, I say supposed because nobody really knows if he was really buried there, and last but not least stick around for the sunset. We did and it was well worth the price of admission. As the sun goes down you’ll be able to get some great pics of St. John’s, the city of Selcuk and the hill of Ephesus.
St. John’s was built by Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century AD on the believed spot of John the Apostles Tomb. If still standing, St. John’s Basilica would be the 7th largest Cathedral in the world. We visited these ruins about an hour before sunset and stayed to watch the sunset, we definitely recommend you do the same. The ruins which sit at the top of a hill in Selcuk will cost you 5 Turkish Lira ($3 USD) each to get in. Outside you might run into touts trying to sell you real/fake ancient coins. Dodge them and walk through the old gates and into the ruins. Once inside the ruins check out the various older rooms, check out St. John’s supposed tomb, I say supposed because nobody really knows if he was really buried there, and last but not least stick around for the sunset. We did and it was well worth the price of admission. As the sun goes down you’ll be able to get some great pics of St. John’s, the city of Selcuk and the hill of Ephesus.
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| St. John's Tomb |
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Enjoying the sunset at St. John's Basilica. The Selcuk Citadel in the background.
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The Temple of Artemis
We had a short visit to the temple dedicated to the Greek goddess of fertility. This place was an Ancient Wonder of the World when the temple was standing, think 500 BC. Unfortunately all that’s left of the 127 original columns is one single column which has been rebuilt by historians. The temple was destroyed in approximately 400 AD. You really have to use your imagination when considering the grandeur this site once held as now it’s just a single column and some old foundation. Admission is free and we’d only recommend stopping here if you’re passing by, which most people do on the way to and from Ephesus.
We had a short visit to the temple dedicated to the Greek goddess of fertility. This place was an Ancient Wonder of the World when the temple was standing, think 500 BC. Unfortunately all that’s left of the 127 original columns is one single column which has been rebuilt by historians. The temple was destroyed in approximately 400 AD. You really have to use your imagination when considering the grandeur this site once held as now it’s just a single column and some old foundation. Admission is free and we’d only recommend stopping here if you’re passing by, which most people do on the way to and from Ephesus.
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| The lone column at The Temple of Artemis |
Other Things to do in Selcuk
Unfortunately we only had a couple days in Selcuk so we couldn’t do all that much. We can say that a trip to the Seven Sleeper tombs is worth the extra little drive from Ephesus, while there you can order a fresh gozleme (Turkish pancake) and watch the ladies make it right in front of you. Additionally a trip to Selcuk would not be complete without a stop at the Ejder Restaurant. Quite possibly the best restaurant in Turkey, the family run restaurant will cook your kebab on the small fire right in front of you. The pide is awesome and the service and hospitality are typical Turkey great.
Unfortunately we only had a couple days in Selcuk so we couldn’t do all that much. We can say that a trip to the Seven Sleeper tombs is worth the extra little drive from Ephesus, while there you can order a fresh gozleme (Turkish pancake) and watch the ladies make it right in front of you. Additionally a trip to Selcuk would not be complete without a stop at the Ejder Restaurant. Quite possibly the best restaurant in Turkey, the family run restaurant will cook your kebab on the small fire right in front of you. The pide is awesome and the service and hospitality are typical Turkey great.
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The best kebab anywhere. That's the cook behind me.
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All our photos from Selcuk can be found here: https://picasaweb.google.com/117257906652666550268/SelcukEphesusStJohnSBasilica?authuser=0&feat=directlink
Cheers for Now -
Pamela and Dave
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