Selçuk: The Historical and Cultural District of İzmir
Legendary Layers of History
Selcuk, called the largest open-air museum in the world, due to especially the Ancient City of Ephesus and the House of Virgin Mary, which people from all over the world are dying to visit, is one of the first addresses you should definitely see in izmir. A real treasure for archeology enthusiasts, Selçuk is one of the attractive addresses of holidaymakers with its blue flag beaches.
Ancient City of Ephesus – Ephesus Museum
Ephesus, on the western coast of Anatolia, within the borders of today’s Selcuk district, was an ancient Greek city that later became an important Roman city. Since it has been relocated many times throughout its history, its ruins are spread over a wide area of about eight kilometers, It was one of the 12 cities of lonia during the classical Greek period. It is the first city made entirely of marble. Its foundation dates back to the Neolithic Age Ephesus, which was included in the World Heritage Tentative Lis by UNESCO in 1994 was registereo as a World Heritage Site in 2015. The ruins in four main regions as Ayasuluk Hill, Artemis, Ephesus and Selçuk is visited by an average of 15 million tourists a year.
The most important feature of Ephesus is that it is an important port city. This location enabled Ephesus to develop as the most important political and commercial center of its age and to become the capital of Asia Minor during the Roman Period. The artifacts unearthed at the excavation site also bear its traces culturally related to the Roman domination in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In order to preserve the artifacts unearthed in the Ancient City, established as a warehouse in 1929, the Ephesus Museum was expanded in 1964 with the construction of a new section. In the Ephesus Mu-seum, with the finds starting from the prehistoric periods in Ephesus and its surroundings, important works from the Mycenaean, Arc-haic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods are on display. Two world-fa-Mous statues of Artemis of Ephesus are also in the museum.
Atatürk Mahallesi, on Uğur Mumcu Sevgi Yolu Selçuk/IZMIR
09:00-17:00 (The Museum is closed on Mondays.)
+90 232 892 60 10
İsabey Mosque
The Mosque on the western slope of Ayasuluk Hill, where Ayasuluk Castle and St. John’s Church are located, was built by Aydinoglu isa Bey according to the door inscription, in 1375.
Since Aydinoglu Isa Bey’s foundation charter has not survived, information about the Mosque is gained from the writings of ancient travelers. The Mosque lost its importance after Sel- r suk (Ayasuluk) came under Ottoman rule and was left to its own devices.
The building fell into disrepair at the end of the 19th century and was used as a caravanserai for a while. In the meantime, some changes occurred in the structure. Isabey Mosque draws attention with its decorations as well as its architecture reflecting the Aydinogullar Period. In the Mosque rich decorations and tiles are available. There are rich and colorful stone decorations on the window and entrance door on the west surface. The dome in front of the altar in the place of worship was made in mosaic tile technique. The pendants are covered with turquoi-se, brown and dark blue tiles.
Atatürk Mahallesi Saint Jean Sokak No: 1 Selçuk/İZMİR
+90 232 892 63 28
The House of Virgin Mary
Four or six years after the death of Jesus, St. John is believed to have brought Virgin Mary to Ephesus.
Upon the dream of German nun A.Catherine Emmerich in 1891, La-zarist priests revealed that, this is the house where Virgin Mary spent her last days. This event shed a whole new light on the Christian world. After the visit of Pope Paul VI In 1967, rituals are held every year on the 15th day of August in the House, which is also considered sacred by Muslims.
Atatürk Mahallesi Mevki Küme Evleri Selçuk/İZMİR
+90 232 894 10 14
Double Churches
Ancient City of Ephesus
The Double Churches in Selçuk is the first church built for the Virgin Mary. Therefore, it is of great importance to the Christians. The Churches located in the Ancient City of Ephesus, opposite the Byzantine baths, are also called the Consul Church. It was accepted at the consul meeting in this Church that the Blessed Virgin Mary was the mother of God.
Acarlar Mahallesi Efes Antik Tiyatrosu Selçuk/İZMİR
St. Jean’s Basilica
Basilica on the southern part of Ayasuluk Hill was built in the name of St. Jean, one of the four writers of the Bible, the holy book of Christianity. First, a simple grave monument was built and a wooden-roofed basilica was added to it in the 5th century AD.
Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora had a cross-planned, three-nave, six-domed new basilica built instead of the Basilica, which became unusable in the earthquakes at the beginning of the 6th century. The building behind it was converted into a chapel in the 10th century. The frescoes of Jesus Christ, St. Jean and other church elders were made on the apse of the chapel.
The second floor columns in the north nave were lifted up during the restoration works that started in 1957-1958 by the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums. Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Ekrem Akurgal, landscaping was done with the contri-9 butions of the Ephesus Museum.
İsa Bey Mahallesi 2013
Şirince
Şirince Village near the Ancient City of Ephesus, with its traditional architecture, narrow streets adorned with bougainvillea, small wine cellars under the houses, natural areas and rich culture, is a special place that brings both nostalgia and peace together.
In Şirince, you can join in the vintage entertainments during the season and taste the special homemade wines in the cellars under the village houses. Along the road, you can see centuries-old olive trees, kermes oaks (Quercus coccifera), gum trees (Pistacia lentiscus), menengic trees (Pis-tacia terebinthus) and red pine trees (Pinus brutia). Species such as the Anatolian squirrel (Sciurus anomalus), jay (Garrulus glandarius) and the globally endangered turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) are among the creatures living in the area.
Selçuk Municipality
