Ruins

The ancient city of Ephesus (Efes) is probably one of the best set of ruins you can visit in Turkey. They are a quick three kilometer walk from the city of Selcuk, and, for what you get to see, a pretty good value.

The ruins are pretty extensive and built up enough to give you a good impression of what the location may have looked like, yet not so rebuilt as to erase the fact that they are so ancient.

One of the more impressive building to be given special treatment by the archeologists is the Celsus Library. It held probably 12,000 scrolls and in it's day was likely even more impressive.

Another impressive structure is the Greco-Roman Great Theater. It held approximately 25,000 people. It is interesting to think that the people would undertake building a structure such as that for entertainment. It shows how prosperous the city was at the time. For some nice panoramas of the theater, visit its page at The Ancient Theater Archive.

When visiting Ephesus, be sure to take the time and to wander around and notice all the little details like sewers under the streets, the water delivery system for the baths, the mosaics along the streets and the few remaining frescoes in a couple of the buildings.

Try to visit the structures at the very western edge of the site. They are less frequently visited and the columns and doors there were built to a much larger scale. They are huge.

There is a separate entrance fee for a particular structure at the ruins site. They have covered over a section of a hillside that holds the remains of several houses which supposedly give a good picture of what the life of a city dweller would have looked like back in the day. I didn't go in because I thought the price was a bit high, and the museum in Selcuk shows some of the material and structures on display.

Outside the gates of the ruins to the north and east a bit is the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers. The site itself is not overly impressive, but what is more interesting to me is the story that goes along with the location. I think the fact that the story is mentioned in both Christian and Islamic texts, with slight differences, is rather interesting.

I shot my own panorama of the ruins of Ephesus. It was taken from near the top of the mountain to the south of the main site. The photo is a bit hazy so I'll apologize in advance; but then it was a hazy day and I was pretty far away.

Be sure to visit the ruins of Ephesus if you get to the area. Until then, click below to enjoy the rest of my pictures from that day.

Selcuk

The Turkish countryside is very picturesque. In many ways it is reminiscent of parts of the American Midwest. As you watch out the bus window, fields and farms fly past, and the hills turn to mountains far off in the distance. You round a corner, and a small town appears, and above the town rises ... not a church steeple like you might expect in the US, but rather the minaret of the local mosque. Yes, things are familiar, but not quite the same.

The town of Selcuk.

Selcuk (Selçuk) is a nice town in a rather historic area. It is know for the basilica of St. John the Apostle, the Temple of Artemis, the nearby House of the Virgin Mary, and camel wrestling. But it may be more well know as a stopping point on the way to the ancient city of Ephesus.

The town itself, though, is pretty nice. It definitely is setup to cater to the tourist market, but not so much so that it loses all it's charm. The museum has some rather "impressive" items.

A statuette of the god Priapus.

If your erectile dysfunction "medication" malfunctions, you may end up with the condition named after this guy. He is a representation of the god Priapus.

Another representation of Priapus.

I wonder if the original head of this statue had a smile on the face.

The opposite sex should not feel left out though. There are also two versions of this fine specimen of a woman.

A statute of a goddess (Artemis?) of fertility.

She is a representation of a goddess of fertility. There are other nice things in the museum, but let's move on to the rest of the town.

There is not much left now but apparently at one time the Temple of Artemis was very impressive. So much so that in 356 BC Herostratus burned it down just so he could become famous. I guess he got his wish.

All that is left of the Temple of Artemis.

The ruins of the basilica of St. John the Apostle are rather interesting and provide a nice view of the grand fortress up on the hill. The fortress has been closed for a while. Apparently a few tourists were hurt when part of the fortress fell on them.

A view of the Grand Fortress in Selcuk.

A rather long walk away from the town is the House of Mary. Apparently John and Mary came to Turkey together. They lived in the city until threats from the populous became too much, so they went up into the mountains to live. There is really not much to see there. A small chapel has been built over the foundation of the house. I guess it is more a religious tourism location than a destination for sightseers.

The chapel over the ruins of the House of Mary.

The story about how the house was located is more interesting than the site itself. Apparently a German nun who had never been to Selcuk/Ephesus saw the location in visions. Sometime later, a French priest found the location described in the nun's visions. Whether you believe the stories or not, the site is located in a very nice location in the mountains. Visiting it made for a nice, but long, walk with some great views of the area.

Looking down on the ancient city of Ephesus.

As mentioned before, Ephesus is the real attraction in the area around Selcuk. I'll get to that next post. But for now, enjoy my photos of Selcuk and vicinity.