Home
Search
Maps
of Turkey
Photo
Gallery
Where
to Go
When
to Go
Where
to Stay
What
It Costs
Turkish Money
Transport
FAQ-Travel
Details
Best
Itineraries
Guided Tours
Travel
Agency
Unusual
Trips
Consultations
TTP
Forums
Funny
Stuff
Shopping
Site
Index
Bright Sun
|
|
Ephesus
is the best-preserved Roman city in
the Mediterranean region,
and Turkey's top sight after Istanbul,
but the Ephesus
archeological site is
not the only reason to visit this region
(map).
You
can easily spend two, three or four
nights in this area, staying overnight in
the beautiful hill town of Şirince,
the town of Selçuk or
the Aegean resort
of Kuşadası,
visiting the ancient cities of Priene, Miletus and Didyma on
a day
excursion, or Aphrodisias on
an overnight excursion to the
hot mineral water spa of Pamukkale,
shopping in the large weekly market
at Tire (TEE-reh),
going windsurfing or just relaxing
in charming Alaçatı,
taking a day-trip or overnight excursion
via Euromos to Bodrum,
and even getting in some beach
time at Pamucak or Altınkum.
Selçuk,
the town 3 km (2 miles) east of the Ephesus
archeological site, lies at the
foot of Ayasoluk Hill, topped
by a Byzantine-Ottoman fortress.
On the slope are the St
John Basilica and İsa
Bey Mosque,
both worth a visit.
Just
off Selçuk's
main boulevard is the good Ephesus
Museum, and on the hill behind
the museum are plenty of good small pensions,
innsand small hotels. Plenty
of restaurants and transport services
here too.
|
|
|
Library of
Celsus, Ephesus. |
You
can walk from Selçuk to
the Ephesus
archeological site along tree-shaded
Dr Sabri Yayla Bulvarı in about 25
or 30 minutes, but you may want to
stop along the way and see the scant
ruins of the famous Temple
of Artemis (Artemision),
one of the Seven
Wonders of the World.
Beyond
the archeological
site, 4 km (2.5 miles) to the
west is Pamucak
Beach and, 17 km (11 miles) to
the southwest, the port town and
resort of Kuşadası.
Here's
transport
information, for the Ephesus
region, my Izmir
Region Transport Map, and distances
and travel times to/from
other Turkish towns and cities. Here's
how to drive between Izmir's Adnan
Menderes Airport and Selçuk,
Şirince, Ephesus and Kuşadası.
You
can drive from Istanbul to
Ephesus, seeing the Dardanelles (Hellespont), Gallipoli
battlefields, ancient Troy and Pergamum (Pergamon,
Bergama) and other sights along
the way. Argeus
Tourism & Travel can
set you up with a 6-day
self-drive tour covering Troy,
the Gallipoli
battlefields, Pergamum and Ephesus.
More...
If
you want to visit a place where you
can really get a feel for what
life was like 2000 years ago during
the glory-days of Greece and Rome, Ephesus is
the place. In terms of ruins, it's better
than Rome itself.
St
Paul's New Testament Letter
to the Ephesians was written
to the citizens of Ephesus. St
John is believed to have
written his Gospel here, and to
have been buried in the St
John Basilica. More...
The Virgin
Mary is believed to have
spent her last days on earth here,
and you can visit the reconstructed House
of the Virgin Mary (Meryemana) on
a mountaintop to the south of the
Ephesus archeological site. More...
|
|
 |
Above, Augustus
Gate leads to the Commercial
Agora at Ephesus.
Below, Ayasoluk
Hill with its fortress,
Selçuk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
