Ephesus Region, Turkey

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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.

You can easily spend two, three or four nights in this area, staying overnight in the town of Selçuk or the Aegean resort of Kusadasi, visiting other ancient cities such as Priene, Miletus, Didyma, Aphrodisias and Euromos, or the pretty mountain village of Sirince, shopping in the large weekly market at Tire (TEE-reh), getting away to the hot mineral water spa of Pamukkale, going windsurfing or just relaxing in charming Alaçati, taking a day-trip or overnight excursion to Bodrum, and even getting in some beach time at Pamucak or Altinkum (maps).

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 Isa 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, inns and small hotels. Plenty of restaurants and transport services here too.

You can walk from Selçuk to the Ephesus archeological site along a tree-shaded lane 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 Kusadasi.

Here's transport information, for the Ephesus region, and here are distances and travel times to/from other Turkish towns and cities. Here's how to drive between Izmir's Adnan Menderes Airport and Selçuk, Sirince, Ephesus and Kusadasi.

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. The Virgin Mary is believed to have spent her last days on earth here, and you can visit the rebuilt house (Meryemana) said to have been hers. St John is believed to have written his Gospel here, and to have been buried in the St John Basilica.