Selcuk & Ephesus : Nobody comes to Turkey to visit poor overlooked Selçuk, relegated since ancient times to a secondary position in the shadow of Ephesus, its more illustrious neighbor.But the histories of the two cities are forever intertwined ; Selçuk predates Ephesus and indeed, Selçuk was Ephesus.
The rise and fall of Selçuk/Ephesus, which for the purposes of this chapter refers to the combined area between and including present-day Selçuk and Mount Koressos (Bülbül Dagi, where the remains of the original city wall still stand), was directly related to the ebbs and flows of the sea.In the 7th century B.C., Cimmerian invasions relegated the Ephesians to the area around the Artemesian, at the base of Ayasuluk Hill. (Selçuks castle occupies this hill.) Because the neighborhood of the Artemesian lies below sea level, archaeologists have been unable as of yet to excavate beyond the temples remains.When, with the death of Alexander the Great, General Lysimachos took control of the whole of Ionia, the city of Ephesus was reestablished adjacent to the harbor.The expansion of Christianity in the 4th century A.D. saw the construction of many important religious and state buildings in Ephesus, including the castle on Ayasuluk Hill and St. Johns Basilica.The silting up of the harbor resulted in the gradual decline of Ephesus as a major commercial port, leaving it vulnerable to subsequent invasions, namely the arrival of the Selçuks in the 10th century.
Today a visit to Selçuk seems only to be a necessary sidebar to the main attraction at Ephesus, just 3 km (approx. 2 miles) away.Nevertheless, the presence of a number noteworthy ruins including the representative remains of one of the Seven Wonders of the World ; the nearby winemaking village of Sirince, the whole of which has been declared a historic preservation site ; and the beaches around Kusadasi (only 18 km/11 miles away)
Ephesus Tour 1 Tour Code : EDT101
Itinerary : Ephesus Ancient City, House of Virgin Mary, Basilica of StJohn,
Temple of Artemis, Ephesus Museum
Duration : 8 hours
Prices :
Min. 50 USD - Max. 180 USD (Per Person)
Details : Please click for all informations
Ephesus Tour 2 Tour Code : EDT102
Itinerary : Ephesus Ancient City, House of Virgin Mary, Basilica of StJohn
Duration : 6 hours
Prices :
Min. 60 USD - Max. 185 USD (Per Person)
Details : Please click for all informations
Ephesus Tour 3 Tour Code : EDT103
Itinerary : Ephesus Ancient City, House of Virgin Mary
Duration : 5 hours
Prices :
Min. 50 USD - Max. 150 USD (Per Person)
Details : Please click for all informations