Right now, you are located at one of the most importand and frequently visited historic town in the world. This is because one of the seven wonders of the globe, the Temple of Artemia is right here at Seljuk.

Probably you have also came like many other tourists from every corner of the world, to visit the antique town of Ephesus or  the Holy House of the Virgin Mary. Thees three eminent spots that we've mentioned are within a radius of 10 km, waiting for your visit.

As mentioned before, Seljuk is within easy access to Izmir(Smyrna) and Kuşadası.

A dintance of one hour to a fast-moving metropolis, a 15 minute ride to Kuşadası, one of the most popular sea-side resorts of Turkey, offers flexibility in making a schedule to those staying at Seljuk. During the mornings, there are regular departures of "dolmuş"(shared taxis), once every 15 minutes to Izmir and every  half-hour to Kuşadası. You can find without a tarrif, frequent departures to Pamucak and Özdere beaches.

For the voracious history and archeology lovers, day time is too short. It takes a long time to roam around Ephesus. Also, the Holy House of Virgin Mary, the Isabey mosque, the Church of St.Jean, the Temple of Artemia and the museum are some of the obvious monuments and sights that should not be missed.

Since Seljuk is located at an almost central region of the Aegean, the surrounding villages and towns within its radius like Didim, Milet, Prien, Bergama and Pamukkale can be reached by attending daily tours.

In the form of a cidatel it is further above the castle of St.Jean which is sorrunded by rampants. Identified more by Byzantine architecture, a touch of seljukian style can also be found.

It consist of 15 casemates as well as a spiral tower, a mosque and many cisterns dating from the Byzantine and Turkish era. Its door is on the western side, facing the sea.

What is the secret of the Holy House of the Virgin Mary?

According to available sources, during the early years of Christianity's expansion, Jesus had entrusted St.Jean, one of the twelve apostles, to protect this mother Mary.

In the years of 37-48 A.D., no track of St.Jean can be found. From 67 A.D. onwards, he is to have lived in Ephesus but there's the impossibility of Mary been alive during that time.

In the year 50 A.D., St.Poul who visits Ephesus, witnesses the divergence of Chistianity in the resticted fashion. Because of  this, it is estimated that during the years 37-48 A.D., St.Jean and relatedly Mary, were living in Ephesus. Undr the strict  conditions of those times, the fist christians virtually had to live secretly, hidden from the society. Relatedly they chose for their place of habitation, secluded and secure places. The position of the house in this regard seems suitable.

Artemia, the Godddess of the Temple of Artemia is known in the Greek mythology under the same name, and as Diana in Roman mythology. When academics talk of Ephesus they describe the goddess as the "Artemia of Ephesus". This is because, while living in Ephesus, the goddess Artemia had gained special characteristics. Most of the gods and goddesses represented in mythologies have their own regional peculiarities. However, this seems to be a little bit more intensified in Ephesus.

The most important and impresive example of Islamic art in Seljuk in identified by the Mosque of Isa Bey. Fortunately its a monument possesing an inscription, through which we are given the date of its completion, 1375 and its architect, Ali Ibn ed Dımışkli.

The significance of the Mosque of the Isa Bey is that it rises in great splendour representing a monument of the third order, amongst the religious monuments of the Temple of Artemia and the church of St.Jean, remnants of two different eras, symbolising two different beliefs.

St.Jean is one of the twelve opestles of Jesus, appointed to expand Christianity in the area and the person the whom Jesus had entrusted his mother Mary to, presenting him as "Here, this is your soon".

It is acknowledged that he lived in Ephesus in the years of 37-48 A.D. Taking into consideration the fact that early Christians of the time had to live in hiding, no doubt that we don't seem to have gathered much information about Mary and St.Jean. However, the murder of St.Poul, the founder of the first church of Ephesus, allowed St.Jean to occupy the position of leadership of the Church of Ephesus.

During the Ephesus excavations of Austrian archealogists, began in 1927 and still continuing up to this day, a burial place in the form of a catacomb with ruins of a church where many inscriptions in Latin and Greek were found on its walls was discovered on the northern slope of Mount Panayır, nearby the city. Accordingly, this is supposed to be the seven sleepers cave.

When Ephesus became a dead city and Ayasuluk a marshland, the inevitable mosquitoes and the disease of malaria had forced the locals to migrate. Mijority of the population settled an Izmir and Kuşadası. The remainders, the majority of whom were Greeks, depended on agriculture practiced in the valley for their basic means of subsistence and who could not leave the Holy Ephesus for reasons of religion, found the only solution in moving up to hill.

In the way, the forestland in south of Seljuk took to form of a pretty village. Two churchs, a scholl, hospital and a marketplace were immediately formed. Ayasuluk was to remain only as a farming area where during certain periods people would come down and cultivate.

Ephesus in its origins is a Greek city. Later on, it struggled againts the invasions of the Lydians and Persians. While being a Roman city for a long time, it ended its reign as Byzantine city.

However, when one thinks of the Ephesus civilization, we immediately come across with the Greek and Roman eras.

Most of the ruins that you see are remnants of the Roman times. Some of them were erected by the Greeks but were restored during the Roman period. The most striking example of this is the Great Theatre.

As the city had moving to Ayasuluk during the Turkish and Islamic era, the area known as the "Antique City of Ephesus" waseliminated from this cultural transformation.

According to the unconfirmed rumour that, Ephesus was first Kodros. Some other rumour has that it was founded by the Amazonians, and the fact that the name Ephesus was taken from an Amozanian itself.

The theatre that you're viewing dates from 5th century BC and went through great alterations in the Roman period of 42 BC.

As it is built on the outskirts of Mount Panayır, it is evidently in the form of a natural amphi-theatre. A major characteristic of Greek theatres, its construction advantaging form the layers of the slopes.


however due to the principles of the Roman tradition, it was inevitable to make certain alterations on the theatre.

The orchestral seating is surrounded by high walls. This was to protect to spectators during the fights performed by the gladiators with savage animals.

The theatre, made out of three storied seating system, was one of the most manificent monuments of its time. From the highest steps of the top storey, one can get a sublimely beautiful view of the sea.

With a splendid acoustic system, it could seat an audience of twenty-four thousand.

On the harbour lane there are also such facilities as baths and the harbour gymnasium. However some of them has not been fully completed.

This library was erected during the years 114-117 A.D. in the memory of the beloved governor of Ephesus, Tiberius Julius Celcius as a mouseloum, by his son. His tamb lies below the library.

A great care has been given for the front part of the library. A two storey elevantional architecture has been used. .at the and of a broad staircase of nine steps, corinth columns have been used, where behind, the entrance gates are located and statues erected in between.

The Temple of Hadrian is the most magnificent monument of the Roman Ephesus. Today the visible part is only its front part. Its friezes are important in the sense that it depicts the myths concerning the first founding of Ephesus and the portraying for the first time of the emperors together with the gods. The original friezes are displayed in the Ephesus Museum. The ones you see are only plaster copies.

The Ephesus Museum opened its doors to its visitors in 1964. In respect to its numbers of visitors, it is the second largest archealogical museum in Turkey. It consist of two courtyards as well as numerous large rooms. Various historical pieces unearthened during excavations that cannot be displayed at its original site are displayed here at the museum.

The two large size Artemia statues are displayed in a special room.

The museum consist of the following divisions.

- Housing material
- Fountain material (Pollio, The Trayon fountain and the water palace)
- Daily living and small artifacts (Masques, ivory friezes, busts, treasury)
- Garden material (Column heads, tomb stones, walled tombs, monuments, inscriptions)
- Grave materials
- Artemia Room
- The Emperors Room (Trajan bust, statues of Augustus and Livia)