G2Rail

Selçuk is an inland town in Central Aegean Turkey.

South of Izmir and just east of the coastal town of Kuşadası, Selçuk is visited mostly because of its close proximity to the ruins of the Roman city of Ephesus—some of the best preserved in the country—and the services the town has to offer, although the town centre has some historical sights to spend some time at.

Selçuk is a good starting place for many excursions and visits in the area.

A major attraction is the ancient Greek city of Ephesus which is located 4 km away from the center of the town.
The promenade will also take you to the Temple of Artemis (Artemision). Although it was one of the "Seven Wonders" of the Ancient world, nowadays only a column is left.
On the way there you can also visit the Cave of the Seven Sleepers (see the infobox at right).
The picturesque village of Şirince is located 9 km east to Selcuk up in the hills. It offers wonderful views among olive and peach trees as well as several excellent country hotels.
House of the Virgin Mary (Meryem Ana Evi), 10 km south on the hills, is claimed to have been the house where Virgin Mary spend her last days in Ephesus. The Vatican declared this place as an official Catholic pilgrimage site.

In the city center there are other very interesting spots:

Byzantine Citadel and the St. John Basilica. 08:30-17:00. The Byzantine Citadel on Ayasuluk hill, built for defensive purposes in the 6th century and also used during the early Turkish period, has been reconstructed in the 21st century. Thete is a small Byzantine basilica that was converted to a cistern during the Turkish period, and a small mosque. thanks This hill is supposedly where St. John wrote his scriptures. It provides views of the surrounding area. St. John's Basilica, built in the 7th century, is a well-maintained and partly reconstructed site. You can look west from the site to see the single rebuilt column of the Temple of Artemis. St. John's tomb is here. Both parts of the site can be explored in an hour. 20 TL.
The Aqueduct, which runs perpendicular to the train station.
Museum of Ephesus, Atatürk Mh., Uğur Mumcu Sevgi Yolu, +9 232 892 60 10. Apr 15-Oct 2: daily 08:00-19:00; Oct 3-Apr 14: 08:00-17:00. An excellent collection of statues, pottery, glass, sarcophagi, and coins found in the Ephesus excavation at the site. It also had an exhibition on the cult of the mother goddess up to and including Artemis. Shop and café. 10 TL.

A major attraction is the ancient Greek city of [[Ephesus]] which is located 4 km away from the center of the town.

The promenade will also take you to the Temple of Artemis (Artemision). Although it was one of the "Seven Wonders" of the Ancient world, nowadays only a column is left.

On the way there you can also visit the Cave of the Seven Sleepers (see the infobox at right).

The picturesque village of [[Şirince]] is located 9 km east to Selcuk up in the hills. It offers wonderful views among olive and peach trees as well as several excellent country hotels.

House of the Virgin Mary (Meryem Ana Evi), 10 km south on the hills, is claimed to have been the house where Virgin Mary spend her last days in Ephesus. The Vatican declared this place as an official Catholic pilgrimage site.

Byzantine Citadel and the St. John Basilica. 08:30-17:00. The Byzantine Citadel on Ayasuluk hill, built for defensive purposes in the 6th century and also used during the early Turkish period, has been reconstructed in the 21st century. Thete is a small Byzantine basilica that was converted to a cistern during the Turkish period, and a small mosque. thanks This hill is supposedly where St. John wrote his scriptures. It provides views of the surrounding area. St. John's Basilica, built in the 7th century, is a well-maintained and partly reconstructed site. You can look west from the site to see the single rebuilt column of the Temple of Artemis. St. John's tomb is here. Both parts of the site can be explored in an hour. 20 TL.

The Aqueduct, which runs perpendicular to the train station.

Museum of Ephesus, Atatürk Mh., Uğur Mumcu Sevgi Yolu, +9 232 892 60 10. Apr 15-Oct 2: daily 08:00-19:00; Oct 3-Apr 14: 08:00-17:00. An excellent collection of statues, pottery, glass, sarcophagi, and coins found in the Ephesus excavation at the site. It also had an exhibition on the cult of the mother goddess up to and including Artemis. Shop and café. 10 TL.

A day trip to Şirince (8 km out of Selçuk). Nestled in the hills, small little village, narrow winding streets, great wines and lots of small cosy wine bars to try them all out in. Accommodation is very expensive, except for the camping spots. Rooms can be had for less 200 TL.

Pamucak. The beach of Pamucak is pretty and worth a trip. A dolmuş from the otogar will take you there for 3 TL.

Pamucak. The beach of Pamucak is pretty and worth a trip. A dolmuş from the otogar will take you there for 3 TL.

Double Knot Carpets, Corner of Cangiz Topel Cad and Namik Kemal Cad. Run by 20-something locals, this carpet shop is a great place to find a carpet for cheap (prices start under €100) or just to have a cup of tea. Unlike the shops of Istanbul, the shopkeepers won't pressure you into buying anything, and are glad to offer recommendations on local restaurants and bars or just have a chat.

Mehmet and Alibaba's carpet shop, right next to the Ephesus Museum. At this family run business, you will find high-quality carpets with personable sales people - no pressure here.

Double Knot Carpets, Corner of Cangiz Topel Cad and Namik Kemal Cad. Run by 20-something locals, this carpet shop is a great place to find a carpet for cheap (prices start under €100) or just to have a cup of tea. Unlike the shops of Istanbul, the shopkeepers won't pressure you into buying anything, and are glad to offer recommendations on local restaurants and bars or just have a chat.

Amazon Cafe Bistro
Ejder Restaurant, Cengiz Topel Cad. no.9 E PTT Karsisi (in the centre of the town, +90 232 8923296. Very friendly place with homemade vegetarian food. Delicious.
Mehmet and Ali Baba Kebab House, Ataturk mah. 1047 Sok. no: 4 (just across the road from the otogar, +90 232 892-38-72. Cheap, big portions and very tasty kebabs and desserts. Also complimentary tea and they serve beer. 5-15 TL.

Amazon Cafe Bistro

Ejder Restaurant, Cengiz Topel Cad. no.9 E PTT Karsisi (in the centre of the town, +90 232 8923296. Very friendly place with homemade vegetarian food. Delicious.

Mehmet and Ali Baba Kebab House, Ataturk mah. 1047 Sok. no: 4 (just across the road from the otogar, +90 232 892-38-72. Cheap, big portions and very tasty kebabs and desserts. Also complimentary tea and they serve beer. 5-15 TL.

Dolphin Bar. This is a really cool place. Talip is a great guy & the beer is good.
Pink Bistro Cafe. Ask Mesut the bartender to show you some magic tricks and you'll be entertained for hours. And try some of Simone's famous çay!
Rumeli, 25 Ataturk Mah Cengiz Topel Cadessi., +90 232 892 16 93. 24. A fantastic 24-hour restaurant serving traditional Turkish food, normally for Turkish people. It isn't in any guide books as the owner relies on a heavy after midnight trade of locals - but it is a must see. Different corners are assigned different specialities, soup corner, vegetarian corner, etc. The mushroom pide is especially good! cheap!.

Dolphin Bar. This is a really cool place. Talip is a great guy & the beer is good.

Pink Bistro Cafe. Ask Mesut the bartender to show you some magic tricks and you'll be entertained for hours. And try some of Simone's famous çay!

Rumeli, 25 Ataturk Mah Cengiz Topel Cadessi., +90 232 892 16 93. 24. A fantastic 24-hour restaurant serving traditional Turkish food, normally for Turkish people. It isn't in any guide books as the owner relies on a heavy after midnight trade of locals - but it is a must see. Different corners are assigned different specialities, soup corner, vegetarian corner, etc. The mushroom pide is especially good! cheap!.

Izmir — enroute to Istanbul
Bergama — Ancient Pergamon. Tours popularly include Ephesus and Bergama together.
Sardis — Former capital of Lydia, and like Ephesus and Pergamon, one of the Seven Churches of Asia, today notable for its Temple of Artemis, gymnasium, and synagogue.
Çamlık — 12 km south of Selçuk, the old station of the village now hosts the Çamlık Train Museum, which has one of the largest steam engine collections in Europe on its grounds and is a must-see for any rail enthusiast in the area. Trains and minibuses head there from Selçuk.
Heading east will bring you further into the fertile valley of the Küçükmenderes River (ancient Cayster), where you can take a break from the touristy, crowded, and overpriced attractions common in the region, and get to see what "real Turkey" has to offer. In this area, Tire is a historic town notable for its street market, Ödemiş is a traditional agricultural town noted for its meatballs, while Birgi is a postcard-beauty old town in the hills.
Didim where one can visit the three archeological sites of Priene, Miletus, and Didyma, all Greek or Roman cities located a little bit south in the coast. Several hotels and pensions offer this tour or you can also rent a van, with driver or not, on your own.
Denizli — en route to Pamukkale and Antalya
Bodrum — seaside route to Marmaris and Fethiye
Aphrodisias — To go by public transport, catch a bus to Nazilli to arrive as early in the morning as possible. There's plenty of bus traffic along the highway between Izmir, Aydin and Denizli all day long. From Nazilli, catch a minibus to Karacasu—they leave about every 30 minutes, and are especially reliable in the morning. From Karacasu there are several minibuses a day to Aphrodisias, leaving about every 1½ to 2 hours.

Çamlık — 12 km south of Selçuk, the old station of the village now hosts the Çamlık Train Museum, which has one of the largest steam engine collections in Europe on its grounds and is a must-see for any [[Travel for rail enthusiasts|rail enthusiast]] in the area. Trains and minibuses head there from Selçuk.

Heading east will bring you further into the fertile valley of the Küçükmenderes River (ancient Cayster), where you can take a break from the touristy, crowded, and overpriced attractions common in the region, and get to see what "real Turkey" has to offer. In this area, [[Tire]] is a historic town notable for its street market, [[Ödemiş]] is a traditional agricultural town noted for its meatballs, while [[Birgi]] is a postcard-beauty old town in the hills.