Ephesus Museum Mary's House

Ephesus Museum

Don't miss Selçuk's beautiful museum, across from the Tourism Information Office. The collection is signifıcant, and its statuary, mosaics and artefacts are attractively displayed. Highlights include the small, bronze figure of the Boy on a Dolphin in the fırst room; the marble statues of Cybele/Artemis with rows of egg-like breasts representing fertility; several effigies of Priapus, the phallic god; and pieces from a gigantic statue of the emperor Domitian. Beyond the courtyard is the ethnographic section set up in an arasta (row of shops) concentrating on traditional Turkish and Ottoman life with tools, costumes and a topuk ev (tent-like dwelling) used by Turkic nomads.

it's open from 8.30 am to noon and 1 to 5 pm for US$3.50 (half price for students; free for those over 65). You'll probably appreci-ate it most if you visit the site at Ephesus first.

Meryemana (Mary's House, Mary's Dolls House)

Since at least the Renaissance, some people have believed that the Virgin Mary came to Ephesus with St John at the end of her life (37-45 AD), in the 19th century Catherine Emmerich of Germany had visions of Mary at Ephesus. Using her descriptions, clergy from izmir discovered the foundations of an old house in the hills near Ephesus, later verifıed by Pope Paul VI on a visit to the site in 1967. A small traditional service is held in the chapel on the site every 15 August to honour Mary's Assumption into heaven. To Muslims, Mary is Meryemana, Mother Mary, who bore Isa Peygamber, the Prophet Jesus.

The site is 7km from Ephesus Lower (northern) Gate and 5.5km from the Upper (southern) Gate. it's 9km from Selçuk itself, up a steep hill. There's no dolmuş service so you'11 have to hitch, rent a taxi or take a tour. it costs another US$2 to get into the site which is mobbed by coach parties. Unless the house has special meaning for you, you might prefer to save your money for something less commercialised.

Other Sites

Selçuk has some tombs and a little mosque dating from the Seljuk period just south of the otogar. On Namık Kemal Caddesi are the remains of a Byzantine aqueduct, now a favourite nesting place for leylekler (storks).
Eggs are laid in late April or May, and the storks are there right into September.

Special Events

The Ephesus Festival, held at varying times in the year, brings world-class performers to the Great Theatre at Ephesus and other venues. From mid-June to mid-July, perfor­mances of music and dance are organised under the rubric of the International izmir Festival and there are some performances at Ephesus.

Town Centre

The most promising new-comer to the Selçuk pension scene is the five-storey Ali Blacks (fax 232-892 3657, 1011 Sokak 1), overlooking the aqueduct with the storks nests and close to the train station. Run by the enthusiastic and knowledgeable Hamdullah Akın (Jesse) and Mehmet Nazlı (Jeff), it has a good rooftop terrace and the advantage of bathrooms for every room, although there's no lift.

Pension Karahan (232-892 2575, Siegburg Caddesi 11), has received several recommendations from readers. There are 12 simple rooms here, but they're in the heart of the action and could be noisy in summer.

Another newcomer is Artemis Guest House (232-892 6191, 1012 Sokak 2), otherwise known as Jimmy's Place. Clean, simple rooms are supplemented by a large lounge with TV-video player and a rear courtyard with murals.

Close to the market, Ms Seval Demirel-Molenaar runs the popular Vardar Pension (232-891 4967, fax 891 4099, Sahabettin Dede Caddesi 9), with 16 small, clean rooms, most with bath, and a nice dining terrace where breakfast and dinner are served. Seval Hanım speaks some Dutch, English, French, German and Japanese, and stresses that she does not employ touts at the bus station, though she herself sometimes meets buses.

Readers have also recommended Pamukkale Family Pension (232-892 2388, 14 Mayıs Mahellesi, Sedir Sokak 1), run by Mehmet Irdem whose hospitality has been described as 'awe inspiring'. His wife's cooking also comes in for high praise.

Camping (Seljuks Turkey)

On the western side of Ayasoluk Hill 200m beyond the Isa Bey Camii, Garden Motel & Camping (232-892 6165, fax 892 2997) offers grassy pitches in the shade of aspen trees. There are also some pension rooms with a few dorm beds for US$5 per person. Carpets are made here for export to Italy, so you get the chance to see the dying and weaving in progress without pressure to buy. There's also camping at Pamucak (see the Pamucak section later in this chapter).

Entertainment in Seljuks

Sipping drinks and talking are the main evening entertainments in Selçuk. Besides the restaurants on Cengiz Topel Caddesi, you'll find Ekselans Bar on Siegburg Caddesi with outdoor tables and, next to it, the currently more popular Pink Bistro Bar.
Cheers is also popular but a quick stroll around town should point out this season's place to be.

The Selçuk Hamamı is north of the police station. Traditionally, women bathe on Friday, but, this being a tourist area, they can actually show up at any time and be allowed in. it stays open until midnight.

Seljuks Anatolian Seljuk

SELJUKS (SELÇUK) - Anatolian Seljuk

Seljuk Turks
Once a modest farming town with a sideline in tourism, Selçuk has been transformed by the tourism boom of the 1990s. Tourism is now the driving force in the local economy, though the lush fields of cotton and tobacco and the orchards of apples and figs surrounding the ever-growing town attest to the continuing efforts of the farmers.

Orientation

Ayasoluk Hill, with its castle, is north-west of the centre. Cengiz Topel Caddesi, the pedestrian way which is the heart of the commercial and tourist district, runs from an elaborate round fountain at the intersection with the main road to the train station. A few hundred metres south of the fountain on the main road is the otogar. On the west side of the main road is a shady park, and west of it is the famous Ephesus Museum. On the southern side of the park is the Tourism information Office. Selçuk's postal code is 35920.

The Seljuk Information - Tourist Office

Selçuk's Tourism Informa­tion Office (232-892 1328, fax 892 1945) is at Efes Müzesi Karşısı 23, across the main İzmir-Bodrum highway from the otogar.

Money

The PTT on Cengiz Topel Caddesi is open 24 hours every day, and will change cash, travellers cheques or Eurocheques. Ziraat Bankası has an offıce with ATM on Cengiz Topel Caddesi; iş Bankası and Akbank have ATMs on Namık Kemal Caddesi, a block north. There are foreign ex-change offices along Cengiz Topel Caddesi as well.

Parking

If you park a car near the Tourism information Office, Ephesus Museum, St John Basilica or a few other touristy places in Selçuk, you may be approached by a man wanting to collect a parking fee of up to US$1.50. Although the charge is official, ask for a bilet (ticket) or makbuz (receipt) to make sure the cash is going into the right pockets. Alternatively, move your car and park a few blocks away for free.

Ayasoluk Hill

Before going to Ephesus, take an hour or two to visit the ancient buildings in Selçuk. The best place to start is the St John Basilica on top of the hill; look for signs pointing the way to St Jean.

it is said that St John came to Ephesus at the end of his life and wrote his Gospel here. A tomb built in the 4th century was thought to be his, so Justinian erected this magnificent church above it in the 6th century. Earthquakes and scavengers for building materials had left the church a heap of rubble until a century ago when restoration began; virtually all of what you see now is restored. The church site is open every day from 8 am to 5.30 pm (later in summer) for US$2.50. Parking at the entrance costs almost as much, so if you have a car, park a block or two away.

This hill, including the higher peak with the fortress, is called Ayasoluk and it offers an attractive view. Look west: at the foot of the hill is the Isa Bey Camii, built in 1375 by the Emir of Aydın in a transitional style which was post-Seljuk and pre-Ottoman. Keep a picture of it in your mind if you plan to venture deep into Anatolia for a look at more Seljuk buildings. There's a bust of Isa Bey more or less opposite.

Beyond the mosque you can see how the Aegean Sea once invaded this plain, allowing Ephesus to prosper from maritime commerce. When the harbour silted up, Ep­hesus began to lose its famous wealth.

The hilltop citadel to the north of St John Basilica was originally constructed by the Byzantines in the 6th century, rebuilt by the Seljuks and restored in modern times. A Sel­juk mosque and a ruined church are inside.

Early in the town's existence it earned money from pilgrims paying homage to Cybele or Artemis. The many-breasted Anatolian fertility goddess had a fabulous temple, the Artemision, to the south-west of the St John Basilica. A sign on the road to Ephesus marks the spot today, and you can see a re-erected column and the outline of the foundation. When you visit the huge temple at Didyma you get an idea of what this great temple must once have looked like, as Didyma's is thought to have been similar. If you walk to Ephesus you can take in the Artemision on the way.