5 Best Things To Do In Selcuk

The history that has been retained and restored in this little town has to be seen to be believed.

How to get here?

We got a rental car from Six60 at the Istanbul Hotel Hilton. However, we booked it online through VIP cars and it was much cheaper this way. We paid around 100€ for 3 days. Once we were out of Istanbul it was an easy drive and it took us about 5 hours to get to Selcuk.

Alternatively you could fly to Izmir which is 61km away.

Where to stay and eat?

We spent 1 night at Livia Garden Hotel. It’s a wonderful boutique hotel that is in close proximity to the township and sights including Ephesus Museum and Basilica of Saint John. It has a lovely garden area with a pool and an outdoor dining area. We had a lovely breakfast and dinner here by the pool.

For sunset we went to Rebetika Hotel Terrace to have a drink and watch the sunset. The ‘Call To Prayer’ could be heard from all around town, especially from the impressive 14th century Isa Bey Mosque which is nearby.

For a quick cheap lunch we had a traditional Pide from Selçuk Pidecisi. A pide is an oval shaped flat bread that is baked with various combinations of toppings and stuffings.

Basilica of Saint John

It was constructed in the 6th century and is believed to be the burial site of John the Apostle. We explored the impressive ruins of the 6th century construction. From looking at the size of the columns and exploring the floor plan, we got an idea of how enormous it was.

Ephesus Archeological Museum

It houses approx. 64 thousand pieces retrieved from the nearby Ephesus excavation site. Its most well known exhibit is the ancient statue of the Greek Goddess Artemis which was recovered from The Temple Of The Goddess in Ephesus.

Ephesus Archaeological Site

This site is located about 4km from Selcuk. This mega ancient city has retained it’s glory. We got a good idea of what life would have been like 2000 years ago. There are signs of high level urbanisation, architecture and religious history belonging to different civilisations (especially Hellenistic and Romans). The ruins were far superior than other ancient sites we visited in Turkey and Greece.

Library of Celsus is the most famous and beautiful. It’s an architectural wonder with it’s breathtaking columns, carvings and statues.

We continued on, walking up Kuretler Street (also known as Curetes Way) where we found the most incredible architecture. Some notable sights along here are the Hillside Houses (villas for the wealthy), Temple of Hadrian and Gate of Hercules. Please note there is an additional entrance fee for the Hillside House.

This sight is also home to 2 enormous theatres called The Great Theater (25,000 seating capacity) and Odeon (1,800 seating capacity). The Great Theater has excellent acoustics and is still used for performances and special events.

House of Virgin Mary

From the Archeological Site, we continued on for another 5km. At this beautiful stone house in 430 A.D, Third Ecumenical Council proclaimed Mary’s title of ‘Mother of God’. We walked down the aisle, admiring the incredible interior and history. We purchased candles to light outside for Dad. There is a natural spring with 3 taps, providing water that is said to be holy and drinking from them will bring you health, wealth and fertility.

Sirence Village

This village is only 7km away from Selcuk. Sirence is known for its viticulture, wines and olive oil. It has a strong Greek influence and some of the Greek houses serve as bed and breakfasts. We explored the fascinating market streets with local and artisan products. The streets are narrow and shaded, cars are prohibited so we followed the signs to the parking lot.

We had a very unique coffee experience. We sat around a metal table top, the middle was full of sand and our cups sat on the outer perimeter. Our cups and Turkish delight sweets sat in beautiful metal dishes. The hot coffee pot was put into the sand and moved in a circular motion. Once it cooled down it was poured. The Turkish coffee is very strong with a thicker texture and you drink it without milk. There are several cafes like this but we went to Kirkinca Sarap Evi because the design of the table was cool and it was located on the side of the pedestrian street.

We walked up the hill to the top of the village. We had a lovely lunch at a restaurant called Gulgun Albanian Yeri. The locally sourced products and traditional dishes were delicious. The outdoor setting was serene with a view over the village and plants decorations.

Our time in Selcuk was so tranquil and relaxing, we would have liked to spend longer here to enjoy more of the cuisine and taken more time to enjoy these beautiful sights.