Witness the history of a city that bears the traces of many different nations and faiths!
- The city that is home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World… The Temple of Artemis was the most important temple of its time.
- Ephesus is home to one of the seven churches named in the Bible (Book of Revelation).
- The House of the Virgin Mary was declared a place of pilgrimage by the Vatican in 1961 and has been visited by Pope Paul VI (1967), Pope John Paul II (1979) and Pope Benedict XVI (2006).
The district of Selçuk lies 74 km south of İzmir, on the İzmir – Aydın highway. Within an area of 10 km², Selçuk is home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; the House of the Virgin Mary, sacred above all to Christians; Ephesus, Türkiye’s most magnificent ancient city; the tomb and basilica of St. John, the apostle of Jesus; the Cave of the Seven Sleepers; the İsa Bey Mosque, dating from the Aydınid Principality (Aydınoğulları); Selçuk Castle and the aqueducts; and the vernacular architecture of Şirince Village, making it a district that is a true treasure trove of history. The area, filled with alluvium by the Küçük Menderes River over the centuries, lies 8 km from Pamucak Bay, a protected natural site with the sea and a sparkling sandy beach.
