BACK TO NEARBY PLACES
Ayasuluk Fortress

ANCIENT SITE · 800 M FROM THE HOTEL

Ayasuluk Fortress

Selçuk’s crowning achievement, Ayasuluk Castle, is accessed on the same ticket as the Basilica of St John, once the citadel's principal structure. Earlier and extensive excavations here concluded in 1998 after a quarter-century, proved that there were castles on Ayasuluk Hill going back beyond the original Ephesian settlement to the Neolithic age. The fortress' partially restored remains, about 350m north of the church, date from Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman times and are well worth a visit.

Ayasuluk Castle, regionally referred to as Ayasuluk Kalesi or Selçuk Kalesi, lies on a hill within the city of Selcuk, within the province of Izmir in Turkey, near the famous ancient city of Ephesus. It's placed simply a mile from the location of the traditional town of the urban center.

More info on Ayasuluk castle.

What to look for

  • The layered fortification walls
  • The panorama over the plain
  • The small fortress mosque
  • Sunset over the sea from the ramparts