We are here in Turkey on a visa, therefore decided to stay for most of it in order to fit in some travel around Turkey. High on our list to get to was the archeological site of Ephesus as we had heard from many others it was definitely worth seeing. There are other places along the Turkish coast that we will more than likely get to next season that are closer to Ephesus, but with extra time and less tourists here now, we decided it was worth the extra travel time to do it now. We found we could easily catch a daytime bus from Marmaris to Aydin so we could actually see some of the scenery on this trip. We could leave at 8:30AM and get to Aydin by 11:40AM, then wait about 30 minutes to catch a (a van) for the rest of the trip to the town of Selcuk which is the closest to Ephesus. We have been finding bus service has been excellent here in Turkey and very inexpensive. Our round trip to Aydin cost $30 total for us both (remember that was a bus trip) and the round trip on the was
about $3.50 total for both of us (1 hour trip). We know many people prefer to rent a car, but we like the bus travel as you can relax, see the sights and even read or sleep if you want to (and not bother with figuring out directions or dealing with traffic). The bus between Marmaris and Aydin was a bus that you can charge your electronics on and they even serve beverages and snacks – what a deal!
I have included a map of our journey from Marmaris to Selcuk in the photos showing the topography of our travels through some mountainous areas as well as valleys. As the photos were taken while on a moving bus, hope that they at least give you an idea of the beauty of the area we passed through. We are impressed that the road systems here seem to be in very good condition, even if some have quite the switch back turns due to the mountain passes (but that would be true in any mountainous area)
soon as you set foot in the door. Her place was in an excellent location within walking distance to town, shops and restaurants and she even has a wonderful view of the castle from her living room balcony. Her English was very good which allowed us to have some wonderful discussions and she provided us with some lovely traditional food as well. The first night we were invited to meet some of her family which was a nice bonus as her niece was getting her first puppy so we waited to meet her, the new puppy, her parents, an uncle and her grandfather. A very nice bonus for us to be included in this family gathering!
In researching Selcuk we found there were a few other sights we could take in so that first afternoon we stopped for lunch and then headed out to see St. Johns Basilica and the Ayasuluk Castle, both on the World Heritage list since 2015. It was a lovely sunny afternoon, but still cool so a great day to be hiking around the hillside in Selcuk. The bascilica was built in the 6th C. AD by Emperor Justinian (who reigned from AD) and
Queen Theodora as they believed that a tomb where St. John the Evangelist was buried was located here and wanted to build a church over the site. They built a church in the form of a cross – a model of what it would have looked at is located at the site to get a better of idea of it as the actual site now is in ruins.
St. John was expelled from Jerusalem and he and the Virgin Mary came to live the rest of their lives in Ephesus. St. John spent many years here and wanted to be buried in this location. With it honoring St. John, this site became a Christian pilgrimage site during the Middle Ages. Unfortunately, by the 12th C. it was in disrepair and needed much work to be done to it. The Turks took over this area in 1304 and decided to convert the church to a mosque, but earthquakes in destroyed much of it.
