Selçuk is a town in the Aegean region of Turkey. It mostly caters to tourists as the nearest town to the ruins of Ephesus.
My Posts on Selçuk
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Introduction to Selçuk
Selçuk is the modern successor to ancient Ephesus. Its original name was Agios Theologos (Άγιος Θεολόγος), which is named after St. John the Theologian. The Basilica of St. John, one of the town’s major archaeological sites, was built there in the 6th century by Justinian I.
Agios Theologos fell to the Seljuks in 1304. Under Turkish rule, the town was known as Ayasuluk, which was a corrupted form of Agios Theologos. Ayasuluk served as the capital of the Aydinids (Aydınoğulları), who formed in 1308 after the decline of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. It was annexed by the Ottoman Empire in 1426. The name officially changed to Selçuk in 1914 in honor of the Seljuk Turks, who first arrived in the region in the 12th century.
Today, Selçuk hosts tourists from all over the world visiting Ephesus, the Basilica of St. John, the House of the Virgin Mary, the Ephesus Museum, and the Temple of Artemis. Most people stay on cruise ships docked in neighboring Kuşadası and come through on group tours, but it’s worth spending some time in town if you’re traveling on your own. Selçuk also makes a great base for tourists wanting to explore other towns and ancient sites nearby.
Getting to Selçuk
The easiest way to get to Selçuk is to fly to Adnan Menderes Airport in Izmir. You can then take the İZBAN train service, which runs between Alsancak Train Station via the airport to the center of Selçuk. Check the official İZBAN website for schedules and fares.
The bus terminal is in the center of town near the Ephesus Museum. There are buses to and from Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, and other major cities. You can also catch a minibus to Şirince or Kuşadası.
Where to Stay in Selçuk
On my many visits to Selçuk, I’ve only stayed overnight at two different places. Most visitors prefer to stay in Kuşadası but I prefer to stay in Selçuk.
Celsus Hotel
One of the best places I’ve stayed at in Turkey is the Celsus Hotel. It’s a boutique hotel with 19 rooms located in the old town of Selçuk, just around the corner from the Basilica of Saint John. I try to book a room there on every overnight trip to the area. Staff is wonderful and they do their best to make you feel at home.
Rooms are immaculate, spacious, and very comfortable. Each room is equipped with a safe, flat screen TV, and air conditioning. I can’t think of too many hotels in Turkey where I get a better night’s rest than at Celsus Hotel.
Breakfast is included in the room rate, with several Turkish specialties available in the buffet line as well as eggs made to order. Facilities at Celsus Hotel include a swimming pool. Staff can help with laundry service, booking tours, take care of transportation, and make suggestions on where to eat. There’s also a pool on-site if you want to cool off after a long hot day of exploring.
Jimmy’s Place (Permanently Closed)
On my very first visit to Selçuk, I stayed at Jimmy’s Place, which is a laid-back hostel in the center of town. I booked a private single room with a bathroom and was satisfied with my stay. Jimmy’s Place is within walking distance to all the major sites in town as well as the bus and train station. They can also help book excursions to Ephesus and other nearby ancient sites as well as several different activities.
Where to Eat in Selçuk
Traditional Turkish cuisine is your best bet in Selçuk. I’ve tried several restaurants in town, but I have a few favorites.
Ayasoluk Restaurant
A few steps from Celsus Hotel is Ayasoluk Restaurant, which serves delicious traditional Turkish dishes using fresh local products. It’s attached to the Ayasoluk Boutique Hotel and is easily one of the best restaurants in Selçuk.
The restaurant has a beautiful setting overlooking Selçuk. You can see the Isa Bey Mosque, Basilica of Saint John, and other sites. Sunset is an amazing time to be there. Furthermore, staff is wonderful and service is efficient.
I like to start with the meze sampler and çoban salata. The meze sampler usually comes with pickled beets, roasted peppers, baba ganoush, haydari, and hummus.
The main dishes include traditional Turkish kebabs, köfte, and fish. I particularly enjoyed my lamb shank, which is served in a broth with carrots, onions, and peppercorn. For dessert, try the künefe.
In addition to the hotel and restaurant, there’s a carpet workshop and souvenir shop. Feel free to visit after your meal. There’s no pressure to buy.
Old House Restaurant
The staff at the Celsus Hotel highly recommended Old House Restaurant, which is in the center of town. It’s another traditional Turkish restaurant set in a small garden. The owner and his family are very friendly and provide great service.
For starters, try the meze sampler, which comes with hummus, baba ganoush, smoked eggplant, beans, and ezme. The salad with tuna is also good as well as the stuffed eggplant.
I’ve had the çöp şiş and lamb for my main course. The flavor is excellent and both are served with a side of fries and rice.
Agora Restaurant
Agora Restaurant is located a few steps from the Ephesus Museum. It has outdoor seating and a good selection of traditional Turkish dishes on the menu. I like to stop there for dinner after visiting the museum.
We like to start with a selection of meze dishes, especially the pickled beets, baba ganoush, şakşuka, artichokes, and atom (a spicy concoction of peppers). I’ve had the saç kavurma and mixed grill as a main course, and the baked halva for dessert. All of our meals have been great.
Çadır
Çadır is a café directly across from the entrance to the Ephesus Museum. We like to stop and get ice cream and coffee or tea before visiting the museum. They also have a good selection of craft beers.
Efes Restaurant
Efes Restaurant is around the corner from the Old House Restaurant and across from the Selçuk City Memory Museum. We stopped there for a beer while a few members of my group were in the Selçuk Hamam. While we didn’t eat anything, they have a decent menu of Turkish dishes.
Carpouza Café
Nearby is Carpouza Café, which is a tea garden under several tents in a grassy area. Unfortunately, all the tables were full when we passed by. I’ll check it out on another trip.
Asker’in Yeri
Next to the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers is Asker’in Yeri. It’s yet another good traditional Turkish restaurant. We had gözleme, adana kebabs, a vegetable plate, and mulberry juice. Prices are more than fair, food is delicious, and service is friendly.
Aladdin’s Rug Warehouse
Before our carpet demonstration at Aladdin’s Rug Warehouse, we were treated to a delicious home-cooked traditional Turkish lunch in the garden behind the store. The meal started with meze dishes such as stuffed peppers, haydari, eggplant dip, and salad. The main course was a spicy chicken dish. I wouldn’t go out of my way just for lunch, but it’s nice if it’s included on a tour like it was for us. It’s obviously part of their sales tactic to fill up your stomach before trying to hard sell you on thousand dollar carpets.
Currency Exchange in Selçuk
If you need to exchange currency in Selçuk, head to İm Kuyumculuk. It’s located near the bus terminal. They offer fair rates.
Souvenir Shopping in Selçuk
As a major tourist center, Selçuk is full of souvenir shops. A good collection of shops is on the partially pedestrianized Cengiz Topel Street, which is also lined with restaurants. I recommend Sultan Jewelry and Julia’s Place. You can find all kinds of Turkish souvenirs, just be sure to bargain!
Carpet, Pottery, and Lokum Workshops in Selçuk
One of the favorite pastimes of tour guides is to take their groups to pottery and carpet workshops or lokum (Turkish delight) shops. If you’re on a guided tour, especially in a large group, you have a 99.9% chance of ending up in one of them. Again, make sure you bargain, especially on carpets!
Personally, I’ve been to two carpet workshop, one pottery workshop, and one lokum shop. We had no intention of buying anything but they made for an interesting experience. Unfortunately, I would have been happier doing something else. At one workshop, we wasted more than an hour telling them “no” when we could have been out exploring other attractions.
Aladdin’s Rug Warehouse
After they treated us to lunch, we walked into the store where two men greeted us and explained the carpet weaving process. They took us to a vat of cocoons and showed us how they extracted threads of silk. They also demonstrated how strong silk can be.
From there, we went to another room where a local woman was sitting at a loom. The men explained each step as she weaved the carpet. The women learn their craft through a government program that aims to keep the carpet weaving tradition alive.
They take turns working on the same carpet until it’s finished, following an intricate pattern and using special techniques to tie each thread. It was amazing to see how much work goes into making a small carpet with a complicated pattern.
Next, we walked into the showroom where the men started unrolling carpets. They were quite pushy, asking us how much we would like to spend and even trying the “divide and conquer” method on our group. It was nice to see the carpets but it was definitely a waste of time after we admired the first 10 or so.
The whole scene was a bit comical as well because they kept dropping prices as we lost interest. At one point, they offered one carpet for US$2000 and quickly dropped the price to US$500. They were determined to make us walk away with a carpet. I imagine they make a killing with buyers who don’t bargain!
OBA Rugs and Kilims
At OBA Rugs and Kilims, we were given the choice of seeing the carpet demonstration. We immediately said “no” and stuck to lunch only.
The lunch was delicious and our hosts were very friendly. Other than that, the grounds were very nice. We did manage to see some of the women working on their looms and a few carpets on the way out.
Fırca Quality Ceramic
Fırca Quality Ceramic is on the south side of town. They sell handmade pottery and also offer demonstrations. We sat through a short demonstration before we were taken down to the showroom to see some of the premium pieces. They had lots of very impressive yet expensive items including wine decanters, vases, and even cell phone speakers. Upstairs in the main showroom are pieces made by apprentices or machines. If you do choose to make a purchase, they’ll insure your shipment and can ship all over the world.
Ege Lokum
Next door is Ege Lokum, which is a Turkish delight company founded in Izmir in 1965. They offer several different food products in addition to Turkish delight, including coffees, spices, chocolates, olive oils, baklava, teas, dried fruits, and much more. Also for sale are soaps, beauty products, jewelry, and other souvenirs. They have samples available to try and all salespeople are very friendly and helpful. The only negative is that everything is terribly overpriced. I wouldn’t spend any money there.
Ephesus Travel Guide
If you’re looking for a private guide, I can highly recommend Denizhan at Ephesus Travel Guide. I’ve organized several tours with him. One was a day trip for family flying in from Istanbul for the day, while others have been single or multi-day tours of Ephesus and the region.
For example, on the family trip, Denizhan picked us up at the airport in Izmir. During the drive to Selçuk he gave us the background of the region and a rundown of what we would see. We visited the Basilica of Saint John and the House of the Virgin Mary before touring the ruins of Ephesus. After lunch and a carpet demonstration, we drove to Şirince for a short walk through town.
Denizhan is professional, friendly, and a wealth of information. There’s no question he can’t answer. The drivers we’ve had are courteous and safe, and the vehicles are clean. Most importantly, the price is always fair. The only things not included are admission to the historic sites, some meals, and accommodation, if applicable. You’ll be happy with his services and will get much more out of your visit if he or one of his associates is guiding you.
Selçuk Hamam
If you’re looking for a Turkish bath experience, visit Selçuk Hamam. They offer a few different types of services including the full Turkish bath treatment, massages, facials, and more. Prices are fair. It’s not going to be a luxury experience but it’s enjoyable.
