S is for Selçuk... and its storks

The untidy, voluminous nests of this wonderfully ungainly black and white wader cap each of the crumbling tops of a row of stone and brick built columns that march impressively across the northern rim of the square -- the remains of a monumental Byzantine-era aqueduct. Whether standing aloofly astride their nests, pushing morsels of food into the gaping beaks of their ravenous offspring or wheeling, surprisingly gracefully, against the backdrop of a dazzlingly azure Aegean sky, Selçuk’s storks make for at least as impressive viewing as its most famous historic sites -- the fabled Temple of Artemis (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world), the monumental Basilica of St. John and the splendid İsabey Mosque.

Tomb of St John in church Artemis statue from museum Isa Bey mosque

Selçuk is hardly little known -- it lies too close to the Aegean coast’s number one tourist destination, Ephesus, for that. But, stranded a few kilometers from the seashore, it is often neglected by visitors who prefer to base themselves in nearby seaside resorts such as Kuşadası. Of course, Selçuk, or rather its more ancient precursors (there is evidence that there has been a settlement on Ayasuluk Hill, around which today’s town is built, for well over 3,000 years) was once by the sea. Over the centuries, silt washed down by the Küçük Menderes River (the ancient Cayster) has turned what was once a broad bay into a rich and fertile plain. Indeed, one of the joys of exploring Ayasuluk Hill today is to enjoy the stunning views over this unfeasibly flat alluvial floodplain and beyond to a glimmering white line of bleached sand and the deep blue waters of the Aegean.

Unfortunately, the impressive Byzantine/Selçuk Turkish era fort commanding the highest point of the hill is currently off-limits to visitors, but it makes a great backdrop for photographs of the town’s major tourist draw, the Byzantine Basilica of St. John. Entry to the church grounds is through the so-called Persecution Gate. Early visitors from Europe believed that a relief carving above the arch showed early Christians being martyred for their faith by pagan Romans, hence the name. In fact, the scene depicted was one from Greek legend, showing Odysseus and his warriors scattering a group of maidens on the island of Skyros to discover, hiding in their midst, the man they hoped would ensure Greek success in the siege of Troy, Achilles. This slab, once part of a Roman sarcophagus, is now in Woburn Abbey in England, having been spirited away by some 19th century traveler, but another finely carved sarcophagus panel remains in situ.

Basilica of St.John damaged in earthquakes

The Basilica of St. John was once one of the greatest religious structures of the Byzantine world, rivaling İstanbul’s Hagia Sophia. Unfortunately, this great church, built on a cruciform plan by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the mid-sixth century, suffered terrible damage from earthquakes and the depredations of the Mongol warlord Tamerlane. Until quite recently, little more than foundations and a jumble of tumbled pillars were all that could be seen here. Now, thanks to much renovation, funded largely by American Christian groups, you can get at least an impression of what this church looked like in its heyday. Columns, surmounted with capitals engraved with the monogram of Justinian and his consort, Theodora, line the nave of the church. Sections of wall have been rebuilt, as has the synthronon, the semi-circular tiers of seating built in front of the apse and used by the clergy in services.

To get a firm idea of what the church looked like in its pomp, just north of the remains, above the baptistery with its full-immersion baptismal font, is an accurate scale model of the building. Devout visitors, however, tend to concentrate on the tomb of the figure the church was built over and named after, John the Evangelist. According to Christian tradition, John, one of the 12 disciples, died here in Selçuk circa A.D. 100, so don’t be surprised to see impromptu services held by Christian groups over the site of his tomb -- which is situated right in front of the synthronon. In the Byzantine era, Christians believed that once a year, a holy, cure all ills smoke arose from the tomb, and pilgrims and the sick came in their thousands to witness and benefit from the miracle. Less devout visitors today can admire the church for its architecture and the pretty grounds in which it stands, with carefully tended flowers blooming everywhere and stands of bizarrely sculpted cacti dotting the environs. Then there are the wonderful views, down over the town and beyond to the site of Ephesus and the blue curve of the sea behind it.

A short walk below the Basilica of St. John, and clearly visible from it at the foot of Ayasuluk Hill, is the must-see İsabey Mosque. Built in the late 14th century at the behest of the Aydınoğlu clan, it boasts a large, twin-domed prayer hall with the roof partially supported by Roman columns recycled from the ruins of Ephesus. The fact that this beautifully restored building is little used by the current inhabitants of the town (there are plenty of more central mosques for the faithful) is a boon for tourists, as a several meter square patch of mosque floor just beyond the door is kept free of carpets so visitors can enter the building without having to remove their shoes. Outside is a sizeable high-walled courtyard, with porticoes again supported by re-used Roman columns and capitals. Although one of the mosque’s cylindrical minarets fell in the distant past, the remaining one still retains traces of glazed tile work. The most impressive single feature of the structure is, however, the main portal, reached by a steep flight of steps from the exterior. With a finely carved stalactite vaulted niche over the door and, above this, flowing arabesques of gray marble contrasting with the pale stone of the main wall, it is one of the most attractive entrances to a mosque in Turkey.

Make sure to visit the museum

Even if you’ve only a passing interest in archaeology or the Greek/Roman worlds, it’s well worth wandering around Ephesus Museum. As you would expect, the majority of the finds displayed here are from the famous ruins of Ephesus, a little over a kilometer away. Pick of the bunch are the three statues of the goddess Artemis, Roman copies in marble of the statue that would once have graced the nearby Temple of Artemis (Artemision). They show Artemis, the chaste Greek goddess of hunting, not as she is usually depicted in classical art (as a smooth-limbed beauty gracefully bending her bow or slipping through some forest glade) but as a stiff-limbed Anatolian mother goddess, bizarrely covered with multiple rows of eggs (fertility symbols) and a rash of real and mythical creatures. There’s a room devoted to finds from the magnificent terraced houses discovered at Ephesus, which give a brilliant picture of upper class domestic life in Roman Ephesus, and another with the superb relief carvings and statuary decorating the assorted temples and monumental fountains which adorned the ancient city.

But Selçuk is not just about visiting historic buildings and museums. The town itself has a charm that grows on you the longer you stay. The modern town center lies to the east of Ayasuluk Hill, and the views back to it from the relatively traffic-free central streets are always memorable. Largely due to the large numbers of visitors who make their way here for the premier sites (and make no mistake, hit the church or museum when there’s three or four coach loads in and you’ll regret it) Selçuk has more decent cafes and restaurants than most comparable inland Turkish towns, and lingering at an outside table over tea or coffee is one of the delights of this laid-back town -- even the charming 19th century railway station boasts an attached tea garden.

1) Basilica of St John and citadel, 2) Byzantine aqueduct, 3) Isa Bey Mosque, Basilica of St John, Citadel

Despite the inevitable disappointment, few visitors can resist the lure of the famous Artemision, which nestles in a patch of palm-fringed swampy ground at the southern foot of Ayasuluk Hill. All that remains of a building that once ranked up there with the Giza pyramids are the foundations of the temple -- and those are usually underwater in winter and early spring. The setting is lovely though, with frogs croaking around the water’s edge, and the view across to the İsabey Mosque and, behind it, the Basilica of St. John, is marvelous. There’s one more thing to note here -- a single column, cobbled together from remnants of the multitude of fallen pillars that once supported the massive temple roof. Atop it is-- you guessed it -- a huge nest complete with (in spring and early summer at least) a very proud pair of storks and their young.