Selçuk is a municipality and

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

İzmir Province İzmir Province ( tr, İzmir ili) is a province and metropolitan municipality of Turkey in western Anatolia, situated along the Aegean coast. Its capital is the city of İzmir, which is in itself composed of the province's central 11 districts ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. Its area is 317 km², and its population is 38,151 (2022). The town Selçuk is located northeast of the ancient city of

Ephesus Ephesus (; grc-gre, Ἔφεσος, Éphesos; tr, Efes; may ultimately derive from hit, 𒀀𒉺𒊭, Apaša) was a city in ancient Greece on the coast of Ionia, southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built i ...

, that was once home to the

Temple of Artemis The Temple of Artemis or Artemision ( gr, Ἀρτεμίσιον; tr, Artemis Tapınağı), also known as the Temple of Diana, was a Greek temple dedicated to an ancient, local form of the goddess Artemis (identified with Diana Diana most ...

, one of the

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, also known as the Seven Wonders of the World or simply the Seven Wonders, is a list of seven notable structures present during classical antiquity. The first known list of seven wonders dates back to the 2 ...

. Selçuk is one of the most visited tourist destinations within

, known for its closeness to the ancient city of Ephesus,

House of the Virgin Mary The House of the Virgin Mary (Turkish: ''Meryemana Evi'' or ''Meryem Ana Evi'', "Mother Mary's House") is a Catholic shrine located on Mt. Koressos (Turkish: ''Bülbüldağı'', "Mount Nightingale") in the vicinity of Ephesus, from Selçuk in T ...

, and Seljuk works of art. The 6th century Basilica of St. John the Apostle, which, some claim, is built on the site of the Apostle's tomb, is also inside the town.

Procopius Procopius of Caesarea ( grc-gre, Προκόπιος ὁ Καισαρεύς ''Prokópios ho Kaisareús''; la, Procopius Caesariensis; – after 565) was a prominent late antique Greek scholar from Caesarea Maritima. Accompanying the Roman ge ...

said that the basilica was a most sacred and honoured place in Ephesus. It was severely damaged in the invasion of Selçuk Turks in 1090. The place was excavated in 1927, and Pope Paul VI paid it a visit and prayed there.

History

Its previous Greek name, Agios Theologos (Άγιος Θεολόγος), referred to

John the Theologian John of Patmos (also called John the Revelator, John the Divine, John the Theologian) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Book of Revelation. The text of Revelation states that John was on Patmos, a Greek island where, accordin ...

, because emperor

Justinian I Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565. His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovat ...

had erected there a basilica in honour of the saint. ''Ayasoluk'' is a corrupted form of the original name. In the 14th century, it was the capital of the

Beylik of Aydin The Aydinids or Aydinid dynasty (Modern Turkish: ''Aydınoğulları'', ''Aydınoğulları Beyliği'', ota, آیدین اوغوللاری بیلیغی), also known as the Principality of Aydin and Beylik of Aydin (), was one of the Anatolian ...

, and visited by

Ibn Battuta Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battutah (, ; 24 February 13041368/1369),; fully: ; Arabic: commonly known as Ibn Battuta, was a Berber Maghrebi scholar and explorer who travelled extensively in the lands of Afro-Eurasia, largely in the Muslim ...

. He noted, "The congregational mosque in this city is one of the most magnificent mosques in the world and unequaled in beauty." Under the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, it was known as Ayasoluk. In 1914, it was renamed Selçuk after the

Seljuk Turks The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes by the Turk ...

who first led incursions into the region in the 12th century. in

Kuşadası Kuşadası () is a large resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast, and the center of the seaside district of the same name within Aydın Province. Kuşadası is south of İzmir, and about from Aydın. The municipality's primary industry is tourism ...

district till 1957, when it became a district itself. Its neighbours are

Torbalı Torbalı is a district of İzmir Province of Turkey. An ancient Ionian city, Metropolis, is found in the district. It was famous for its wines and religious sites, and had three sanctuaries in marble dedicated to the Roman Emperor Augustus and his ...

from north,

Tire A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which t ...

from northeast,

Germencik Germencik is a town and a district of Aydın Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. Geography Germencik is located in the middle of the fertile Büyük Menderes (Meander) plain, inland from the Aegean coastal town of Kuşadası, on the Aydı ...

from east,

from south, Aegean Sea from west and Menderes (formerly Cumaovası) from northwest. In 1921, after the capture of the village by the Greek forces, the village had a total population of 600, ethnographically consisting of 580

Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, Albania, Greeks in Italy, ...

, 10

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...

and 10

Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, '' hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...

The old quarter of Selçuk retains much traditional Turkish culture.

Ayasuluk Hill Ayasuluk Hill (, ) is an ancient mound in İzmir Province in Turkey. It forms part of the Ephesus UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is home to a Byzantine fortress and the ruins of the Basilica of St John. It was reputedly the tomb of John the Apostl ...

dominates the surrounding area, with several historical buildings on its slopes, including the

İsa Bey Mosque The İsa Bey Mosque ( tr, İsa Bey Camii), constructed in 1374–75, is one of the oldest and most impressive works of architectural art remaining from the Anatolian beyliks. The mosque is situated on the outskirts of the Ayasluğ Hills at Sel ...

built by the Aydinids in 1375, and the Grand Fortress. The hill itself is part of Ephesus

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

Selçuk village and Isa Bey mosque from the castle in 1970

Ephesus Beach (Turkish: ''Pamucak'') is one of the longest beaches (12 km) in Turkey and hosts five large hotels.

Composition

There are 14

neighbourhoods A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural ar ...

in Selçuk District: * 14 Mayıs * Acarlar * Atatürk * Barutçu *

Belevi Belevi is a town in Selçuk district of İzmir Province, Turkey. It is situated between Turkish state highway D.550 and Turkish Motor way O.31. Lake Belevi is to the east. The distance to Selçuk is and to İzmir is . The population of Belevi ...

* Çamlık * Cumhuriyet * Gökçealan * Havutçulu * İsabey *

Şirince Şirince (), known as Kirkintzes ( el, Κιρκιντζές) in Greek, is a village of 600 inhabitants in İzmir Province, Turkey, located about east of the town Selçuk and about 8 kilometres from Ephesus. The area around the village has histor ...

* Sultaniye * Zafer * Zeytinköy

Climate

Selçuk has a

hot-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Csa''), with hot, dry summers, and cool, rainy winters.

Sport

The youth football teams of the İzmir-based sports club Altınordu S.K. play their home matches in the

Altınordu Selçuk-Efes Football Complex Altınordu Selçuk-Efes Football Complex ( tr, Altınordu Selçuk Efes Futbol Tesisleri), shortly ASEFT, is a sport complex of football stadiums operated by the football club Altınordu S.K., and is located in Selçuk town of Izmir Province in ...

, which is located WSW of Selçuk. With five football fields, the venue is the largest in

Notable people

Bülent Cevahir Bülent Cevahir (born 13 February 1992) is a Turkish footballer who plays as a defender for Boluspor. Professional career Cevahir made his Süper Lig debut on 30 January 2011 with Manisaspor Manisaspor is a Turkish professional football ...

(born 1992), footballer *

Hafsa Hatun Hafsa Hatun ( ota, حفصه خاتون) was a Turkish princess, and the wife of Bayezid I, 14th century, of the Ottoman Empire. Life Hafsa Hatun was the daughter of Isa Bey, the ruler of the Aydinids. She was married to Bayezid in 1390 upon hi ...

(before 1380 – after 1403), wife of

Sultan Bayezid I Bayezid I ( ota, بايزيد اول, tr, I. Bayezid), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt ( ota, link=no, یلدیرم بايزيد, tr, Yıldırım Bayezid, link=no; – 8 March 1403) was the Ottoman Sultan from 1389 to 1402. He adopted t ...

of the Ottoman Empire *The

Seven Sleepers In the Islamic and Christian traditions, the Seven Sleepers, otherwise known as the Sleepers of Ephesus and Companions of the Cave, is a medieval legend about a group of youths who hid inside a cave outside the city of Ephesus (modern-day Sel� ...

(around 250 AD), a group of youths who hid inside a cave around

(modern-day Selçuk) to escape Roman persecutions of Christians and emerged 3 centuries later.

International relations

Selçuk is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: *

Dion Dion may refer to: People Ancient *Dion (mythology), a king in Laconia and husband of Iphitea, the daughter of Prognaus *Dion of Syracuse (408–354 BC), ancient Greek politician *Dio of Alexandria, first century BC, ancient Greek philosoph ...

, Greece *

Kobuleti Kobuleti ( ka, ქობულეთი ) is a town in Adjara, western Georgia, situated on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. It is the seat of Kobuleti Municipality and a seaside resort, visited annually by Georgians and many former Soviet U ...

, Georgia *

Lienz Lienz (; Southern Bavarian: ''Lianz'') is a medieval town in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is the administrative centre of the Lienz district, which covers all of East Tyrol. The municipality also includes the cadastral subdivision of ''Patr ...

, Austria *

Ourém Ourém (), formerly known as Vila Nova de Ourém, is a municipality in the district of Santarém in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 45,932, in an area of 416.68 km2. The municipality of Ourém contains two cities: Ourém (about 12,000 r ...

, Portugal *

Radoviš Radoviš ( mk, Радовиш ) is a city in the southeastern part of North Macedonia. It is the second largest city in the southeastern region. The city is the seat of Radoviš Municipality, which is spread on the bottom of Plačkovica Mountai ...

, North Macedonia *

Siegburg Siegburg (i.e. ''fort on the Sieg river''; Ripuarian: ''Sieburch'') is a city in the district of Rhein-Sieg-Kreis in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the banks of the rivers Sieg and Agger, 10 kilometres from the former seat ...

, Germany

History

Composition

Climate

Sport

Notable people

International relations

See also

References

External links