Exploring the surroundings of Efes: the top sights around Ephesus!

After posting our Ultimate Guide to Ephesus, we might have been in need of a cold Efes (or two). Still, it didn’t keep us from doing what we love so we went out to explore the surroundings of Ephesus or Efes as it is called in Turkish.

In this post, we will take you to Selçuk Castle, the Basilica of Saint John, Isa Bey Mosque, the Ephesus Museum, the Temple of Artemis, The Cave of the Seven Sleepers, the House of the Virgin Mary, and Sirince (or Şirince in Turkish). In short, we’ll tell you the things worth visiting outside of the ancient site of Ephesus itself. This is how to extend your stay in Ephesus and make the most of it.

Isa Bey Mosque And Selçuk Castle

Selçuk Castle: Ayasuluk Castle

It is virtually impossible to miss Selçuk Castle since it is dominating the entire town. In fact, it is far more easy to spot Ayasuluk Castle than it is to find Ephesus. 🙂 Some castles look great from a distance but aren’t really worth visiting. Selçuk Castle is different. Its grounds are home to the Basilica of Saint John, and of course, to the inner Ayasuluk Castle.

The Byzantine Castle was also used during the Selcuk and Ottoman reigns. If only to admire the views, it is worth climbing the steps to the inner castle. Other than the views, you will discover the remains of a restored mosque, and ruins of cisterns, baths, slope houses, mansions, and a small basilica.

Restored Mosque In The Inner Castle

Selçuk Castle As A Landmark

Inner Castle Walls

Amphora’s Inside Selçuk Castle

The Mosque On Top Of Selçuk Castle

Inside The Inner Castle

Sea View From The Inner Castle

Entrance To Selçuk Castle

Inner Castle Basilica Remains

Canteen Detail

Selçuk Castle Seen From The Road To The House Of The Virgin Mary

Inner Castle Gate

The Basilica of Saint John

The Basilica of Saint John must have been an impressive construction before it was destroyed by an earthquake. Still, it is said that Saint John is buried on the Northern slope of Ayasulug hill, where people constructed a small chapel during the 4th century. Emperor Justinian felt the small church didn’t do Saint John justice and ordered the construction of a monumental basilica. The cross-shaped basilica with six domes was built of stone and brick, a rarity in those days. Nowadays, it is a collection of pillars, gates, and walls that are the remains of what must have been a spectacular building.

Saint John Basilica, An Impression Of Its Size

Basilica Of Saint John Replica

Basilica Of Saint John

Basilica Of St John Perspective

Gardens Of The Saint John Basilica

Inside The Basilica Of St John

More Pillars At The Basilica Of Saint John

Tomb Of Saint John The Apostle

Pillar Ornament

Sign Inside St John’s Basilica, Reminds Us Of Netflix’requiem

Overview Of Basilica Of Saint John

Isa Bey Mosque

Isa Bey Mosque lies just below Saint John’s Basilica and has a courtyard with an almost mystical character. It is an illustration of Seljukian architecture. Though we have visited the mosque inside, we felt that its attraction lies in the impressive courtyard and the decorations above the entrance gate. You will see some fascinating gravestones against the back wall surrounding the courtyard.

Isa Bey Mosque From Selçuk Castle Grounds

Isa Bey Mosque Courtyard

Gorgeous Gravestones Inside Isa Bey Mosque Courtyard

Isa Bey Mosque Entrance

Isa Bey Mosque Courtyard From Castle

Isa Bey Mosque Façade

Gravestones In Isa Bey Mosque Courtyard

The Ephesus Museum

The Ephesus Museum or Efes Müzesi is located in the center of Selçuk and we highly recommend to visit it after you have seen Ephesus. The museum has an archaeological and an ethnographical section displaying artifacts from Prehistoric, Mycenaean, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman Periods. The exhibition halls each cover a specific theme and display artifacts belonging to that topic from different times in history. These are the different subjects for each exhibition hall:

• Fountain Sculptures
• Terrace Houses Finds
• Coins
• Ephesus through the Ages
• Stone Artifacts
• Cult of Cybele
• Temple of Artemis Finds
• Artemis Ephesia
• Imperial Cult

Click here to access the Efes Müzesi brochure, and a floor plan of the exhibition halls

Ephesus Museum Great Artemis Statue

Part Of The Terrace Houses From Ephesus At The Ephesus Museum

Gold Statue

Glass Plate From Terrace Houses

Beautiful Artemis Statue Ephesus Museum

Detailed Relief Part II

Detailed Relief

Ephesus Museum In Selçuk

The Temple of Artemis

The Temple of Artemis is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It must have been beyond impressive and has been rebuilt twice. The latest version consisted of 127 columns of 17,5 meters. Nowadays, there is not much more than one pillar still standing in a swampy field. If you are into history, have a quick stop here, it is along the way from Selçuk to the ancient site of Ephesus anyway. But be prepared for some over-eager fake coin sellers trying to trick you into buying genuine fake antique coins.

Artemis Temple

Artemis Temple Pillar

Artemis Temple Ruins Overview

Stork In Artemis Temple

The Cave of the Seven Sleepers

You’ll find the Cave of the Seven Sleepers not too far from the ancient site of Efes, on the slopes of Mount Pion on the road to the House of the Virgin Mary. The Grotto of the Seven Sleepers is not much more than yet another road stop during your ventures around Ephesus. You can see the remains of a church built by Christians on top of the cave as well as several tombs.

On Top Of The Cave Of The Seven Sleepers

Cave Of The Seven Sleepers Graves

Graves Detail

Graves At The Cave Of The Seven Sleepers

Inside The Cave Of The Seven Sleepers

Sarcophagus At The Cave Of The Seven Sleepers

Outside The Cave Of The Seven Sleepers

The House of the Virgin Mary

The House of the Virgin Mary lies in a lush green setting on a mountain at about 9km from Ephesus. It is said to be the place where Mary spent her last days. The Roman building of which only the central part is open for visitors combines a house, a church, and her grave. The House of the Virgin Mary near Ephesus is a pilgrimage place for both Christians and Muslims who acknowledge Mary as the mother of one of their prophets. Each August 15th you can attend a ceremony commemorating Mary’s Assumption.

If this place is of special spiritual significance to you, make the drive up there and pay the rather high entrance fee. If not, you may feel slightly disappointed by your visit, especially if you’re unfortunate enough to have to wait in line behind a few busloads of people waiting to enter the chapel.

The House Of The Virgin Mary

Entrance To The House Of The Virgin Mary

Souvenir Stall

House Of The Virgin Mary Souvenirs

House Of The Virgin Mary Overview

Souvenirs At The House Of The Virgin Mary

Sirince, quaint mountain village near Ephesus

It has almost become a classic, Şirince, the mountain village not too far from Ephesus is turning into a tourist circus, despite its reputation for being authentic and typical. Admittedly, Sirince is picturesque, but since it has been ‘discovered’, it is also crowded, to an almost unpleasant degree. The reason is obvious, it is a perfect place for tour buses to stop and show their client what a Turkish village looks like. The result is that the narrow streets are flooded with people.

It’s a shame because this is a pretty village. And if you hang around long enough to see the day trippers leave, it is very enjoyable; with lovely restaurants and cafés, artisan shops and lots of wine shops that sell the wines coming from the grapevines surrounding the village.

Should you visit Sirince or not? That’s entirely up to you, but if you plan on going during the tourist season in the middle of the day, don’t be put off by how crowded it gets. If you are after a more relaxing vibe, go out of season and spend the night, it will be the best way to experience the village as it was not too long ago.

Sirince Instagram Spot At The Greek Church

Church Of St John The Baptist In Sirince

The Village After The Tourists Have Left

Detail At St Demetrius Church

Frescoes On The Walls Of Saint John The Baptist Church

Sirince Village At Sunset

Saint Demetrius Church Sirince

Sirince Detail

Saint John The Baptist Church, Sirince

The Doctor’s House

Cobblestone Street In Sirince

How about Selçuk?

Selçuk is a great option as a base to visit Ephesus and the broader area. If you stay in the old town, Selçuk Castle, Isa Bey Mosque and the Basilica of Saint John are within walking distance, as are the Ephesus Museum and Artemis Temple. The town itself is a nice mixture of old and new and caters for any kind of traveler. Wandering around its streets, you’ll discover a lot more historical buildings and charming corners.

Old Hammam In Selçuk

Mosque In Selçuk

Hammam Roof

Selçuk

Where to stay?

You will find there are plenty of options in Selçuk for all kinds of budgets and travelers. Check out our personal selection using the tabs below. We stayed at Ephesus Paradise Hotel in Selçuk. This is a lovely, boutique-style hotel in the old town of Selçuk, within walking distance of famous Selçuk spots such as Isa Bey Mosque, the Basilica of Saint John, and the Castle. It is run by a historian who wrote a book about Ephesus that is for sale at a reduced price at the hotel, compared to the Museum Shop in Efes.

More practical information for your Efes area visit

The easiest way to prepare your trip to Turkey is to visit the page where we’ve bundled all Turkey travel resources on one page. It contains the links to the official visa application website, FastTrack through Istanbul airport links, and plenty more.

If you ask us, you need more than one day to cover Ephesus and the surrounding sights. But we’re into slow travel, and we prefer to take it easy to avoid the crowds. Is Ephesus worth visiting? Absolutely! To make the most of your visit to Ephesus (or Efes) invest time in preparing your trip and choose the right timing.

Take a closer look at the pictures in the blog post about Ephesus. They clearly show the difference between having the place almost to yourself early in the morning or towards sunset, compared to having to share it with busloads of people at other times of the day. The same goes for any of the places we showed in this ‘wider area of Efes’ post.

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