Selçuk

Selçuk
—  Town  —
The grand fortress of Selçuk on Ayasoluk Hill
Location of Selçuk within Turkey.
Country	Turkey
Region	Aegean
Province	İzmir
Government
- Mayor	Hüseyin Vefa Ülgür (CHP)
- Governor	Aziz İnci
Population
- Total	23,000
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	35920
Area code(s)	232
Licence plate	35
Website	http://www.selcuk.bel.tr

Three periods of history in Selçuk: Temple of Artemis (front), Isa Bey Mosque built by the Seljuk Turks (middle), the Ottoman castle (far)

The Isa Bey Mosque on Ayasoluk Hill

Selçuk is the central town of Selçuk district, İzmir Province in Turkey, 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Kuşadası, 5 km (3 mi) northeast of Ephesus. Its original name was Ayios Theologos (Greek: Άγιος Θεολόγος), from which the Ottoman Turkish name Ayasluğ is derived. In 1914 it was renamed Selçuk, after the Seljuk Turks who settled in the region in the 12th century. It was a township in Kuşadası district till 1954 and Torbalı between 1954-1957. It finally became a district in 1957. Its neighbours are Torbalı from north, Tire from northeast, Germencik from east, Kuşadası from south, Aegean Sea from west and Menderes (formerly Cumaovası) from northwest.

Selçuk is one of the most visited touristic destinations within Turkey, known for its closeness to the ancient city of Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary and Seljukian 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. With the vast majority of tourists only using Selçuk as a stopping point for Ephesus and not visiting the town itself, the old quarter of Selçuk remains generally undisturbed and undeveloped, retaining traditional Turkish culture and locality.

Ayasoluk Hill dominates the surrounding area, with several historical buildings on its slopes, including the İsa Bey Mosque built by the Seljuk Turks in 1375, and the Grand Fortress.

The Ephesus Airport and Selçuk Training Center of the Turkish Aeronautical Association is only 3 kilometers away from Selçuk, offering piloting, parachuting, and microlight training.

The annual camel wrestling championship takes place in Selçuk in the Winter, near Ephesus.

See also

• Ephesus
• Temple of Artemis
• House of the Virgin Mary
• Basilica of St. John
• Şirince

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Selcuk

Twin cities

• Siegburg, Germany
• Lienz, Austria
• Kobuleti, Georgia
• Dion, Greece
• Radoviš, Makedonia

External links

	Settlements in Selçuk District, İzmir, Turkey
Municipalities: Selçuk | Belevi Villages:

v • d • e Selçuk in İzmir Province (in the Aegean region) of Turkey Urban districts İzmir - (Balçova - Bayraklı - Bornova - Buca - Çiğli - Gaziemir - Güzelbahçe - Karabağlar - Karşıyaka - Konak - Menemen - Narlıdere) Rural districts Aliağa - Bayındır - Bergama - Beydağ - Çeşme - Dikili - Foça - Karaburun - Kemalpaşa - Kınık - Kiraz - Menderes - Ödemiş - Seferihisar - Selçuk - Tire - Torbalı - Urla Regions Provinces Aegean Afyonkarahisar - Aydın - Denizli - İzmir - Kütahya - Manisa - Muğla - Uşak Black Sea Amasya - Artvin - Bartın - Bayburt - Bolu - Çorum - Düzce - Giresun - Gümüşhane - Karabük - Kastamonu - Ordu - Rize - Samsun - Sinop - Tokat - Trabzon - Zonguldak Central Anatolia Aksaray - Ankara - Çankırı - Eskişehir - Karaman - Kayseri - Kırıkkale - Kırşehir - Konya - Nevşehir - Niğde - Sivas - Yozgat Eastern Anatolia Ağrı - Ardahan -Bingöl - Bitlis - Elâzığ - Erzincan - Erzurum - Hakkâri - Iğdır - Kars - Malatya - Muş - Siirt - Tunceli - Van Marmara Balıkesir - Bilecik - Bursa - Çanakkale - Edirne - Istanbul - Kırklareli - Kocaeli - Sakarya - Tekirdağ - Yalova Mediterranean Adana - Antalya- Burdur - Hatay - Isparta - Kahramanmaraş - Kilis - Mersin - Osmaniye Southeastern Anatolia Adıyaman - Batman - Diyarbakır - Gaziantep - Mardin - Şanlıurfa - Şırnak

Coordinates: 37°56′59.84″N 27°22′12.99″E / 37.9499556°N 27.370275°E / 37.9499556; 27.370275