Ephesus is the best-preserved large Roman city in the eastern Mediterranean, with the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre and a long marble-paved street giving a real sense of a functioning Roman metropolis rather than isolated ruins. Şirince, a former Greek village in the hills above Selçuk, is a natural add-on afterward — its stone houses and fruit-wine producers make a slower, shaded contrast to a morning spent walking on stone under sun. Together they cover ancient history and a hillside village in one trip, but Ephesus needs to come first while energy and light are good.
| Distance | 80 km |
|---|---|
| Travel time | 1 hour by IZBAN train |
| Getting there | IZBAN from Basmane to Selçuk (1 hr, 30 TRY/~$0.93 USD); dolmuş to Ephesus gate (10 TRY/~$0.31 USD); dolmuş back to Selçuk, then dolmuş to Şirince (15 min, 10 TRY/~$0.31 USD) |
| Address | Efes Harabeleri, 35920 Selçuk, İzmir |
How to get there
- IZBAN train (recommended)
- organized tour (~1,200 TRY/person)
- rental car (Avis airport, +90 232 274 2454)
Location
Efes Harabeleri, 35920 Selçuk, İzmir
37.9397, 27.3416 View on map
Highlights
- Library of Celsus — the two-storey facade is the single most photographed structure in the ancient city and marks the low end of the site
- Great Theatre of Ephesus — a 25,000-seat theatre built into the hillside, still used for events
- Terrace Houses — separately ticketed Roman residences with in-situ mosaics and frescoes, worth it if you want more than the street-level ruins
- Temple of Artemis site (Selçuk) — only a single reconstructed column remains, but it marks one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
- Şirince fruit wines — small producers along the main lane sell wines made from local fruit, not just grape, tasted by the glass