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My Favourite Planet > English > Middle East > Turkey > Selçuk > photo gallery 1 |
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Selçuk gallery 1 |
Selçuk town |
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The Byzantine fortress on the citadel (acropolis) of Ayasuluk above Selçuk. |
Ayasuluk fortress
Currently closed to the public.
The citadel or the acropolis of Ayasuluk was built by the Byzantines, although the exact date of its construction is unknown. Due to finds of Mycenaean pottery and other artifacts here, it is thought that the acropolis was used by indigenous Anatolian people before the arrival of the Ionian Greeks around 1000 BC (see History of Ephesus).
 The Turks rebuilt and added to the fortress, which has 15 watchtowers and contains numerous cisterns, a Byzantine church and a small mosque.
 On the hillside to the right of the citadel is the walled precinct around the Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist (see gallery 1, pages 5-13). The Turkish name Ayasuluk (Ottoman Turkish, Ayasluğ) is a corruption of the Greek name of Saint John, Agios Ioannes Theologos (Ἅγίος Ἰωάννης Θεολόγος).
 Because the fortress was until recently used by the Turkish military, it was inaccessible to the public for many years. Following renovation and restoration work it was opened to the public, but then closed again, apparently because of unsafe structures.
 See more photos of the Ayasuluk citadel on gallery 1, page 14. |
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he Ayasuluk Fortress and the Isa Bey Mosque (bottom left).
See larger photo below. |
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Panoramic view of the Ayasuluk fortress and the Isa Bey Mosque (Isa Bey Camii)
at the the southwest of Selçuk, from the road up to the House of the Virgin Mary.
Saint John's Basilica is within the walls below the fortress, to the right of the mosque.
 The road in front of mosque leads from the centre of the town (right)
to Ephesus, then on to the highway between Kuşadası and Izmir. |
Map, photos and articles: © David John, except where otherwise specified.
Additional photos: © Konstanze Gundudis
All photos and articles are copyright protected.
Images and materials by other authors have been attributed where applicable.
Please do not use these photos or articles without permission.
If you are interested in using any of the photos for your website, project or publication, please get in contact.
Higher resolution versions are available on request. |
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