Our first stop was the Basilica of St. John. It was built in the 6th century, and it is believed that John (who wrote the book of Revelations) is buried here. The layout and design of the church is very similar to that of the Haiga Sophia.

The view from the Basilica, looking toward the Aegean sea. At one point, the sea covered this valley. The building with the 2 domes is an active mosque, Isa Bey.  It was constructed in 1375 and has a different design from more current mosques.

Goofy picture, I know, but seriously – the coolest public restroom I’ve ever seen. Most of the public bathrooms we encountered in Turkey charged a one euro entrance fee which helped pay for someone to take care of it. Obviously the woman who took care of this bathroom loved flowers and took pride in her work!

Gravestones at the mosque. I love the Arabic writing.

One of my favorite Turkish treats – pomegranate juice!  It was really fun to watch someone effortlessly smash half a pomegranate with the squeezer contraption and retrieve the fantastic juice.

The tall column in the foreground is the Temple of Artemis. This was a Greek temple to the goddess Artemis and said to be one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. In the background is the Isa Bey mosque, the Basilica and a castle that we could not visit due to reconstruction.

The girls had their own bedroom in Selcuk! We loved our cozy little hotel.

The next day we went to Ephesus, an ancient Greek city that flourished under Roman rule in about the 2nd century BC. The city itself was quite impressive with a sophisticated aqueduct system, public baths, housing and water mills.  The ruins were extensive and well preserved.  So much remains that you could really get a sense of what the town looked like – from the houses to the main roads to the market place.

The Library of Celsus, one of the best preserved buildings.

Ephesus was important in early Christianity and is featured many times in the bible (Ephesians, Acts, Corinthians, Gospel of John and Revelations). According to legend, this the stadium where Paul, who lived in Ephesus, preached to the citizens.

This was how Lily spent much of the day. The history lessons were not so interesting to her –  meh, they’re just a bunch of old rocks. 🙂

I finally got my Turkish coffee! We had lunch in Sirince, a pretty little town in the hills surrounding Selcuk. The drive was lovely.  Wish I could say the same for the coffee. I think it’s an acquired taste.  🙂