Ayasuluk Fortress (Selçuk Castle)
Ayasuluk Fortress (Selçuk Castle) is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Ephesus audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~45 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type castle
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Ephesus Ephesus guide
About Ayasuluk Fortress (Selçuk Castle)
A walled hilltop citadel of some seventeen towers above the Basilica of St John, its Bronze Age pottery marking the oldest settled ground in the Ephesus area.
Ayasuluk Fortress, also known as Selçuk Castle, crowns Ayasuluk Hill, the high point above the Basilica of St John and about a mile from ancient Ephesus. Its first walls date from the Byzantine period, around the sixth century, and were strengthened in the seventh and eighth centuries to help protect the basilica below. About seventeen towers stand along the circuit, and the builders reused cut stones from earlier Greek and Roman buildings.
After the region passed to the Turks in 1304, Ayasuluk became an important centre of the Aydinid beylik and served for a time as its capital. It came under Ottoman rule around the start of the fifteenth century and was kept garrisoned, and the walls today show both Aydinid and Ottoman rebuilding. Excavations in 1990 found Early and Middle Bronze Age pottery on the hill, making it the oldest settled core of the Ephesus area.
Did you know? Digs in 1990 uncovered pottery from about 3000 to 1500 BC, showing that Ayasuluk Hill was settled long before the classical city and is the oldest inhabited spot in the Ephesus area.
How long should you spend at Ayasuluk Fortress (Selçuk Castle)?
Plan about ~45 min at Ayasuluk Fortress (Selçuk Castle). That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Ayasuluk Fortress (Selçuk Castle) worth visiting?
Ayasuluk Fortress (Selçuk Castle) is one of the 18 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Ephesus, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Ephesus
Day 2 of the Ephesus in 2 days itinerary →
Updated:
Hear the story of Ayasuluk Fortress (Selçuk Castle)
Preview the Ephesus tour free in the Gingerguide app.