Leaving Izmir, Loving Selcuk

Usually, it goes like this:

“Hello madam hello sir, where you from?”

“England”.

“Ooohhh, England! Where from? London? Manchester?”

“In the south, about 100 kilometres from London”

“OK, come look in my shop, I have best prices for leather, handbags, watches”.

However in Izmir it goes more like this:

“Hello madam hello sir where you from?”

“England”.

“Ooohhh, England! Are you here for the teeth?”

“Errr…what? No!”

“Many people come from England for teeth work. Izmir very good for dentist”.

“Really?”

“Yes. I am a dentist. I also have shop with best prices for leather. Come look in my shop”.

Our time in Izmir is up, so it’s back to the airport via metro and train to collect the hire car which will be our companion for the remainder of our month here in Turkey. Just a little disturbingly, there is roughly a spoonful of fuel in the tank and a faulty tyre warning light on the dashboard. “No problem, no problem”, they say, as we point to it. Hmmm, we’ll see..

Around an hour later we pull into Selcuk, a small town basking in its role as the gateway to Ephesus. Something like 80% of Ephesus is thought to still lay undiscovered underground, much of it beneath Selcuk itself. Through the centre of town run the remains of the archways of a Roman aquaduct, standing rather majestically above the cafe lined boulevards and green spaces; storks’ nests sit atop some of the ancient pillars whilst the afternoon soundtrack from the cafes is the tapping of worry beads and the clack-clack of backgammon counters. The September sun bakes the pavements, bougainvillea cascades down city walls, townsfolk greet us with beaming smiles as we explore our new base. It’s all exceedingly charming as a first impression.

Like all other visitors to Selcuk, we are here principally to explore ancient wonders, and this corner of the world certainly has its fair share. Within a few yards of our new home is Ayasuluk Hill, home to the castle, the St John Basilica and the Isa Bey Mosque, Ephesus is just a few kilometres away, and the Temple of Artemis walking distance from the town centre. This is the area where St John, baptist and apostle, is said to have resided, with the Virgin Mary, for their later years after Jesus entrusted the care of his mother to John.

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Ephesus itself is a vast and stunning relic of a once gigantic city – at one time the fourth most populated city in the world, before successive earthquakes began its decline in the 4th century. Much of Ephesus is well preserved, having been buried under multiple layers of soil, and it is fascinating to walk around its ruins and visualise its existence as a thriving metropolis centuries ago.

A combined ticket for Ayasuluk, Ephesus, the Artemis temple and the Ephesus Museum in town costs 185 lira, good value with the lira at 9 to the £ currently.

Selcuk really is a delightful little town, the two streets leading to the aquaduct arches are lined with attractive restaurants, the arches themselves are tastefully lit at night. Back streets either side of the main drag hide quaint bars and cafes, the Saturday market bustles but the rest of the town chills and lets the world rush by. And every few hours, Selcuk reverberates to the sound of a multitude of muezzins calling the faithful to prayer, clashing as if competing for worshippers.

We first meet Ali sitting outside his shop with nothing to do as tourists are COVID scarce. Ali is a lifetime Selcuk resident, well travelled but now running the shoemaker business started by his grandfather some 80 odd years ago, though his shop doubles up nowadays as a craft goods outlet to bolster the unreliable shoe business. He is an amusing fellow and we enjoy a beer or two together, discussing religion, politics and history, before he organises a kebab for us from the cafe opposite, despite the fact the kitchen has already closed. 

Ali is opinionated, though it is noticeable that each time he makes a criticism of the current political regime, he checks over his shoulder and hushes his tone. Such is life in 21st century Turkey. He also becomes a bad influence, keeping us out after midnight more than once, drinking beer and wine, and eating late night snacks. Yes, definitely a bad influence!

On our other excursions from Selcuk, we visit Meryemana, the house in which the Virgin Mary is said to have lived, plus the grotto of the Seven Sleepers, site of another Christian legend, before we head out to the wonderful mountain village of Sirince. Sitting on a steep mountainside way up above Selçuk, Sirince is home to traditional Ottoman houses identical to those we saw in Berat, Albania (“the city of a thousand windows”). It is also a favourite weekend day out for the people of Izmir, so is very busy on the day we visit.

Many of the Ottoman houses are beautifully renovated, others in severe decay but no less characterful for all that. The multitudinous restaurants and souvenir shops can’t detract from the stunning beauty of Sirince, and, just to cap it all, this is a vineyard region with a large selection of local wines on sale. We buy some. Of course.

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Our host in Selcuk, Bora, is an extremely knowledgeable man and is very happy to talk with us about Ephesus, Selcuk, Turkey and their complex histories, all delivered with the air and grace of an educated tour guide. Between them, Bora and Ali have taught us a lot about their country, albeit from very different political and religious standpoints. Both have contributed greatly to enjoying our stay here.

Selcuk could easily be called the town of tractors. The surrounding lowlands between the sea and the mountains are packed with fruit farms and olive groves, and you can easily get the impression that most of the farm workers live in the town, as tractors and trailers are everywhere, especially on market day. You could start a Massey Ferguson museum here.

Since the heyday of Ephesus, the sea has receded roughly 4 kilometres, the site of Ephesus port is now reed-choked marshland, beyond which the golden sands of Pamucak beach stretch along the coast. Miles of golden sand yet somehow not a particularly alluring.

As our time here ends, we have been rather smitten by Selcuk and all that it has to offer. At the back of our minds, we’ve been seeking a town where we might one day settle for an entire summer, if we ever found the right place. Selcuk is ticking most of those boxes. We feel we will return.

And oh yes, in the end Michaela DID buy a pair of hand made shoes from Ali.

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