2 Days in İzmir: Day-by-Day Itinerary

Historic & Cultural

Ephesus

Ephesus was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, in present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of Apasa, a city-state that was also the capital of Arzawa, by Attic and Ionian Greek colonists. During the Classical Greek era, it was one of twelve cities that were members of the Ionian League. The city came under the control of the Roman Republic in 129 BC.

Plan 3 hours

Historic & Cultural

Library of Celsus

The Library of Celsus is an ancient Roman building in Ephesus, Anatolia, located near the modern town of Selçuk, in the İzmir Province of western Turkey. The building was commissioned in the years 110s CE by a consul of the Roman Empire, Tiberius Julius Aquila Polemaeanus, as a funerary monument for his father Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, former proconsul of Asia, and completed during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, sometime after Aquila's death.

Historic & Cultural

Temple of Hadrian

The Temple of Hadrian is a historic site located in the ancient city of Ephesus, in Selçuk, Aydın. It was built in the 2nd century AD in honor of Emperor Hadrian and features Corinthian order architecture. The temple is notable for its rich reliefs depicting the founding legend of Ephesus and mythological stories. It is within walking distance of Ephesus (425 m), the Celsus Library (119 m), and the Church of Mary (795 m).

Historic & Cultural

Prytaneion (Ephesus)

The Prytaneion is a historic site located in Selçuk, Aydın. It served as the religious and administrative heart of the ancient city of Ephesus. Built during the 3rd century BCE under Lysimachos, the Prytaneion housed the sacred eternal flame, which symbolized the city's existence and was crucial to keep lit. The Prytaneion is within walking distance of Ephesus (624 m), the Celsus Library (373 m), and the Temple of Hadrian (254 m).

Religious Sites

Church of Mary

The Church of Mary was an ancient Christian cathedral dedicated to the Theotokos, located in Ephesus. It is also known as the Church of the Councils because several councils of importance to the history of Early Christianity are assumed to have been held within, although only the first one is accepted by Chalcedonian Christians. The church is located in the south stoa of the Olympieion next to the harbor of Ephesus.

Religious Sites

İsa Bey Mosque

The İsa Bey Mosque, constructed in 1374–75, is one of the oldest and most impressive works of architectural art remaining from the Anatolian beyliks. The mosque is situated on the outskirts of the Ayasluğ Hills at Selçuk, İzmir.

Historic & Cultural

Temple of Ephesian Artemis

The Temple of Artemis or Artemision, also known as the Temple of Diana, was a Greek temple dedicated to a localised form of the goddess Artemis. It was located in Ephesus, near modern-day Selçuk in Turkey. In antiquity, it was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Historic & Cultural

Basilica of St. John

The Basilica of Saint John the Theologian was a basilica in the city of Ephesus. It was constructed by Justinian the Great in the 6th century, at a site where John the Apostle was said to have been buried. It was modeled after the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.

Museums

Ephesus Archaeological Museum

The Ephesus Archaeological Museum is an archaeological museum in Selçuk near the Ancient Greek city of İzmir, Turkey. It houses finds from the nearby Ephesus excavation site. Its best-known exhibit is the ancient statue of the Greek Goddess Artemis retrieved from the temple of the goddess in Ephesus.

Plan 1 hour

Historic & Cultural

Isa Bey Hamam

İsa Bey Bath or Grand Bath is an old bath in Selçuk. A bath inscription found in the garden of a house near the bath is thought to belong to this bath. According to the five-line construction inscription written in Thuluth script, the structure was built by Hacı Hoca Ali, son of Salih, in October or November 1364.

Museums

Kent Belleği Müzesi

Located in Selçuk, Aydın, the Kent Belleği Museum is housed in a former tobacco warehouse built in the second half of the 19th century. The museum serves as a time capsule, showcasing Selçuk's 8600-year history and cultural heritage. It can be visited Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 17:30 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 15:00. It is 139 meters from Selçuk train station.

Closed every Sunday