NOV 23, 2021, TUESDAY:

SUMMARY: Flight to Izmir after returning the car at 7.15 am at Antalya airport and taking the 9.30 flight. Collecting car at Izmir airport, drove to Selçuk. After check in, saw the Ephesus museum [great], Temple of Artemis, Roman aqueduct and walked through the pretty town.

Selçuk hotel Ephsus Centrum:

This is the lovely room we had at our hotel in Selçuk. We had started off early from Antalya in a bit of a drizzle and returned our car at the rental office around 7.20 am. The guy drove us to the airport. SUNEXPRESS flight was pleasant and we landed in Izmir on time. This time AVEC car rental office was at the airport , we collectd our OPEL CORSA automatic and drove to Selçuk..

It was raining there as well. Even in Antalya there had been reports of impending rains but we had had great weather, same for Cappadocia and Istanbul though it had rained continuously prior to our arrival.

So we were OK that we were facing rain here. We had already had a fabulous time, so even if this part got washed out, it was fine by us. We opened out our umbrellas and dragged our bags to the hotel after finding parking for the car in the crowded square.

After check in, we walked 200 m to the nearby BIM and stocked up. Rain had stopped.

EPHESUS MUSEUM IN Selçuk

With a castle, excellent museum, Byzantine basilica, and the remnants of a Roman aqueduct running straight through the center, this little town may be overshadowed by the mammoth ruin next door but offers bundles of extra sightseeing

The parking was crowded. We decided to leave the car and walk to the museum. In all the hurry I had left behind my mask... usually I have spares in the pocket but I had emptied the pocket for the flight . Anyway, son went back to the hotel to pick up my mask. The museum was good

Exhibits cover the entire breadth of Ephesus' history, from the earliest history of settlement (7000 BCE) up to the Byzantine era, but the vast amount of artifacts here cover the classical era, with intricately carved statuary from the city's Pollio Monument and Fountain of Trajan among the standout displays in the collection.

Gold Goddess

Ivory items

Amber

Artemis...Some of the best finds from the ancient city and the surrounding area are on show here, including two exquisitely carved Artemis statues (one from the 1st century CE and another from the 2nd century CE) famous for their multi-breasted depiction of the goddess

We came out

TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS

Just one lonely column (topped by a stork's nest) is all that remains of the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Excavations carried out by archaeologist JT Wood here showed that the site was originally occupied by a stone platform on which the cult image of the goddess stood, while underneath were rooms where votive offerings were presented.

The renowned gigantic marble temple of Seven Wonders fame was built in the 6th century BCE and boasted a staggering 127 columns.

Although destroyed by fire and other disasters across the centuries, it was twice restored and rebuilt before finally falling into a state of complete dilapidation in the Byzantine era, when its stones began being used as a quarry for building material. The most famous major Byzantine monument that reused Temple of Artemis stone was the Hagia Sophia, where some of the temple's columns and marble slabs can still be seen.