"My trip to Anatolia": 3rd day experience with Medes Tour Travel

I recently came back from a press tour in Anatolia, organized by Medes Tour Travel. I was staying at Nicea Hotel in Selcuk, located in a strategic position in order to visit the towns of Sirince, Ephesus, Pamukkahle and Kusadasi the following few days. As usual, early in the morning, I  had Turkish breakfast, made of cheese, vegetables, olives, hard boiled egg, oranges, bread with butter and marmelade, American coffee and/or Turkish tea. I stayed 4 days at Nicea Hotel and breakfast never changed: I think they could be more creative. I like changes (and think most Italians do).  

On the 3rd day of my stay, I woke up saying I wanted to visit a Mosque. I found Isa Bey Mosque not far from the hotel, in the heart of Selcuk city. Next to the entrance of the mosque there were shops selling souvenirs. It was my first time in a mosque and I did not know how to behave, so that I simply asked. I went into the main prayer area where standard rules say that men should wear trousers and women should cover their head and legs. I took pictures and looked around with a sense of curiosity.

Isa Bey Mosque was originally built in 1375 in honour of the ruler of the Selcuk region from 1360 to 1390. The architect is Ali Ibrn’el Dimiski. The site contains transversal rectangular praying places and also three sided colonnades courtyards in the northern part; thus 2 minarets are rising to the sky from both east and west sides where the courtyard and prayer places are all joint. 

Due to earthquake that occurred in 1653 and 1668, one of the minarets collapsed and the other one was particularly damaged up to its balcony. Apart from all these all colonnades of the courtyard collapsed too. The destroyed mosque was completely refurbished and was open for prayer to the public in 1975. Another restoration was held in 2005. In the garden of the mosque I noticed a place where men use to wash their feet before praying. 

Just a few meters from Isa Bey Mosque, I stopped observing Isa Bey Hamam. The bath consists of a rectangular core structure with a central domed room, the hot bathing room, which was surrounded by special bathing rooms. To the north are adjoined a lukewarm room without any bathing function, and side rooms with a toilet. To the south lay the warm water reservoir and the furnace room. The bath was entered from the north via a peristyle courtyard. To the east were shops, and in the west was a separate bathing area for women. 

Constructed in the second half of the 14^th century AD, the bath was only operational for 60-80 years. Already by the mid 15^th century it served as a cemetery. The bath is nowdays decadent and in my opinion that is a pity.

Once we left Isa Bey Hamam, we reached the Temple of Artemis by a ten minutes drive. It stands near the ancient ruins of Ephesus, in Selcuk, on the Aegean coast of Turkey. It is known to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

It now appears a poor thing compared to what had to be in ancient times.The Greek Temple, also known as the Temple of Diana, was built in honour of the goddess of fertility Artemis and was rebuilt two more times, until its final destruction in 401. Historians report that 800 years later, remains of the temple could not be found and locals knew nothing of its existence. History had forgotten it. In 1869, an expedition funded by the British museum, discovered the lost temple and excavations carried on until 1874. During that time, most artefacts were taken out the country and are now on display in the British Museum of London. 

I really think it is a shame. I could observe many cats around the ruins, and crows that nestled on the temple ruins, no controls, no turists. But it was winter and early in the morning and that is probably why. Our next stop will take us to the ancient city of Ephesus, that has entered the World Heritage List in 2015. But I will be writing a new post for that. You will find it here.