Temple of Ephesian Artemis

Set your expectations before you come: of the Temple of Artemis, counted among the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, only a single column (reassembled from fragments) and the foundations survive, in a low, often marshy field on the edge of Selçuk. The site is small and you can walk around it in a few minutes. The information boards with reconstruction drawings help you picture the scale of what has been lost.

Treat it as one stop on a short walk through Selçuk rather than a destination on its own. The temple is within walking distance of the town centre. Head from here towards Ayasuluk Hill and you pass İsa Bey Mosque, a 14th-century mosque, and then the Basilica of St John; look out for stones reused from the temple and from Ephesus in their walls. Statues of Artemis and other finds from the sanctuary are displayed in the Ephesus Museum in the centre of Selçuk. The column, the mosque and the basilica together make a relaxed half day; if you are also visiting the ruins of Ephesus the same day, a brief stop here is enough.

Practical note: there is no shade, and the ground can be muddy after rain. Storks often nest on top of the column, and the light is softer in the early morning or late afternoon. Check the hours on the museum page before you go.