Photos: Warren LeMay from Chicago, IL, United States, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Herbert Weber, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Benh LIEU SONG, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Warren LeMay from Chicago, IL, United States, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Herbert Weber, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Benh LIEU SONG, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Ayasuluk Fortress: the walls of three empires
Your local guide
Zeynep Aydın
View profile
Highlights
- Fortress walls from three empires
- A high view over the Temple of Artemis
- Cisterns cut into the fortress rock
- Stonework explained period by period
- Selçuk seen from Ayasuluk hill
About this tour
This session climbs Ayasuluk hill to the fortress above Selçuk, taking in walls repaired across three different periods and the view down toward the Temple of Artemis. You see the fortress gate, the inner courtyard and the valley beyond from the same high point. Zeynep explains how to read the different stonework as evidence of who held the hill and when.
The call begins with a sound check at the fortress gate, then follows the walls up to the courtyard as Zeynep points out the changes in construction along the way. She takes questions throughout and sends a short timeline afterwards covering the periods mentioned.
This suits anyone who wants the wider view over Selçuk and Ephesus from above rather than only ground level. It also works well as an introduction before a first walk through the ancient city itself.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 7 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Selcuk before heading out.
-
Fortress gate 21 min
The camera passes through the fortress gate on Ayasuluk hill, and Zeynep points out the different stone courses that mark Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman repairs to the same wall.
-
View toward the Temple of Artemis 21 min
You look down from the walls toward the single standing column of the Temple of Artemis in the valley below, and Zeynep explains what little survives of the original temple.
-
Inner courtyard 21 min
The camera moves through the fortress's inner courtyard, and Zeynep points out cisterns cut into the rock that stored water for the people who once lived inside the walls.
-
Your questions 14 min
Time to ask anything about Selcuk: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 6 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Gözleme and Pamucak, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Istanbul time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Selcuk, showing you Fortress gate and View toward the Temple of Artemis live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We connect on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk the fortress live with my phone.
Times shown in Istanbul time (GMT+3)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Thu 29 Oct · 10 seats left From 26,00 €
Book