Selcuk

elçuk is the central town of Selçuk district, İzmir Province in Turkey, 2 kilometres (1 mile) northeast of the ancient city of Ephesus.

Its original Greek name, Agios Theologos (Άγιος Θεολόγος), referred to John the Theologian, because emperor Justinian had erected there a basilica in honor of the saint. Ayasoluk is a corrupted form of the original name. In the 14th century, it was the capital of the Emirate of Aydin, and visited by Ibn Battuta. He noted, “The congregational mosque in this city is one of the most magnificent mosques in the world and unequaled in beauty.” Under the Ottoman Empire, it was known as Ayasoluk. In 1914, it was renamed Selçuk after the Seljuk Turks who first led incursions into the region in the 12th century