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Ayasuluk Castle, locally known as Ayasuluk Kalesi or Selçuk Kalesi, sits on a hill in the city of Selçuk in the province of Izmir.



The Castle of Ayasuluk was built by the Byzantines, using stones of disused Greek and Roman constructions. On the slope of the hill they built the Basilica of St. John. Defensive walls that descended from the castle covered the basilica. They effectively transformed the siege into a citadel with castle, as a superior castle and the area with the basilica as an inferior castle.

The combination of marble facades and debris made the walls 4 meters thick. The walls of the citadel have 1.5 km in the periphery with 17 towers. The entrance to the citadel by the south is made through the Gate of Persecution, which first led to the Basilica. In the eighth century the square towers on each side of the gate were made pentagonal, aiding in their defensive capabilities.



By the early fifteenth century, Ayasuluk was under Ottoman rule. At that time, the harbor had once again silted and become a swamp. The city declined again to a village. The Ottomans, however, kept the castle trimmed. By the mid-17th century, it had a garrison of 40 soldiers. As the population continued to decline, the castle was abandoned during the 18th century. In 1914 Ayasuluk was renamed Selçuk.

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