PERFECT SUNSET, Selcuk, Turkey

2006.05.05

Sleepy town of Selcuk welcomes one of Turkey’s biggest concentrations of tourists.  Home to the mighty Ephesus, as well as the ruined Basilica of St John (where some believed was the final resting place of St John the Apostle) and House of the Virgin Mary (a stone house where some said was the final home of the Virgin Mary), Selcuk has its unique power to attract visitors from around the world while maintaining the tranquility as a small town in the Aegean Region.  After visiting Ephesus, we strolled around the town for a short while and completed the day by enjoying a glass of wine and a moment of perfect sunset on the rooftop of Homeros Pension.

Away from the Classical ruins, Selcuk is still dotted with historical buildings from the Middle Ages.

Alpaslan Mesciti is a 14th century building.  Today, the building continues to serve as a mosque.

The Turkish way to chill out: to smoke Turkish tobacco with a water pipe or nargile in the front porch of their home or shop and watch the world goes by.  The tradition started 500 years ago in the Ottoman Empire. Its popularity declined as cigarettes entered the Turkish market after World War II.  In recent two decades, water pipes have made a solid comeback for the younger generations.

Other than smoking nargiles, some locals we met chose to play music to celebrate the last hour of sunlight.

Many of the elder generation preferred to socialize at the outdoor area of a cafe.

Near Homeros Pension, the beautiful sunset made everything to appear under a tint of orange.

Walking under the last bit of sunlight on the hill was a sublime experience.

For our short stay in Selcuk, we picked Homeros Pension, a family run guesthouse full of character.

The common areas of Homeros Pension are richly decorated.

Local handicrafts fit perfectly well with the interior.

Apart from local handicrafts, we could also find gifts left by previous travelers, such as these koalas from an Australian traveler.

The delicious food at Homeros was prepared by the experienced hands of the elderly staff.

The rooftop patio was a fantastic spot to enjoy the sunset.  We were invited by the friendly staff to have a glass of wine during sunset.

With the clean air and relatively low buildings, we had no trouble watching the sun setting below the far horizon.

Watching the marvelous sunset and mingling with the other guests at the guesthouse on the rooftop patio was the perfect way to end our day.