Isa Bey Mosque

The ancient Greek and Roman city of Ephesus, located on the west coast of Asia Minor, was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek Period. In Roman Times, circa the 1st Century BC, Ephesus had a population of more than 250,000 citizens, making it the second largest city in the world. Despite being destroyed by the Goths in 263 AD, Ephesus remained an important city during the Byzantine period. Built circa 1375 by architect Samlı Dımısklıoglu Ali in honor of the Aydin ruler Isa Bey, the Mosque is an impressive edifice showcasing Turkish Seljuk (Anatolian beylik) art and architecture. Situated between Saint John Church and the ruined Temple of Artemis, in the town of Selcuk, a couple of kilometers northeast of the Ephesus archaeological site, it was used as a roadside inn in the 19th Century. The Mosque has two entrances, walls with inscriptions and engraved geometrical shapes. Built asymmetrically, partially of marble and partially of ashlar stone, the Mosque's domes were decorated with Nicaea tiles. The courtyard contains twelve columns encircled by porches. The Mosque's brick minaret has an octagonal base. Another minaret to the west was totally destroyed.