Ayasuluk Castle

Located north of the Church of Saint John (Aziz Yuhanna), at the highest point of the hill, the inner fortress has been revealed through recent research to be situated on the site of the earliest settlement of Ephesus. The surviving walls seen today belong to the Byzantine, Aydınoğulları, and Ottoman periods. Constructed using stone, brick, and mortar, the walls are reinforced with 15 towers. Entry to the inner fortress is through gates on the east and west sides, which open directly to the outside without being connected to the outer fortress. Inside the walls, narrow staircases lead to the towers and embrasures. Within the fortress, there are stone-paved streets, various-sized cisterns, a mosque, and the remains of a church at the highest point. During the Aydınoğulları period, the apse of this church was converted into a cistern with some additions. Additionally, remnants indicating the presence of a castle bathhouse have been discovered in the western part of the mosque.