Basilica of St John

Tradition places the tomb of John the Evangelist on Ayasuluk hill, and a modest church stood over it before Justinian, in the sixth century, replaced it with a basilica on an enormous scale - six domes on a cruciform plan, marble-faced, one of the largest churches of its age, its size intended to match the claim of the relic beneath. It was ruined by earthquake and neglect, and what stands now is foundations, re-erected columns, the marble floor, the baptistery and, at the crossing, the raised marble slab marking the tomb, reached by steps. From the hill the whole plain spreads out, with the lone column of the Temple of Artemis below and, in antiquity, the harbour that has since silted up entirely. Above the basilica is the Byzantine and Selçuk citadel, and at the foot of the hill the İsa Bey Mosque of 1375. The site forms part of the Ephesus UNESCO inscription.

History

Ayasuluk Hill is believed to be the site of Apasa, a late Bronze Age capital of the Kingdom of Arzawa, and an early church stood here over what was said to be the tomb of John the Apostle. Procopius records that Justinian tore down that small, ruined church and put up one so large and beautiful that it rivalled the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, on which it was modelled; work began by 548 and was finished by 565, overseen by Hypatius of Ephesus, and it became one of the holiest churches of its time. Constantine VI prayed here in 797 and gave it 100 pounds of gold, it was described as large, beautiful and in good repair in the 10th century, and by the 12th century, amid Seljuk raids, it had fallen into decay before the Laskarid emperors restored and enlarged it (Wikipedia, Basilica of Saint John the Theologian).

What's there

• The basilica plan - foundations and re-erected columns.
• The tomb - the marble slab at the crossing.
• The baptistery - the surviving font structure.
• The hill view - the plain, the Artemis column and Selçuk below.

When to go

April to June and September to October. Late afternoon for light and for the view over the plain; there is no shade on the hill.

Practical notes

It is a ruin at foundation level - the scale is legible but the building is gone. No shade and an uphill walk. The citadel above is included but access to parts of it varies.

Nearby

The Temple of Artemis is at the foot of the hill; Ephesus is three kilometres away and the Ephesus Museum is in Selçuk.

Key facts