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.

What you actually see

• 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.

Honest expectations

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.