The Basilica of St. John in Ephesus
One of the popular and very visited Christian sites in Turkey is the Basilica of St. John. It is located in the center of the town of Selcuk, on the slope of Ayasoluk Hill, just below the Selcuk fortress. The hill, that was also the location of the oldest human settlements in the area that date back to 3000-2000 BC, is about 2 miles away from Ephesus.
John the Apostle, Evangelist John, also known as John the Theologian was the youngest of the twelve Apostles and especially close to Jesus. This close bond is portrayed in icons of the Last Supper, where St. John leans on Jesus. At his crucifixion, Jesus asked his disciple John to look after his mother. John and the Virgin Mary traveled to Ephesus between 38 and 47 AD, after being banished from Jerusalem, and lived there. John was exiled to Patmos by Emperor Domitian around 90-95 AD, and it was there that he received and wrote the Book of Revelation. Later he came back to Ephesus and continued writing the Gospel. Among the 12 apostles, he is the only one who was not martyred but died of natural causes around 100 AD, possibly at the age of 98. He was buried on Ayasoluk Hill. His grave was probably only marked initially, and in the 4th century AD it was encased in a wooden-roofed chapel. In the 6th century AD, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian ordered the construction of a monumental basilica on this site. He also ordered the construction of the Church of Hagia Sophia, which was the largest church of the world, and the Basilica of St. John became the second largest church of Asia Minor. The basilica was cross-shaped and roofed by six domes, supported by marble columns. The grave od St. John was located under the central dome.
The elements from the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, were used in the construction. In the 7th century, a hilltop castle was built and the entire complex was surrounded by walls, constructed from the materials brought from structures of Ephesus, to protect the Basilica from the Arabs raids. The Basilica of St. John soon became an important place for pilgrims from all over the world, as it was believed that the dust from the tomb of the Apostle had healing properties. The hill where John lived after coming from the island of Patmos was named Hagia Theologos, meaning the "Holy Theologian". It was also the name given to the city during Byzantine period.
In 1304, the Seljuk Turks invaded the city and the basilica was transformed into a mosque. In 1402, the Mongols invaded the area, and the basilica was destroyed during the fighting. During centuries of Ottoman rule, the ruins of the church were completely neglected. In the mid-twentieth century, Austrian archeologists started working on Ayasoluk Hill. The area was cleaned and the tomb was rebuilt. In recent years, with the support from the religious foundations, some parts of the church such as brick foundations and marble walls were partially reconstructed. Today visitors can also see a baptistery, semicircular rows of seats for clergy, a pool and a treasury that was later turned into a chapel, with frescoes that depict the saints.