Basilica of St John and Church of Ephesus

In historical sources it is stated that Ephesus was a home for the evangelist St. John in his final years. He was buried in Ayosolug Hill. After he died, three hundred years later a chapel was built over his grave. In the period of Emperor Justinian, the church of Ephesus was turned into the basilica of St. John. 

Apostle John wrote the book of revelation and the Fourth Gospel. he was one of the apostles that was close to Jesus. 

There were a lot of persecutions for Christians in the second half of the first century. In Jerusalem, Apostle Stephen and James were murdered. St. Paul was executed in Rome. Considering historical sources, St. John was the one that brought Mother Mary to Ephesus. The Gospel was written in Ephesus. 

The church of Ephesus or The Basilica of St. John had six domes and was a cross. When we look at the time it was built, it is an extremely rare architecture. The four columns carried the central dome that the tomb of St. John was under and covered with marbles. There are columns in the court and they uncover Emperor Justinian and his wife’s monograms. 

In the north part of the nave, there is the baptistery. It has a keyhole shape. Walls around the church of Ephesus were built to protect it from attacks. Frescoes of Jesus, St. John and one more Saint decorates the church of Ephesus. Turkish people used this church as a mosque after they took Ephesus. During that time, St. John’s Basilica was damaged because of earthquakes.

Where is the church of Ephesus located?

Ephesus is one of the seven Anatolian churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation. It’s likely that John’s Gospel was written here. The church of Ephesus is in the west side of Turkey in the district of Selcuk.

What is Ephesus now called?

Ephesus was one of the largest cities in the eastern Roman Empire in the 2nd century BC, and was renowned for its Artemesium, the Library of Celsus, and its medical school. Ephesus is an ancient Greek city in Anatolia that was located near the center of the Menderes River in what is now West Turkey, south of Smyrna which is called Izmir now.