Basilica of St. John, Ephesus

Ruins of the Basilica of St. John at sunset. Photo Garth T.

Stained glass window (c.1220) at Chartres of John's death in Ephesus.

Model of how the Basilica of St. John once looked. Photo Yulia.

Plan of the Basilica of St. John, Ephesus

Floor plan of the basilica. From Foss, Ephesus after Antiquity (1979).

Another view of the ruins of the basilica. Photo Julian Fong.

Partially-reconstructed wall of St. John's Basilica. Photo © Helen Betts.

The Tomb of St. John. Photo François and Marie Thorel-Hervouet.

Basilica walls and columns. Photo Jim.

The Basilica of St. John (St. Jean Aniti) was a great church in Ephesus constructed by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. It stands over the believed burial site of St. John, who is identified as the apostle, evangelist (author of the Fourth Gospel) and prophet (author of Revelation).

The basilica is on the slopes of Ayasoluk Hill near the center of Selçuk, just below the fortress and about 3.5 km (2 miles) from Ephesus.

Myth & Mystery

There was a St. John identified wih Ephesus since as early as the 1st century, who seems to have originally been the author of Revelation who was exiled on Patmos. By the second century this John was equated with John the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of John (presumed also to be the same person as John the Apostle, beloved disciple of Jesus).

Legend had it that John wrote his gospel in Ephesus at the request of other disciples, then died in the church named for him on Ayasoluk Hill. Later legends developed that he was not really dead, but sleeping, and dust could even be seen moving above his grave as he breathed.

The 13th-century Golden Legend narrates John's death as follows:

According to Isidore, when John was 98 years old, that is, in the 67th year after the Lord's passion, the Lord appeared to him with his disciples and said: 'Come to me, my beloved: it is time for you to feast at my table with your brothers!' John rose and was about to go, when the Lord added: 'You will come to me on Sunday.'

When Sunday arrived, all the people gathered in the church that had been built in his name, and John preached to them at cockcrow, exhorting them to be steadfast in the faith, and zealous in carrying out the commandments of God. Then he had them dig a square grave near the altar and throw the earth outside the church.

He went down into the grave and, with arms outstretched to God, said: 'Lord Jesus Christ, you have called me to your feast: here I am, and I thank you for deigning to invite me to your table. You know that I have longed for you with all my heart!' When he had said this, he was surrounded by a light so brilliant that he was lost to human sight. Then, when the light faded, the grave was found to be full of manna. This manna is still produced there to this day, and it covers the floor of the grave, looking rather like the fine grains of sand at the bottom of a spring...[1]

History

St. John's grave was marked by a memorial and enclosed by a church of modest proportions in the 4th century. In the 6th century, Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD) believed that a tomb dating from the 300s was John's, so he built a magnificient church on the site in the 500s dedicated to the saint.

The traditional tomb of St. John, located under the main central dome, elevated the site to one of the most sacred sites in the Middle Ages and thousands made pilgrimage here.

But with the decline in importance of Ephesus and after Arab raids, the basilica fell into ruins until the Seljuk Aydinoglu clan converted it into a mosque in 1330. The building was then completely destroyed in 1402 by Tamerlane's Mongol army.

The ruined church was thereafter pillaged for building materials, but recent restoration enables visitors to understand its size and visualize its former splendor.

What to See

St. John's basilica was cruciform and roofed with six massive domes. The capitals facing the nave (central aisle) bear the monograms of the Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora.

The current entrance leads into the basilica through the southern transept. Originally, entry was through the oversize exterior courtyard atrium to the west of the nave, which led worshipers through the narthex and finally into the far end of the nave.

The brick foundations and marble walls have been partially reconstructed; if they were fully restored, the cathedral would be the seventh largest in the world.

More recent excavations east of the apse have revealed a baptistery and central pool, along with an attached chapel covered in frescoes depicting the saints.

Quick Facts

Location:	Follow signs from Atatürk Cad.; the ruins are visible from the main road
Hours:	Tues-Sun 8:30am-4:30pm; closes later in summer
Time:	30 minutes
Cost:	$2.50

Travel Resources

Ephesus Map - our detailed interactive map plus links to more
Ephesus Guided Tours - sightseeing tours and day trips
Kusadasi Hostels - search and book budget lodgings in nearby Kusadasi
Kusadasi Hotel Reviews - unbiased reviews from fellow travelers
Car Rentals (from Kusadasi) - explore Turkey with your own car
Ephesus Travel Forum - tips, answers and advice on Ephesus tourism

Article Sources

Jacobus de Voragine, trans. Christopher Stace, The Golden Legend (Penguin Classics, 1998), 38.
Clive Foss, Ephesus after Antiquity (Cambridge University Press, 1979), 87-94.

Location Map

Below is a location map and aerial view of the Basilica of St. John. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Ephesus Map or get our free Google Earth download.