Basilica of Saint John

The ruined Basilica of Saint John on Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk was one of the greatest churches of the Byzantine world, built by Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century over the traditional tomb of the Apostle John. At its height it had six domes, a nave nearly 120 metres long, and marble columns brought from across the empire. What remains today — substantial walls, re-erected columns, the outline of the floor plan — gives a strong impression of the scale. A cruciform tomb at the crossing marks the spot where John was believed to be buried.

The hill commands excellent views over Selçuk and the surrounding plain. The İsa Bey Mosque — a 14th-century masterpiece of Anatolian Seljuk architecture — sits immediately below the basilica and is worth including in the same visit. Both are within walking distance of each other and of the Temple of Artemis column, making the whole area around Selçuk worth a half-day even if you have already visited the main Ephesus site. Tickets are sold at the basilica entrance.

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A story
The tomb at the heart of the basilica was believed throughout the Middle Ages to produce a fine red dust with miraculous healing properties, which pilgrims collected in phials. The Emperor Justinian's enormous 6th-century basilica — one of the largest in the Byzantine world — was built specifically to enclose and glorify that tomb. The Arabic geographer al-Idrisi described the building as a wonder of the world in the 12th century. Within a century it had been devastated by a Mongol raid and never fully restored.

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