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Saint John Basilica

PictureHouse of Virgin Mary - Selcuk Ephesus
It is believed that the evangelist St. John had spent his last years in the region around Ephesus and was buried in the southern slope of Ayosolug Hill. Three hundred years after his death, a small chapel was constructed over the grave in the 4th century. The church was changed into a marvelous basilica during the region of Emperor Justinian (527 -565 AD).


The monumental basilica was in the shape of a cross and was covered with six domes. Its construction, being of stone and brick, is an extremely rare find amongst the architecture of its time. Raised by two steps and covered with marble, the tomb of St John was under the central dome, that was once carried by the four columns at the corners. The columns in the courtyard reveal the monograms of Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora. Constructed in the 5th century AD, the baptistery is north of the nave, with its key hole shape. Rampart walls around the church were constructed for protection from the Arabian attacts in the 7th-8th centuries AD. The impressive 10thcentury AD frescoes representing St John, Jesus and a Saint, ornament the chapel. With the invasion of  the Turks, the chapel was used as a mosque in the 14th century. Unfortunately the Basilica of Saint John  became unusable due to a serious earthquake in the same century.


The excavations around the Basilica of Saint John have been continuing under the supervision of Ekrem Akurgal since 1973, with the financial support of George B. Quatman.


This church was built over the tomb of St. John. The presently-visible church is cruciform and roofed with six massive domes, and was donated by the Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora. The capitals facing the nave (central aisle) bear their monograms.



 What Our Clients Are Saying - 

Absolutely the best tour option for Ephesus if you want to see it properly
Chris, Mehmet and Mete, thank-you for the most fantastic day at Ephesus. I research many options online in advance of my holiday bookings to find the best options for us and I wanted the Ephesus experience that would give us the most time at the archeological site seeing the things we wanted to see. We got that with a really engaging driver (Mehmet) and guide (Mete) as well. We were met at the ferry port terminal right on time and Mehmet and Mete were waiting for us as promised. Mete is the best guide - so engaging and knowledgable about his subject matter, and just such a genuine person too - so wonderful to talk to over lunch. We loved seeing the Terrace Houses at the site - don't miss this as it really gives you a perspective on life during the peak time in Ephesus. We did the trip as a day trip from Samos in Greece where we were staying. In the end it was easy but no one can confirm the ferry times from Samos until the end of May (for the summer season), so don't even try organising it before then if you are trying to do it from Samos. If you are intending on doing it from Samos, once the ferry times are confirmed, it was very easy to do. The trip took a bit over one hour from Samos. Both ferries out and back were on time.

The booking process for our Ephesus tour was made very easy by Chris (who is a native English speaker) and all communication was really clear and prompt. We would love to come back and see more of Turkey and we would definitely use No Frills again (and perhaps get to meet Ted the dog next time!). We are generally independent travellers but found that the quality of the guide with No Frills really made the day great for us at Ephesus and added to the quality of the experience. I'm not sure why anyone would use any other company for their Ephesus Tour. They are very professional, friendly, do what they promise, and the guide is top quality.

Visited October 5, 2017

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No Frills Ephesus Tours Location
Selcuk, Ephesus, Turkey