John, the Apostle, is believed to have spent the last years of his life in Ephesus writing the Gospel of John. After the death of Christ, John came with Mary to Ephesus, living most of his life in and around Ayasoluk Hill and spreading the word of Christianity as the Apostle Paul did before him. It was here that he wrote the Gospel that bears his name.
It was on Ayasoluk Hill, about 2.2 miles from Ephesus that John was buried.
Three hundred years after the death of John, a small chapel was constructed on the hill over the grave which was the church of St. Jean (John). During the region of Emperor Justinian the church was changed into a marvelous basilica which was modeled after the now lost Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.
Justinian is also the Emperor who ordered the construction of the Church of Hagia Sophia which was the largest church of the world till 1453, when the Ottoman Empire conquered the city of Constantinopolis. The Basilica of St. John was the second largest church of Anatolia when it was active.
The tomb of John, located under the main central dome, elevated the site to one of the most sacred destinations in the middle ages. With the invasion of Turks, the chapel was used as a mosque in the 14th century; unfortunately Basilica of Saint John became unusable due to the serious earthquake in the same century. In time, and after repeated Arab raids, the basilica fell into ruins.
The monumental basilica was in the shape of a cross and had six domes. 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.
The columns in the courtyard reveals the monograms of Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora. Constructed in the 5th century AD, the baptistery is north of the nave, with and has a keyhole shape. Rampart walls around the church were constructed for protection from the Arabian attracts in the 7th - 8th centuries AD. The impressive 10th century AD frescoes representing St John, Jesus and a Saint ornament the chapel.
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