Exploring the History of St. John’s Basilica

One of my favorite experiences in Ephesus is tracing the story of the early Church through the city’s changing landscape. I often pass by the multiple State Agora crosses, then enjoy the house church within the Terrace Houses before walking to the repurposed site of St. Mary’s Basilica, and finally, in Seljuk to St. John’s Basilica. Together, these locations reveal four distinct movements of church growth in Ephesus. As the city gradually expanded toward the Northeast, the Church also shifted with it, leaving behind a remarkable archaeological record of its development.

St. John’s Basilica eventually became the largest church in Asia Minor, while Hagia Sophia held that distinction in the eastern Roman capital of Constantinople. Let’s look beneath the surface to discover what makes this place truly unique. 

A Small Basilica?

Perched high above Ephesus, the Basilica of St. John dominated the surrounding landscape and appeared from a great distance. Ships entering the ancient harbor looked eastward to the magnificent church rising above the city, creating a powerful visual declaration that Christianity now defined Ephesus. The church’s commanding position made the basilica one of the first landmarks visitors encountered.

The builders constructed the basilica on a scale that surpassed the city’s surviving pagan temples and Roman civic basilicas. Upon its completion in the sixth century, its immense footprint even exceeded that of the Hagia Sophia, although Hagia Sophia’s soaring central dome made it significantly taller and more architecturally dramatic. Together, these two monumental churches embodied Justinian I’s ambition to proclaim the triumph of Christianity throughout the Byzantine Empire.

The Former Church before the Basilica

At least two Christian churches or chapels previously existed on the site. Constantine the Great built a martyrium for St. John, and Theodosius I most likely built a small church there to replace this shrine. The archaeological evidence shows that a former church was at that location.

By the time the Council of Ephesus met in AD 431, Christians had already revered the location of John’s tomb on Ayasoluk Hill for more than two centuries. Bishop Polycrates of Ephesus (c. AD 190) gave the earliest testimony when he wrote that “John… sleeps at Ephesus,” which demonstrates that the tradition had become firmly established long before Justinian built the great basilica over the site.

Walking to Find the Unique Ruins of St. John’s Basilica

My take on walking this area to discover some amazing things.

The History of Pilgrimages to St. John’s Tomb

The pilgrim Egeria (c. 381–384) wrote about the prominent pilgrimages in detail, in common-day Latin. In her journal  Itinerarium Egeriae (Travels of Egeria), she mentions her desire to visit the shrine of St. John. She was from Western Europe and traveled to Asia Minor and the Middle East.

Often, guidebooks state that the bishops at the Council of Ephesus visited the tomb of St. John. Yet modern historians infer this idea, rather than cite an ancient quotation. The detailed minutes of the 431 council do not mention the delegates visiting the tomb, but a common ancient practice indicates that many of these bishops actively made pilgrimages to the graves of biblical figures. Because the council met only a few kilometers away, most historians believe that the majority of the bishops visited the hilltop before or after the meetings.

The Ayasoluk (sometimes spelled Ayasuluk) hilltop, where the Seljuk Fortress sites became the key pilgrimage spot after Justinian built the Basilica of St. John. I wrote previously about this Byzantine monument on the Seljuk Castle.

Evidence of Former Churches

On my last visit there, I saw what looked like local limestone crosses, constructed at a different time and made of a dark material. This is much different than the clean white marble that dominated the Basilica. In the northern area, these limestone remains sit outside the Basilica towards the Ayasuluk hill, alongside other similar capitals. As with most sites in Asia Minor, the observer can only guess when these were part of the area structure.

Some may think these were later stones, but even in the Seljuk Castle area, white marble blocks and panels are present, so these items stand out among the other ruins.

Frescoes of St. John

On most visits to the Basilica, many people miss the small chapel on the north side, which houses a wall of frescoes. The building is locked but one can look through the metal gate to gather a glimpse of the three figures of St. John, the Lord Jesus and another saint.

Believers added this northern-area chapel in the 10th century to demonstrate the continued use of the site and the construction of newer chapels for worship. Below is what it looked like in 2022 and presently, as of 2026.

Previously, the site had the frescoes behind a glass window, with replicas nearby. In my video of the Basilica, the museum has removed the glass, and the replicas no longer remain.

So, looking in one can see the originals, but about 10-12 meters away.

The St. John’s Monastery

On one of my visits to the Basilica, I noticed quite a bit of ruins beneath the Northwest portico. I took pictures and then searched online for what sat between the Basilica and the Isabey Mosque. During that time, a fence closed up the area, so a visit is not possible, but only a view from above.

Nick Pangere said about this, “On the slope of the hill to the west of the atrium are the ruins of a church and monastery. They were discovered in 1981 and predate Justinian’s basilica. Archaeologists were originally excavating an Ottoman road that had been built on top of the ruins when they found the monastery.”^[1]https://nomadicniko.com/turkey/selcuk/basilica-of-st-john

Pier Capital of St. John’s Basilica

Sitting between the Basilica and the Seljuk Castle lie multiple graveyards of ruins. However, in the middle of the walkway is one of the largest pier capitals that I have ever seen.

At the Basilica of St. John, the large cross-carved capital gives perspective on how this large piece of marble sat atop the cruciform piers that carried the arches and domes of the Basilica. When I saw these structures, I thought they stood independently as part of a massive display, but archaeological reconstructions show that builders integrated them into the basilica’s structural system and placed them atop a massive construction to support the archway.

As a part of the Entry Gate to St. John’s Basilica, most likely the back side of this capital was removed and placed into the lower section of the wall on the east. Or possibly remains of the other matching pier capitals from the 6th-century basilica.

Further Study

Standing among the ruins of St. John’s Basilica is more than an opportunity to admire Byzantine architecture. It is an invitation to return to the writings of the apostle formerly buried here. John repeatedly directs our attention to the mystery of God’s oneness revealed in Jesus Christ. His Gospel begins with the Word who was with God and was God, while his letters proclaim that “God is love”—a truth rooted in eternal relationship rather than solitary existence.

That same question continues to shape conversations today. What does it truly mean to say that God is one? Is divine oneness best understood as absolute singularity, or as the perfect unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit revealed throughout Scripture? Those questions became the foundation for my book Absurdity of God’s Oneness, which explores how the biblical understanding of God’s oneness differs from the concept of absolute oneness found in Islam. Drawing from Scripture and years of conversations with Muslims, the book invites readers to examine whether God’s eternal nature is best understood through relationship, love, and self-giving, as John so powerfully presents it.