Located on a hill above the Isa Bey Camii in Selçuk is the site of the Basilica of St. John. The two domes of the mosque and its broken minaret can be seen below. It is said that St. John visited Ephesus twice: between 37 and 48 AD with the Virgin Mary, and agin in 95 AD towards the end of his life. He wrote his Gospel here on the Ayasulkuk Hill. In the 500s, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian had this magnificent basilica constructed here. St. John's tomb was moved and located here in the church. 
This is a view from the basilica area, looking back towards Ephesus.
This is in the naive of the church.
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| Remnants of the elaborate floor here.... |
This is the tomb of St John. It is said that when the tomb was opened later that his remains turned to dust and dissipated into the air. Locals believe that a hole behind the tomb emits air, that when inhaled, helps asthma. I gave it a shot. 
This is from the rear of the church.
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| It is easy to stand in front of this baptismal font and think of all the early Christians in this area who were accepted into the church here. |
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| This is a model on the site that depicts the layout and scale of the basilica. |
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| The top of a Corinthian column. Notice the Byzantine cross. |
These arches and columns helped support the central dome of the basilica.
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| Looking back towards the basilica from the south. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone |
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