Basilica of St. John

The Basilica of Saint John the Theologian (Greek: Βασιλική του Αγίου Ιωάννη του Θεολόγου) was a basilica in the city of Ephesus. It was constructed by Justinian the Great in the 6th century, at a site where John the Apostle was said to have been buried. It was modeled after the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.

The ruins of the basilica are on the slopes of Ayasuluk Hill, right next to the İsa Bey Mosque, just below the fortress near the centre of Selçuk, İzmir Province, Turkey and about 3.5 km (2.2 mi) from Ephesus.

History of the earlier site

Ayasuluk Hill is believed to have been the site of the late Bronze Age city of Apasa, capital of the Kingdom of Arzawa. The basilica is believed to have been built over the ruins of the earlier city.

Justinian's Church

Procopius provides a small description of the Basilica in one of his works, Buildings, whereupon he wrote:

There chanced to be a certain place before the city of Ephesus, lying on a steep slope hilly and bare of soil and incapable of producing crops, even should one attempt to cultivate them, but altogether hard and rough. On that site the natives had set up a church in early times to the Apostle John; this Apostle has been named “the Theologian,” because the nature of God was described by him in a manner beyond the unaided power of man. This church, which was small and in a ruined condition because of its great age, the Emperor Justinian tore down to the ground and replaced by a church so large and beautiful, that, to speak briefly, it resembles very closely in all respects, and is a rival to, the shrine which is dedicated to all the Apostles in the imperial city...

Construction of the church began by 548 and was completed by 565. The building of this church was presided over by Hypatius of Ephesus. As the leading ecclesiastical theoretician and writer of his day, it is possible that he gained the influence of Justinian and had the tomb of Saint John reconstructed. After its completion, it was regarded as one of the holiest churches of its time and was held in great honor, as Procopius notes in his Secret History:

...to the sanctuary of the Apostle John, which was the most holy one there and held in very high honour...

Early Middle Ages

Emperor Constantine VI visited the Basilica in 797, prayed in it, and donated 100 pounds of gold (or 7,200 nomismata) to the church and its clergy, as he believed the blessing of Apostle John to have been instrumental in his victory at the Battle of Anusan against the Abbasid Caliphate.

High Middle Ages

The Basilica continued to be a sight of great importance throughout Anatolia. According to historian Clive Foss:

Work was carried out in and around the great Basilica of Saint John throughout the Byzantine period, so that it survived intact for some decades after the Turkish conquest. In the tenth century, it was described as being large and beautiful and in good condition. It was probably at this time that a chapel decorated with frescoes of saints was added on the north side of the church, as well as marble chancel plaques decorated with animals in low relief.

By the 12th century however, amid Seljuk invasions, the Basilica had deteriorated, as hedgehogs and owls lived within the structure, and mosaic pieces were slowly cascading down from the domes. Though, under the Laskaris dynasty, the Basilica had again been restored to its former glory and was even expanded, as attested to by travellers such as Ludolf von Suchem.

Destruction and conversion to a mosque

When the city of Ephesus fell to the Beylik of Menteshe around 1308, and later to the Beylik of Aydin, the Turks either deported, enslaved or killed most of Ephesus' population, and pillaged the Basilica.

The metropolitan bishop Matthew of Ephesus attempted to reclaim the church and restore it, but he was refused by Hidir, brother of Umur Bey, as the structure had been turned into a mosque and its roof was used by muezzins. Matthew wrote:

But that which distresses us more than the other evils is that living nearby the great church [the great church of St. John now become a mosque] we see the Corybants leaping up on the roof, daily, shouting out aloud the utterances of their worship as loudly as they can. And upon whichever of the churches we happen, we are thrown aside like some hierarchs without cities and without metropolitanates.

Materials

The basilica was built almost entirely of bricks and stones (ashlar), while the columns would have been made of marble, or have been marble plated, to withstand the weight of the domes above. The use of timber-roofed towers, that were placed over the bay preceding the chancel and the altar, had been adopted as well since the course of the 5th century.

Construction

The first building to be built on Saint John's tomb was a mausoleum, which also served as a church. In the 4th century, a basilica was built over it during the reign of Theodosius I. Two centuries later, because the site lay in ruins, Justinian began his construction of a much grander church. In comparison, the Theodosian Basilica measured at 246 x 146 feet while Justinian's Basilica measured at 428 x 213 feet. The plan was laid out on the site of Constantine's Apostoleion and would be arranged in a Greek cross pattern. And although the construction of this church was by imperial order, the people of Ephesus were the ones who did much of the building. The marble decorations were made in Constantinople and perhaps in Ephesus as well. The bases, column and capitals of the nave were made and imported from Constantinople or the quarries of Proconnesus. While much of the capital of the eastern part of the church were done by local craftsmen instead, following the Constantinopolitan pattern and model. Even after the reign of Justinian, decorations were still added, most notably by Justin II and Tiberius II.