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Religious Site

Basilica of St. John

buh-SIL-ih-kuh of saint JON · Modern Ayasuluk Hill, Selçuk, Turkey · 37.9525° N, 27.3678° E

This monumental Byzantine basilica sits atop Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk, near ancient Ephesus, and marks the traditional burial site of the Apostle John, who Christian tradition holds spent his final years in Ephesus.

Archaeology

The current basilica was constructed AD 548-565 under Justinian I, replacing an earlier 4th-century church itself built over what tradition identifies as John's tomb. The identification of the tomb beneath the basilica's nave as the actual burial place of the Apostle John rests on continuous local tradition rather than inscriptional or forensic proof.

Panoramic view of the ruins of the Basilica of St. John on Ayasuluk Hill, Selçuk, Turkey
Panoramic view of the ruins of the Basilica of St. John on Ayasuluk Hill, Selçuk, Turkey — source & licence
The traditional tomb of St. John the Apostle beneath the basilica's central dome
The traditional tomb of St. John the Apostle beneath the basilica's central dome — source & licence

On a modern map

Basilica of St. John today

Further reading

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