Oh, no...

Climbing over a gate topped with spikes... not a good idea.

Basilica of St. John, Ephesus

Author of the Bible's fourth Gospel and the book of Revelation, St. John was an apostle, evangelist, and prophet. His movement throughout Europe and Asia is documented in many historical and sacred books, and it is known he was at the feet of Jesus during the crucifixion. After Jesus' death, it is believed John took Jesus' mother, Mary, to Ephesus where he lived out the duration of his life.

The perceived gravesite of John in Selcuk, just two miles from ancient Ephesus, was enclosed by a humble church in the 4th century. In the 6th century, Emperor Justinian, believing the tomb was that of St. John's, built a magnificent church in the same location and transformed the area into a sacred site. Its brick and marble construction was rare at the time, and if reconstructed today the cathedral would be the seventh largest in the world.

St. John's grave

A view from the basilica wall toward Isabey Mosque

View of Selcuk from the basilica wall

Temple of Artemis, Ephesus

Between Selcuk and Ephesus stands a single reconstructed marble column, all that remains of one of the Seven Wonders of the World—the Temple of Artemis. Originally constructed in 650 BC to Artemis, the temple underwent reconstruction twice after a fire destroyed it first and then attack and plunder ruined it a second time. At 377 feet long and 180 feet wide, the Temple of Artemis dwarfed its Greek counterpart, the Parthenon. It consisted of 127 columns, each 60 feet in height, and was made almost entirely out of marble. Today, it is difficult to imagine the lonely column surrounded by 126 others of such an immense size. Imagining its beauty, however, is easy.

The marshy location of the former Temple of Artemis.

The lone column, all that remains of the temple.

A statue from the temple called, the "Great Artemis."

Ephesus

Once an ancient Greek city on the west coast of Anatolia, Ephesus is now part of modern-day Turkey located near the city of Selcuk in the Izmir province. During the Roman period, Ephesus was the second-largest city in the Roman empire after Rome, itself. In the first century BC, Ephesus became the second largest city in the world with a population of 250,000—a far cry from Tokyo's largest population today of over 30 million. Currently, only 15% of Ephesus' ruins have been excavated, leaving an impressive amount of history undiscovered.

Aside from its ruins, Ephesus is revered for its place in religious history. Countless pilgrims visit the ancient city as the once home to the apostles Paul and John, and the Virgin Mary. It is there where Paul wrote 1 Corinthians and John may have written his Gospel.

Because there are so many notable sites, I will write several posts about the area.