Basilica of St. John

It has been known that the young apostle of Jesus, St. John, took the Virgin Mary to Ephesus after the crucifixion of Jesus in Jerusalem. Virgin Mary and St. John spent the rest of their lives in the vicinity of St. John's grave on Ayasuluk hill. In the 5th century, the first wooden grave monument was built, but it was damaged by earthquakes. Instead of the wooden version, a new basilica with a cross plan, three naves, and six domes was built by Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora between 527 and 565. Today, the ruins can be visited in the Selcuk neighborhood in Izmir Province.