the basilica of saint john

westcoasthiker1

A very interesting site to visit, good interpretive signs and great views of the area. Well worth the cost of admission. We spent almost two hours walking around the site, including walking up to the Ayasuluk Fortress. Despite being there on an overcast day the views were good.

hojomax

What an incredible place. The burial place of the Apostle John, and they say on that hill is where he prayed and wrote the Gospels. The baptismal in the church is very cool! Walk to the very top of the hill inside the castle walls and find and old cistern. That is said to be where John wrote the Gospels. They say a small church was build to honor him, it was later turned into a cistern which is still there today. And incredible journey, especially for Christians to walk in the steps of a disciple of Jesus!

chaitanyaagrawal

We visited this Basilica along with a tour guide of Ephesus.While it is worth visiting this Basilica, it is important to use a guide who will tell you a lot about the history of the place.Also you can cover Ephesus along with this in one day.

PastyPerson

Also known as the Selkuk Castle, this is an active archaeological site where they are attempting to put buildings back together. There had been a number of devastating earthquakes 1700+ years ago. There is a 360* view of Selkuk and the surrounding areas from the castle. The fee to enter is nominal.

Australiangroup

We arrived into Turkey late on the evening before, and decided to have a walk before breakfast. We had only walked a short way when we came across the ruins of this church which we discovered was the Basilica of Saint John. It was a surreal experience as we walked around and I was very intrigued at the Baptismal area (as shown in the pic). We were thrilled to find this and it was typical of our whole journey around Turkey where sites such as these are not generally advertised as this is of course a Muslim country and these historical sites are Christian. That being said, it was also such a thrill to "find" this on a leisurely stroll. We found quite a number of other such sites around Turkey.

Laurenaussiesolotrav

Recommended to anyone in the area, well worth walking around if you are into turkish architecture and design.

BostonTP

A beautiful vie from a distance and much more when you get inside and tread the path to the topmost where St John stayed and wrote the Gospel.

Pamiruru

Wow is all I can say about the views. This was worth the hike up the hill to see. The ruins and fort were amazing. Don't miss this if you are in Selcuk.

IncaAngel

Once we got into the church site, it was enjoyable and educational. As pastors, we enjoyed seeing the baptismal font and the way the early Christians worshipped in the area. If you are looking for an enclosed church proper, it will probably be a disappointment. If you are seeking to see a larger church complex which is in ruins, you would possibly like the Basilica of Saint John.We found parking and site admission to be rather costly compared to other Turkish sites. Also, across from the site there were booths and shops set up to sell tourist trinkets. They were rather easily ignored.

MartinoLatino1981

Hi Guys,It is located in the centre of Selcuk.Once it was a massive church. Now there are just ruins left.You can see there some nice paintings.Apparently this is a place where St. Johns body is burred.Ignore people outside of that church which will try to sell you ancient coins. Those are fake...Have a good trip

ourIndianAdventure

The Basilica was across the road from our Hotel, so, we just walked over and spent ages pour over all the buildings and ruins. We had a guide book so could really explore at our leisure.

NebraskaForce

Just to see where John walked was inspirational. To see where he is buried and to witness the church built in his behalf was truly touching. Words cannot describe the experience!

3KIMW

Our guide did not take us into this site -- quite why, I do not know, but it was well worth breaking away to see these ruins and to take in the sight from the top of Selcuk. There has been some restoration work and one can see (using ones imagination) how this site would have looked - ie very impressive.When I showed my photos to the others on the coach who did not dare to leave the guided tour, they expressed the view that they wished they had followed me!Just to note that it is not that easy to get around if you are infirm.

RickyY603

It was said the very original church of wooden roof built at this site also housed the grave of St.John. It was later rebuilt into a six domed church in the six century and then destroyed in a major earth quake in the 14th century leaving behind the ruins that we see today. One can appreciate how devastated was the quake back then as not much structures were left behind. For tourists with no religious orientations, the rubbles may not be of too much interest. However do take time to check out on the marble arches, marble columns, mosaic floors and many detailed cravings on stones and get yourself an image of how magnificient the basilica would be once upon a time.

Ros649

This is so important as it is a big part of Christian history. The site is well set out, plenty of informative signs and you can walk up to the fort and see the old fort. There is a great view of the city.