Selçuk

Selçuk is a nice little town with a number of pleasant places to eat dinner in the shadow of the ancient aqueduct that still stands, romantically floodlit at night.  

It's the nearest town to the ruins of ancient Ephesus, three kilometres away.  Until 1914 it was called Ayasoluk a name now exclusively used for the local hill - a corruption of the Greek: 'Agios Theologos' referring to the putative burial place of the St John.

Again Wendy had found a very good hotel - booked on-line before leaving OZ - that offered free parking for the car.  It's up a steep hill about a kilometre from the Selçuk town centre and we had a large, well appointed, modern, room with panoramic views across the pool towards the town.  The only downside to staying at 'Nea Efessos' is that it's quite isolated and guests definitely need a car or to continuously use a taxi to get around.

Nea Efessos Hotel - Selçuk

Across town from the hotel is Ayasoluk Hill topped by the imposing Grand Fortress of Selçuk.  Built by the Byzantines, it's more impressive outside than in, where original Christian buildings have been modified and/or destroyed and are largely in ruins. 

Grand Fortress of Selçuk

In addition to the Roman aqueduct, that bisects the down-town area, Selçuk has remnants of a much more ancient past.

The Byzantine Aqueduct - Selçuk - a good place to have dinner.

A spot on the town's edge has been identified as the site of the one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.  The Temple of Artemis here was so impressive that it rivalled the Great Pyramid and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Artemis is the Greek goddess of fertility; the hunt; wild animals; and the Moon.  The Temple of Artemis is referred to in the Bible (KJV) to as the 'Temple of Diana', her Roman form.  

These many boobed statues are from the Temple of Artemis - now in the Ephesus Archaeological Museum in Selçuk
They depict the goddess of fertility - Artemis against whom St Paul railed (Acts 19:11-41)
These are unusual as she is more often depicted as a beautiful maiden holding a bow and accompanied by a hunting dog.

Unlike Mohammad's one God, Jesus' Trinity, or even Abraham's Yahweh, Artemis has a continuous pedigree going back at least nine thousand years, making her one of the oldest of human deities. As the goddess of fertility she's also the goddess of childbirth and midwifery, the custodian of the secret women's business.  In her name were maintained places of childbirth where virgin acolytes and priestesses cared for the pregnant and went out to supervise and assisted at the birth - no men allowed.  Modern commentators often refer to images of them as: 'Nuns of Artemis'.  Think: 'Call The Midwife'. 

Prayers were offered to her and material gifts of clothing were made to her handmaidens. Failure to do these things correctly could lead to a miscarriage or death as a result of pregnancy, unfortunately a relatively frequent occurrence until quite recently.

Soon Artemis would come under attack from the disciples of a new religion, Christianity.  Paul, the biblical author, tells us (Acts 19:11-41) that he spent some time in Ephesus where on one occasion two of his disciples were taken by the crowd to the theatre that was filled with an unruly gathering of the supporters of Artemis (Diana). Later (1 Timothy 2:15), he tells us that deaths during childbirth are due to immodesty - like inappropriate dress - or perhaps to shrewishness - failure to be dutiful to one's husband. 

They're not a result of insufficient obeisance to Artemis?  No way! Mankind really needs to get our act together on which gods do what. I mean, ten thousand years of useless prayers!

After the adoption of Christianity as the one and only Roman religion in 380 CE, by the Emperor Theodosius, the persecution of the pagan religions began in earnest, reaching its height late in the fourth century. In 391 the Vestal Virgins were disbanded, and access to pagan temples was prohibited.  Thus closed and in ruins, in 532 the Temple of Artemis was plundered for some of its columns to build the Hagia Sophia (see above); and other stones to build nearby fortifications. By the 6th Century it had completely disappeared.

The site was rediscovered by a team of British archaeologists in the 1870's and its location is now marked by a single column consisting of a few remnants (that you can just see in the distance behind the mosque on Ayasoluk hill in the photograph below). 

But a number of objects found on the site are in the Ephesus Archaeological Museum in Selçuk and others are in the British Museum in London.

Ephesus Archaeological Museum in Selçuk

In its shadow, to the south, lie the ruins of the (6th Century) Basilica of St John on the site where St John (John the Evangelist - author of the Gospel according to St John) or perhaps John the Divine (the author of Revelations) was entombed.  St John is said to have requested that he be buried on Ayasoluk hill.

A seemingly authoritative local history of the Basilica asserts that: 'He [St John] died around 100 AD and was buried on Ayasoluk Hill. Initially, there was a commemorative plaque on his grave. In the 4th century AD, it was encased in a chapel with a wooden roof. In the 6th century AD, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian ordered the construction of a huge basilica on this site. As the model for the builders served the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.' 

The Basilica of St John

By the 5th century the small chapel over his tomb had become the focus of the early 'Cult of St John' and one of the principal sites of early Christian pilgrimage. It was revered for its healing dust, possibly 'in the light' of John 9:6-7 where Jesus makes a paste of spit and dust to cure a man blind since birth.

Around the 2nd Century the 'Acts of John' had begun circulating that, among other miracles, claimed that John had destroyed the Temple of Artemis and converted Cleopatra to Christianity (total nonsense).

It was said that St John was not dead but sleeping beneath his tomb. Each time he breathed the dust around his altar swirled, giving it mystical powers. Because of this, the dust: The Manna of Saint John, was said to be able to cure the sick. Flasks of his manna circulated around Medieval Christendom and were highly prized for their curative properties. The British Museum has at least one, fond near Ephesus, in its collection.

By 527, when Byzantine Emperor Justinian I came to power, the small chapel 'was in a ruined condition because of its great age' so Justinian ordered the construction of the huge and more appropriate 'Basilica of St. John' over the tomb.

The ruins of the Basilica of St. John on Ayasoluk hill - Selçuk

When the tomb was found to be empty it was revealed that John had been 'Assumed', lifted to heaven while still alive. The Orthodox Church celebrates this miracle on 8 May each year.

Just which St John was buried here is open to conjecture. 

Church tradition has it that St John, the contemporary disciple of Jesus, was the son of St Mary Salome who was sister to the Virgin Mary and thus a first cousin to Jesus. He was also the first disciple of John the Baptist. It is asserted that John spent the last years of his life in Ephesus in companionship with his aunt Mary (the mother of Jesus) during which time he wrote his Gospel. 

Modern textual analysis attributes the New Testament to six principal authors: those of the three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke); the author of John's Gospel; the author known as St Paul; and the writer known as John the Divine. Alternatively, like Shakespeare, others of same names. Yet despite obvious differences in style, subject and content, some early theologians held that John the Evangelist and John the Divine were one and the same.  So at different times both have been associated with this grave.

That this grave is that of the author of John's Gospel, accords with the date of 100 CE.  Modern biblical scholars put its authorship after 75 CE, due to references to contemporary history, and possibly up to two decades later. But as this would make John well over 100 years old and Mary even older, it is not clear that this is John the cousin of Jesus, nor that the Mary, with whom he lived, was Mary the mother of Jesus, who is also said to have been 'Assumed' - at a time when she remained beautiful.

Although we've visited several Cathedrals named for Mary's Assumption, usually with a painting, presumably from a place not far from here (see Mary's House below), it's not everyone's metaphysical taste, as we've also visited Mary's tomb at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

Top left: 'The Assumption' - Peter Paul Rubens - The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium - Brussels
Top right: Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Zagreb 
Bottom: The contradictory Tomb of Mary at the foot of the Mount of Olives - Jerusalem  (all my photos - different trips)

Building of 'the most magnificent Basilica in Christendom' over John's tomb began in 548 and was completed by 565 (15 years after Hagia Sophia). At this time Ephesus was already in decline and Ayasoluk hill was fortified as it was increasingly vulnerable to raiders. From the impregnable Byzantine fortress on the summit defensive walls swept down encompassing the Basilica so that the hill consisted of a citadel with the castle as an upper castle and the area with the basilica as a lower castle. The citadel walls were 1.5 km around with 17 towers. (source: Byzantine Military)

The fortifications encompassing the Basilica withstood a series of raids but in the 14th century Ephesus fell to the Seljuk Turks and the Basilica briefly served as a mosque, until one of God's numerous earthquakes reduced it to rubble.

During Ottoman rule it was largely forgotten until archaeological investigations began in modern times. In the 16th century John's Cult was largely forgotten too, surpassed by the vastly superior 'Cult of Mary'.

Yet the defensive Fortress with its vistas, across ancient Ephesus and the land that was once the harbour, still dominates the town and the gate in the ancient wall, through which visitors pass, still stands.  There is also an historic mosque on the hill that at one time was renowned for its beauty.  Unfortunately it was under renovation and closed.

More views from Ayasoluk hill - Selçuk
Across the land that was once Ephesus Harbour and the historic mosque
behind which can be seen, in the distance, the column marking the site of the Temple of Artemis