Ephesus, where St. Paul’s preached the Gospel and spread Christianity, a city which was visited by the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and the Roman Emperor Markus Antonius, and where the Virgin Mary and St. John spent their last days at the nearby House of Virgin Mary, is one of the most important faith centers in Turkey today. You can visit several attractions of faith in an area of 10 kilometer square such as Ephesus Grand Theatre where Apostle Paul Preached, Ephesus Agora where the Apostle had his school, House of Virgin Mary or Basilica of Saint John, and many more! Let’s have a brief look at the attractions which made us call Ephesus: The Crossroads of Faiths.
- The Temple of Artemis nearby Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Today some of the foundations and columns of this beautiful attraction can be visited. Temple of Artemis used to be a pilgrimage center for the believers of the Goddess Artemis or later called Goddess Diana.
- Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist hosts the grave of Saint John. Apostle John spent years in Ephesus preaching and protecting Virgin Mary. He was later exiled to Patmos Island but then he came back to Ephesus following his pardon by the emperor of Roman Empire.
- House of Virgin Mary hosted Virgin Mary and Saint John the Evangelist. Mary left this house after 3 years and went back to the Jerrusalem before her ascension.
- Grotto of Seven Sleepers had seven young Christians being locked in and slept for 200 years. This place, which was built as a church over their graves, is still considered sacred for Christians and Muslims today.
- Grotto of Saint Paul is 80 meters above Ephesus Ancient City. A well preserved frescoe of Saint Paul can be seen in this little cave-church.
- Isa Bey Mosque was built in 1375. The building is the oldest known example of the Turkish mosque type with courtyards and the Anatolian columned mosques, and has typical Seljuk architectural features.
