The most beautiful religious buildings Aegean Coast

In the 19th century, a German nun, Catherine Emmerich, had a vision of the Virgin's dwelling at Ephesus. Priests discover the house that matches his description. In 1967, the Pope visited the site and confirmed the veracity of the vision. Since then, pilgrims from all over the world have flocked to the humble house, transformed into a chapel. A service is celebrated on 15 August by Orthodox Christians and Muslims. No dolmuş for the journey: your legs or the taxi.

Discovered by the American Archaeological School of Athens in 1882, it is partly restored. At an altitude of 238 m, this Doric temple is characteristic of archaic Greek architecture with its six columns spaced further apart than it will be afterwards. The setting of the site is simply sublime: its founders were not guided by chance... The sunset (or sunrise) attracts the crowd. You will meet campers, picnickers, romantics, a drink in hand... The caretaker is rarely present outside the usual hours and it is easy to get in.

Isabey Mosque is a 14th century Seljuk mosque erected in the times of the Emirate of Aydın, at the foot of Ayasuluk Hill, with a remarkable stalactite portal. The restoration of the building has left the ancient materials used by its builders clearly visible. Note the bust of the Emir of Aydın. The courtyard of the caravanserai is a haven of peace. The building is still in operation but is open to the public outside of prayer hours.

Start at Ayasoluk Hill where St. John the Theologian is buried. Enter through the Gate of Persecution built by the Byzantines in the 6th century. After his exile on the island of Patmos, Saint John returned to Ephesus around the year 97 and wrote his Gospel there. He died two years later, and on the site of his grave a small church was built. In the 6th century, it became a basilica destroyed in 1402 by Tamerlan. Go up to the Byzantine fortress. The tower of the ramparts offers a panoramic view of the region, the caravanserai and the Isa Bey mosque.

One of the seven wonders of the world. The tomb of king Mausole is the symbol of the city. With its 46 m height, it was out of the ordinary: its rectangular base supported 36 Ionic columns surmounted by a roof in the shape of a pyramid and it was decorated with statues of Mausole and Artemisia on a quadriga. After its destruction by an earthquake and its plundering by the knights, there is not much left of this marvel of antiquity. Archaeological excavations have brought its foundations to light. The models still help to get an idea.

After the museum, on the road to Ephesus, stands the only column that testifies to the existence of one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. On this site, from the end of the VIIth century, three temples dedicated to Cybele, Phrygian goddess of the fertility, follow one another. Crésus builds then, in the VIth century, an imposing Artemision supported on 127 columns. But, the same night that Alexander the Great was born, in 356 BC, the monument was burned by Erostrate who wanted to immortalize his name by destroying the temple! The Hellenistic Artemisia, built on the ruins of the previous one, is even bigger, and decorated by famous sculptors like Praxiteles. This sacred place of the cult of Artemis is then considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. With the advent of Christianity, it gradually lost its splendor and, from the fourth century, it was used as a quarry for the construction of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

In Greece, the goddess Artemis combines the attributes of several older deities symbolizing fertility, nature and the moon. For the Romans, she became Diana, goddess of the hunt, but at the same time protector of animals, trees, lakes and rivers and pregnant women, even if she is a virgin. Finally, she is androgynous since her statues are decorated at chest height with a series of small breasts which, according to the most recent theories, represent bulls' testicles. Her attributes are the bow, the half-moon and the stag. Her priestesses were supposed to be virgins and her priests eunuchs, but in her temple a feast is celebrated in honor of Dionysus where the men become satyrs and the women bacchantes.

To make sure that the priestesses are really virgins, they are made to enter a cave behind the temple. If they succumbed to the pleasures of the flesh, the opening of the cave closed for three days and when it opened again, the sinner disappeared. On the pedestal of the great statue of Artemis are engraved letters forming incomprehensible words, considered magical. These letters of Ephesus are engraved on pieces of wood or leather and worn in medallions to protect against evil spells. According to Plutarch, the soothsayers advised the victims of bewitchments to pronounce these magic words in a low voice. It is however difficult to imagine by contemplating the ruins of the site its splendor of formerly...

Dating from the 19th century, it was transformed into a mosque after the population exchange of 1923. You can still see some past Byzantine frescoes. But the restoration of the building is almost non-existent, to the detriment of the local heritage. The church is located in the garden of a house of the village which is a former school. You can ask for access to it. The owner is also a winegrower. Inside, the atmosphere is meditative, with a mixture of choral music and the sound of tourists' voices outside.

The church of St. John the Baptist overlooks the village. Dating from the 19th century, notice the domes and the Greek inscription above the door. A restoration project with the collaboration of an American foundation is underway. Unfortunately, the authorities seem to be more or less neglecting the preservation of the church. Graffiti is spoiling some places, like the altar, it's a pity. At the entrance, a well of wishes receives your coins...

In the village, next to the ruins. It dates from the ^14th century and was probably built on the site, and with the stones, of a ^6th century Byzantine church. The building is quite modest. Above the entrance, you will notice crosses and Greek inscriptions. Note that the Hüdavendigâr Mosque (which means "Bursa"), is one of two such mosques remaining in all of Turkey. The second is in Bursa.