Church of Mary

Church of Mary: Early Christian History in Ephesus
The Church of Mary (not to be confused with Mary’s House) has been an important site of Christian doctrine and pilgrimage for over a millenia. While the Church itself was built in the early 5th century AD, it was built into part of the older Olympieion, a Greek temple district; this older structure was abandoned in the 3rd century. Visit our Ephesus Tours page for related Itineraries.

Given the time of its construction, the Church of Mary may have been built specifically for the theological debate that convened there in 431, the Third Ecumenical Council. This meeting of leaders throughout the Catholic Church was called together by Emperor Theodosius II to discuss and confirm the nature of Christ and his mother Mary. Nestorius, the Bishop of Constantinople, and his followers argued that Jesus was born human and then became God; as a result, Mary was merely “Christ-bearer.” The more popular, and ultimately triumphant, view championed by Cyrill, the Bishop of Alexandria, was that Jesus was born God and therefore Mary deserved the title of “Mother of God.” While this may or may not have inspired the dedication of the Church to Mary, it was the first Church in the world to be dedicated to her.

The Church of Mary served as the seat of the Bishop of Ephesus from the 5th century onward. Baptisms for the region were performed in the Church’s baptistry which is one of the best-preserved examples in all of Asia Minor.

The Church was later severely damaged by an earthquake. During reconstruction, the Church was divided in two, with the new church being dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. As a result, the Church of Mary is sometimes called the Double Church.

Other nearby sites include; Hercules Gate, the Library of Celsus, and the famous Agora of Ephesus.