As you approach to the steep road which leads the way to the entrance of St. John's Basilica, you will see a remaining of an aquaduct which comes from the center of the town. Then you can walk up few meters/yards to get to the entrance. Even before you enter, if you look up at the upper left corner of the gate, you will se a relief which depicts the fight between Hector and Achilleus during the Trojan War in the 12th century B.C. This gate was named as 'Persecution Gate' by two French travellers during the 18th century A.D. because of this relief, that actually has nothing to do with it. And when you look at the right hand side of the main entrance, you will notice circular stones. These and the other material indicates that the building, which is contemporary with Cathedral of St. Sophia in İstanbul, was built with the material from ancient city of Ephesus.

From the picture on the above right, you see a castle behind it. (And, at the top of the picture to the left, a falcon flies at the time of shooting the picture.) The Basilica and that castle were built during the 5th cent. A.D. by Byzantine emperor Justinianus during which time the Byzantine Empire was at its peak of prosperity.