The development of the Church of St Mary at Ephesos from late antiquity to the Dark Ages

The Church of St Mary is one of the most significant monuments of Ephesos, but also one of the most enigmatic. Its

repeated modifications prior to its destruction created an amalgam of different phases that have proven difficult to decipher

within the present remains. Written records and inscriptions suggest that this church was the venue of the riotous

Ecumenical Council of AD 431, but the identification of the phase of the building that corresponds to this event is controversial.

And, although the remains make it clear that at some point the church was transformed into a domed basilica, the

latter’s form and date have not been established with certainty. The present article tries to fill these lacunae through a new

survey of the remains of the church and a re-examination of the evidence from the archaeological excavations of the 20th

century. This new investigation of wall structures and design patterns within the remains leads to new interpretations of

the evidence, and sheds further light on the history of the Church of St Mary from its late antique origins to the Dark Ages.