Ephesus

Ephesus was a city in Asia Minor, founded by tourists from Athens. The ruins of Ephesus are a major tourist attraction in Turkey today.

Ephesus and Christianity
Ephesus was an important center for early Christianity. Paul used it as a base. He became embroiled in a dispute with artisans, whose livelihood depended on the Temple of Artemis there (Acts 19:23–41), and wrote 1 Corinthians from Ephesus. Later Paul wrote to the Christian community at Ephesus.

The Catholic Encyclopedia notes, "the Apostle and Evangelist John lived in Asia Minor in the last decades of the first century and from Ephesus had guided the Churches of that province...After Domitian's death the Apostle returned to Ephesus during the reign of Trajan, and at Ephesus he died about 100 CE at a great age". Ephesus was one of the seven cities addressed in Revelation (2:1–7).

There is also a letter written by Ignatius of Antioch to the Ephesians in the early 2nd century CE, that begins with, "Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the Church which is at Ephesus, in Asia, deservedly most happy, being blessed in the greatness and fulness of God the Father, and predestinated before the beginning of time, that it should be always for an enduring and unchangeable glory" (Letter to the Ephesians).

The house of the Virgin Mary, about 7 km from Selçuk, is believed by many to have been the last home of Mary, mother of Jesus and is a popular place of pilgrimage.

Ephesus was the setting for the Third Ecumenical Council in 431, which resulted in the condemnation of Nestorius.