Church of Mary

The Church of Mary was an ancient Christian cathedral dedicated to the Theotokos, located in Ephesus. It is also known as the Church of the Councils because two councils of importance to the history of Early Christianity are assumed to have been held within. The church is located in the south stoa of the Olympieion next to the harbor of Ephesus.

History

The church dates to the early 5th century, a time when the city of Ephesus achieved prominence as the site of the First Council of Ephesus in 431. The building may have been constructed specifically for that third Ecumenical Council, during which the title of for the Mother of God was declared orthodox. The latest archaeological evidence suggests that the structure was built on the ruins of an earlier Roman basilica-like building abandoned around the 3rd century, known as the "Hall of the Muses". One tradition regards the Church of Mary as the earliest known Christian church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Around 500, the Ephesians expanded this church into a monumental cathedral, whose apse and pillars partially still stand today on the site.
The church served as a cathedral and as the seat of the Bishop of Ephesus throughout Late Antiquity.
An inscription in the Church of Mary indicates there was an even more-ancient synagogue in Ephesus.

Resources

Stefan Karweise, The Church of Mary and the Temple of Hadrian Olympios. Helmut Koester, ed., Ephesos: Metropolis of Asia, 311–20.
Dr. Nikolaos Karydis, The Development of the Church of St Mary at Ephesos from Late Antiquity to the Dark Ages, From Kent University Repository.