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The Promise to the Victor
At the end of the letter to the church in Thyateira, St John records a powerful promise made by Christ:
“To the one who is...
St Paul’s Journey to Macedonia
In the Acts of the Apostles (16:11–15), we read about an important moment in the spread of Christianity from Asia Minor to Europe. St...
The Monumental Portico and the Colonnaded Street
The second important group of ruins discovered in ancient Thyateira belongs to a monumental portico, which served as a grand entrance to a public...
Smyrna in the Byzantine and Medieval Periods
The modern city of İzmir is built directly on top of ancient Smyrna. Because of this, only limited archaeological excavation is possible today. Many...
Ancient Smyrna The Beginnings of the City
The earliest settlement of Smyrna was located at the Tepekule tumulus in modern Bayraklı, on a small peninsula along the Aegean Sea. Archaeological evidence...
The Cemetery Above the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers
The ruins of a large cemetery can be seen above the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers in Ephesus. Together with the many graves around...
The End of Exile and the Journey Home
According to Christian tradition, St John’s exile on the island of Patmos ended after the death of the Roman emperor Domitian. Domitian, who ruled...
St John’s Life on Patmos
According to Christian tradition, St John was not kept in chains during his exile on Patmos. Although he had been banished by Roman authority,...
St John at the Latin Gate
A tradition found mainly in Latin Christian sources tells that St John was first taken to Rome as a prisoner by order of the...
Communication Between Stories
Stairs or Ladders for Access
Communication between the three stories of the tower was likely maintained by wooden stairs or ladders. In the north-eastern wall...
