The Church of Laodikeia was identified in 2010 and entirely excavated the same year. It is located in the northeast quadrant of the archaeological site, to the northeast of Temple A, covering an entire insula bounded with the alley running north along the east side of the "Temple A" on the west and the alley running north from the west side of "House A" on the east. In the southwest and northeast is a small fountain each.

The church was heavily damaged in the earthquake of 494 CE and subsequently renovated; however, it collapsed entirely in the earthquake during the reign of Phocas (reigned 602-610 CE). Laodikeia has a special place for Christendom because the city became a centre of pilgrimage as of the fourth century CE. Therefore, uncovering such a church in an ancient city mentioned in the New Testament and to whose Church a letter (Epistle to the Laodiceans) was possibly sent is of utmost importance. This church was built during the reign of Constantine the Great when Christianity assumed the status of imperial or state religion in 313 CE. The monument has been taken under a protective roof and a steel and glass catwalk has been built for visitors.

circa 340 CE

Layout
The plan layout of the church is an innovation in Christian history. There are eleven apse-like niches in the layout; one is the apse on the east, two are at the narrow ends of the narthex, and eight are located along the long south and north walls of the naos. The naos encircles a total of ten piers, two of which adjoin the ends of the synthronon, diaconicon and prothesis chambers, an ambo, and the bema with an altar and synthronon. Gigantic piers connect with each other and the south and north walls between the apse-like niches in order to support the roof. Two doorways lead into the church from the alley on the west. From the north-south narthex three doorways lead into the naos, which is arranged into a three-aisled basilica. North and south side aisles are paved with vegetal and geometric decoration in mosaic. Mosaics include the names of two clerics within cross motifs: Proto-deacon Polycarp and deacon Alexander. The nave and pastophoria were paved with opus sectile. The bottom sides of the arches connecting the piers were also paved with mosaic. The walls of the church were faced with panels in marble or frescoes. The baptistery paved with opus sectile is one of the most important parts of the church for it houses one of the oldest and best-preserved cruciform baptismal font faced with marble. The baptistery is accessed via a corridor extending along the north side of the naos.

circa 340 CE

Narthex
The rectangular narthex on the west measures 29.50x3.80 meters on the outside. The west façade, except for the two small sections at both ends, collapsed onto the alley's floor probably after the earthquake in the reign of Roman emperor Focas. It was noteworthy to see the masonry lying on the alley's floor in its original texture. This may have happened due to the weak construction with small travertine blocks, a few reused marble pieces, and bricks; this was further compounded with the outward thrust force of the seven pilasters located on the interior. This wall is a very nice example demonstrating the movement of ancient masonry in case of an earthquake. Mortar was analysed; stones and bricks were cleaned one by one and used to rebuild the wall. This is one of the first of its kind as restoration application in Türkiye. The work brought to light two doorways and six windows in the upper part of the wall between the two doorways. Doorjambs and lintels are moulded and the southern one served the faithful whereas the northern one led the catechumen to the baptistery. The windows are about 1.50 meters wide and are crowned with brick round arches. Excavations were brought to light window glass, brick frames for fitting the glass, and travertine window frames. Inside, the narthex terminates in apse-like niches in the north and south; three doorways in the east wall of the narthex lead into the prayer hall; the west wall was reinforced with seven pilasters. The two apse-like niches are 3.20 meters in diameter and 1.90 meters in depth and have a doorway in them. The north doorway is 1.67 meters wide and communicates with the corridor leading to the baptistery. The south doorway leads into the Episcopal Complex; however, it was cancelled at a later date. This should have arisen from the idea that the church should be more introverted and have a mystic atmosphere.

The pilasters along the west wall of the narthex measure 0.40x0.60m and are placed 2.65 meters apart on the average. Not only they reinforced the wall but also articulated the interior. The windows are placed according to the pilasters. Traces of wall painting reveal geometric panels decorating the surfaces.

Opus sectile is found in the narthex, nave, apse and apse-like niches, pastophoria and the areas before them, as well as the baptistery. The compositions include square and octagonal pieces in a variety of colours placed within rectangular panels.

Opus sectile floorings were conserved according to principles of "protection as is" with the earthquake damages left as they are. In the southern apse-like niches and prothesis some of the missing parts in the opus sectile floorings are completed. The opus sectile floorings in the nave, the area before the prothesis, dioconicon and the area before it, the apse-like niches in the north aisle, the baptistery and its antechamber were only consolidated and conserved.

circa

Baptistry Antechamber
This antechamber has frescoes on all four walls. The north wall is plain; east wall has the doorway into the baptistery; south wall has the doorway to the naos; and the west wall has the doorway into the corridor. The wall painting is arranged as panels. As inferred from the traces on the north wall and northwest corner the walls are divided into two with marble imitation fluted columns flanked with panels. These imitation pilasters rise on a panel of background colour with a width of 28 cm. The pilaster in the centre is 24 cm. wide .and that at the northwest corner is 35 cm. wide in order to make it better visible from both direc- tions. The pilaster in the northwest corner is 60 cm. tall as seen. Panels bounded with such imita- . tion pilasters are 120 cm. wide and framed with a black band of 7.5 cm. in thickness. Just inside these black frames is a 5-cm. thick band in the background colour as in the frescoes of the north side aisle. These panels are better preserved than those of the north aisle. They have mostly imita- tion marble depictions in red, pink and yellow. Understood to have decorated all the walls of the antechamber the wall painting has survived at places on the other walls.

circa

Naos
The naos has a nearly square rectangular plan, measuring 29.60 x 34.50 m, and covers an area of 915 m². Within the naos are 10 piers, prothesis and diaconicon spaces, an ambon platform, and an apse with a bema and synthronon to the east. The central nave is higher and wider than the side naves (the central nave is 8.50 meters wide, the side naves are 5.80 meters wide). The nave separation is achieved by three free-standing, transverse rectangular piers placed in two rows, and two wall piers on each side of the western wall and in front of the eastern apse wall. These piers support the arches, which in turn support the wooden roof. The central nave is higher and has a gable roof, while the sides and the narthex are covered with a single-sloping canopy roof. Parapet passages between the piers indicate that all three naves were enclosed by parapets in at least some sections. During this period, the congregation stood to listen to the ceremonies and sermons within the church. Women must have also been gathering in the section of the north nave separated by a parapet.

As a result of the excavations, the blocks belonging to the piers that had collapsed into the naos floor during the earthquake at the beginning of the 7th century, excluding their bases, were completely exposed. Based on the recovered blocks, it was understood that the piers, which measured an average of 2.10 x 1.90 m, were slightly over 4 meters high. The wall piers in front of the synthronon apse were constructed higher than the other piers, and brick arches were placed on the uppermost crown blocks. It was also observed that the piers in front of the apse, with slots for appliqué crosses, were constructed of reused marble, while the remaining piers were constructed of reused travertine blocks. Frescoes on the northern section of the west wall of the naos: The wall, constructed of medium-sized travertine blocks, is 3.20 meters long. This wall is 1.10 meters high. The preserved section of the fresco, which is approximately 1.5 meters high, is adorned with frescoes. White, red, and black paints were used in the fresco, which consists of columns with postament bases and rectangular panels. The depiction shows the postament base column in the front, and the rectangular panels in the back. In the fresco, which consists of three columns and two panels dividing the wall equally, the column in the center is better preserved than those in the corners. The lower section of this column and the postament base are preserved, but only the base of the column in the south corner and the torus-shaped tip of the column in the north corner are visible.

The columns bordering the panels in the fresco are linearly depicted in 0.2 cm thick black paint and are 29 cm thick. The fluting visible on the columns is emphasized by vertical lines connected by a concave curve at the bottom. The 102 cm wide panels located behind the columns are bordered by 8.5 cm thick frames filled with red paint.

These panels have no additional decorative elements, but the interior is lined with a 3 cm thick black frame painted in the background color. The 57x26 cm postament bases supporting the columns feature a plain plinth and two torus profiles placed one on top of the other. Above, in line with the smaller torus profiles, is a 4.5 cm thick band of decoration, painted in the background color, continuing horizontally across the entire scene. Panels measuring 42x45 cm were placed between the bases with pedestals below. These panels, left in the background color, are decorated with marble-imitating decorations made with freehand brushstrokes of black and red paint.

Frescoes on the north wall of the naos: The preserved fresco, measuring 95x54 cm, located on the north wall of the naos, at the end of the wall where the first and second apsidioles meet on the east, features geometric decoration painted in red and pink. Beneath the 4 cm-thick red lines are 0.3 cm-wide pink lines (probably achieved by thinning the red paint used in the upper lines). In this preserved portion of the fresco, the interlocking red and pink lines, which run horizontally from the top, bottom, and sides, converge at central points, forming triangles.

circa

Ambo
In the axis of the nave, the ambo was located about 5 m. west of the bema. Considering the fact that the word ambo was for the first time used in the Council of La- odicea this ambo gains in importance. It has survived in fragments only including the base, parts of stairways, balustrade and platform fragments. Thus, the marble ambo was originally 5.80 m. long and stood on a base of profiled moulding and one with tongue motifs. Double stairways on the east and west sides had balustrades and led to the platform. The stairways were built with trav- ertine blocks and bricks and faced with marble. Three steps have survived from the eastern stairway and only two from the western one; stairways measure 0.95x2.13 m. on the average. Balustrade panels are triangular in shape as is common and decorated with a cross within profiled frame in relief.

The platform of the ambo is circular with a diameter of 0.90 m. bounded with an oval parapet. The parapet has an inscription stating that it was repaired in 492; thus, this ambo should be the second or a later ambo of the church.

[- - - ἐπὶ τῶνε]ὐβλαβεστάτων) πρεσβυτέρων) τρύφω [ν]ος κ(αι) θεωδότου. [- - -] Ἀλεξανδ[ρ- - --] καὶ θεωφιλ[- - - - ἐνενεώθη ὁ ἄ]νβωνἰνδικτιῶνοσ) ιβ' μ(ηνός) [- - -].

[under]

themostpiouspresbyteriTryphonandTheodotus

- - - Alexander - - - and Theophilus - - - the pulpit (was renewed) during the 12th indiction, in the month of - - -

(Indiction: Time zone used for the 15-year period in the Roman Empire. For Christians 312 CE is the starting point with the Edict of Milan.)

circa

North Nave Mosaics
Mosaics of the north nave are more damaged than those of the south nave. One of the main reasons for this is that pits were dug to prepare lime and mortar in the west part of the north nave. Therefore, the softness of the area led to more damage. Earth- quakes led to decrease in wealth and thus, west part of the mosaics were covered with brick flooring during repairs. Also in this area it is possible to see the marks of walls and marble flooring of formerly existing buildings, which were removed in the course of construction of the church. On the other hand, it was understood that the piers were connect- ed with each other with brick arches which were faced with mosaics as attested from the debris fallen. Mosaics of the north nave have mainly geometric and interlacing compositions in the fields framed with bands of ivy leaves, palrnettes and acanthi.

circa

Bema
In the east are the bema, main apse and two pastophoria. The rectangular bema is 0.35 meter higher than the floor of the naos and measures 5.60x8 meter. In situ balusters and surviving pieces indicate it was bordered with a parapet. Marble panels are decorated with two concentric rhombi with a cross in the centre. They are connected to the balusters with clamps. Square balusters (in front of) are crowned with bosses supporting fine colonettes with composite capitals on which an architrave was placed (templon).

circa

Pastophoria
The pastophoria flanking the apse are rectangular in the north-south direction. Prothesis measures 3.97x5.80 m. and the diaconicon measures 3.90x5.73 meters The pastophoria were designed as an extension of the side aisles rather than individual enclosed rooms. How- ever, their floors are raised 0.20 m. and 0.27 m. from the aisles respectively, thus accentuating their functions. In order to prevent direct access by everybody due to their open design small doorways were built between the first eastern piers and the side walls; these marble doorways feature jambs with lion paws. These were uncovered on the naos's floor and placed in their original position