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Archive of the Italian Archaeological Mission to Hierapolis

IN MEMORIAM. The martyrium of St. Philip was built to mark the spot where the apostle was crucified upside-down, according to the Acts of Philip. Like other well-known martyria, including the Church of the Nativity in Nazareth, the House of St. Peter in Capernaum, and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the structure features an octagonal plan. The relics of the saint were likely housed in the center of the structure. Eight heptagonal chapels can be seen on the sides of the octagon, which lead into four triangular courtyards. The small square rooms that line the perimeter of the structure accommodated pilgrims overnight who came seeking blessings or even healing by direct contact with the holy site.