Located on the top of the
"Bulbul" mountain 9 km ahead of Ephesus, the shrine of Virgin Mary enjoys a marvelous atmosphere
hidden in the green. It is the place where Mary may have spent her last days. Indeed, she
may have come in the area together with Saint John, who spent several years in the area to
spread Christianity. Mary preferred this remote place rather than living in crowded place. The house is a typical Roman architectural example,
entirely made of stones. In the 4th century AD, a church, combining her house and grave,
has been built. The original two-stored house, which consisted of an anteroom (where today
candles are proposed), bedroom and praying room (Christian church area) and a room with
fireplace (chapel for Muslims). A front kitchen fell into ruins and has been restored in
1940's. Today, only the central part and a room on the right of the altar are open to
visitors. From there one can understand that this building looks more like a church than a
house. Another interesting place is the "Water of Mary", a source to be found at
the exit of the church area and where a rather salt water, with curative properties, can
be drunk by all.
Paul VI was the first pope to visit
this place in the 1960's. Later, in the 1980's, during his visit, Pope John-Paul II
declared the Shrine of Virgin Mary has a pilgrimage place for Christians. It is also
visited by Muslims who recognize Mary as the mother of one of their prophets. Every year,
on August 15th a ceremony is organized to commemorate
Mary's
Assumption.
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How to Go?... The
House of Virgin Mary is located on top of Bulbul Mountain, approximately 27km away from
Kusadasi. The house may be visited by private car
or taxies, except the tours provided by
the travel agencies.
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