House Of The Virgin Mary

Located on Bülbül Mountain in the Selçuk district of Izmir, about 7 kms from the ancient city of Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary is a rare attraction. It is an important point of faith tourism for Christians as well as being visited with interest by Muslims. It is believed that after the death of Jesus, the Virgin Mary came to Izmir from the city of Jerusalem and lived in this house. The story of the discovery of the house of the Virgin Mary, which the pope had visited in previous years, is also quite interesting. Anna Katharina Emmerick, who lived in Germany in the 18.century, dreams that the house where the Virgin Mary lived is on The Nightingale Mountain behind Ephesus, adds various descriptions and collects all the details in a book. As a result of research based on the book that attracted the interest of the Christian world, the House of the Virgin Mary, which is considered holy, is found. The House of the Virgin Mary, in ruins when it was found by explorers in 1891, is declared a place of pilgrimage by the Vatican. The first visit also took place on May 20, 1896, with an attendance of 600 people. The structure was extensively restored in 1951, giving it a complete church function; It was visited by Pope Francis VI. Paul, Pope John II. Jean Paul and Pope XVI Benedict in 1967, 1979, and 2006, respectively. The Virgin Mary's House, which has a lot of tourist importance and is especially frequented by visitors during the summer months, has a wide attendance twice a year. Also open rites are held every morning to Catholics and other participants.