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The peaceful site is sacred to both Christians and Muslims, and is visited by many tourists and pilgrims. Legend intertwines with history as one steps into the serene vicinity of the House of the Virgin Mary. Believed to be the final residence of Mary, Mother of Jesus, this ancient structure is shrouded in the tranquility of Mount Koressos. The discovery of the house in the 19th century, based on visions of a bedridden German nun, Anne Catherine Emmerich, added layers of mystery and faith to its existence. These various accounts from different historical periods have contributed to the ongoing debate about the true location of St. Mary’s residence after the crucifixion of Jesus. The lack of direct evidence from the biblical texts and the span of time between the events and the recorded accounts add complexity to the question of where St. Mary lived and died.
Pilgrimages and Religious Significance
Therefore, while there is no certainty where St. Mary lived after the death of her son on the cross, it is much more probable that her house was in Jerusalem where her tomb can still be visited. The tradition placing her in Ephesus could result from the fact that she had accompanied St. John in his travels and temporarily resided in this city. As everyone can see, all these documents are from much later times than the 1st century when St. John and St. Mary lived. These written pieces of evidence are also very few, and none of them provides direct evidence of St. Mary's life in Ephesus. There is much stronger evidence that St. Mary lived and died in Jerusalem where the existence of her tomb was testified by Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem, in 451.
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History of the Virgin Mary’s House near Ephesus
The House of the Virgin is a sacred site for both Christians and Muslims (Muslims also believe in the virgin birth and honor Mary as the mother of the Prophet Jesus). They returned to Izmir with their report, and more priests and specialists were sent out to the site. The German nun went on to say that the Virgin Mary died at the age of 64 and was buried in a cave near her house. When her coffin was opened soon after, however, the coffin and burial shroud were empty. Our Ultimate Guide to Cappadocia Hot Air Balloons offers you a comprehensive look at this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Learn about the best times to fly, safety tips, and how to make the most of this unforgettable journey over the fairy-tale landscapes of Cappadocia.
Early Christian Basilica
In his report, he recorded that the house dated back to "the first centuries", without more precise indication of its age. In 1905, Abbé Wogh, an archaeologist and Bizantine Art Professor at Fribourg University, conducted a more detailed investigation. According to him, the historical components of the building date back to the period from the 5th to the 7th century CE.
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Its shape resembles an oversized full-body font, and sometimes it interpreted as an indication of an early Christian use of the location as a baptismal place. First, Pope Leo XIII blessed the House of the Virgin Mary during his pilgrimage in 1896. This blessing gave an early boost to the site as a pilgrimage centre and signalled a positive attitude of the Catholic Church towards it. In 1903, Leo XIII planned to send a papal commission to Turkey to investigate the site, but his death put an end to this initiative.
Parts of the house, including the kitchen, are in a state of severe disrepair and are off-limits to visitors. The House of the Virgin Mary was officially declared to be a Catholic Shrine in the 19th century. Pilgrims and tourists arriving at the House of St. Mary are greeted by a small statuette of Anne Catherine Emmerich and another statue of St. Mary. The statue of Mary at the end of the way of olive trees is a gift of a religious community in Izmir and dates back to 1867. It was placed in its current location in 1960 by Father François Saulais who was a member of Charles de Foucauld Order.
This letter mentions "the city of the Ephesians, where John the Theologian and the Virgin Mother of God St. Mary [lived and are buried]". Secondly, Bar-Hebraeus, a Jacobite bishop writing in the 13th century, related that St. John took Mary with him to Patmos, and then founded the Church of Ephesus. This could mean that Mary lived her final days on Patmos or in Ephesus, but the place of her death is not mentioned. In the 18th century, Pope Benedict XIV claimed that Mary followed St. John to Ephesus.
Is the Virgin Mary buried in Turkey?
The adhan (Muslim call to prayer) blasts through the speakers of Istanbul’s beautiful mosques five times each day. Bars are easily spotted just around the corners, or down the streets, from a good number of those mosques. Popular beers such as Efes (which is quite decent) are indigenously brewed there. Raki, which I’d only recommend to someone who enjoys the taste of licorice, is Turkey’s national spirit.
Ephesus Tour from Kusadasi
Excavations and studies have shown that the house’s architectural design dates to the first century, which is the same time period during which Mary is believed to have lived. The design of the home and the use of the stones are consistent with the regional building methods used at the period. This proof, along with Emmerich’s visions, may prove the idea that this house might have been the Virgin Mary’s last home. Urged by Marie de Mandat-Grancey, Eugène Poulin decided to organise an expedition to Ephesus.
You will also notice a lot of Turkish guards who the government places at the site to protect it. There is a stone altar and a statue of the Virgin Mary in the home’s plain interior. Visitors can engage with the history and spirituality linked with Mary’s presence in this area of prayer and reflection. Virgin Mary’s House is located in a peaceful location surrounded by mountains and beautiful trees.
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. Adjacent to the house, a spring believed to possess healing properties draws visitors to collect its waters and seek blessings. The wall of wishes, adorned with thousands of prayer notes from around the world, stands as a testament to the universal hope and faith that this sacred site inspires. The journey to the House of the Virgin Mary is as enchanting as the destination itself.
Here he moved her into a cabin on the lower slopes of Mt Bülbül, a safe distance from the pagan city center, and took care of her. Upon the Virgin’s death, purportedly at the age of 101, her body was buried by John at a secret location on Mt Bülbül. As Christianity began to spread, a church was built at the site of the cabin. As it stands today, the House of the Virgin Mary could be described as a modest, cruciform chapel with a small narthex. In front of the apse is a heart of black marble, while the room to the right is where the Virgin is believed to have slept.
It’s an adventure that promises to deepen your understanding of the world and leave you with memories to cherish. It is thought that, and it is predicated on the idea that Mary spent the latter years of her worldly journey in Ephesus with St. John, whom Jesus had entrusted with taking care of her. These two locations cannot lay claim to holding and keeping her physical remains.
When German stigmatist and mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich had a series of visions in the 19th century, the investigation into the Virgin Mary’s House took off. She vividly depicted Mary’s house’s location in her visions, sparking curiosity in its existence. Two French priests, Father Julien Gouyet and Father Eugene Poulin, were able to conduct an investigation to uncover the secret house thanks to Emmerich’s statements. Ultimately, they found a little stone structure on Mount Koressos that resembled Emmerich’s explanations. A decade later Servant of God Marie de Mandat-Grancey, a French nun, had been working at a hospital relatively nearby in the city of Smyrna (now Izmir). She urged two Lazarist missionaries, Fathers Eugène Poulin and Henri Jung, to help her find that very same house.
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