 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.
On Bulbul Dag (Nightingale mountain) there is the House of the Virgin where it's
believed that she passed last years of her life and died. She came to Ephesus
together with St. John and taken up to
Panaghia Kapulu mountain to survive the Roman
persecutions. The House was destroyed by many
earthquakes and not discovered until 1951 thanks to a German Nun  Catherine
Emmerich who saw its location in her visions. It is recognized as a shrine by
Vatican. Now the House of Virgin Mary is renovated by George Quatman Foundation
from Ohio and serves as a small church which attracts many
Christians as well as Muslims
coming to pray for Her. The Mass is
held here every Sunday. On 15th August 2000 there was a great ceremony for the
Assumption of the Virgin.
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.
On Bulbul Dag (Nightingale mountain) there is
the House of the Virgin where it's believed that she passed last years of her
life and died. She came to Ephesus together with
St. John and taken up to Panaghia Kapulu mountain
to survive the
Roman
persecutions. The House was destroyed by many
earthquakes and not
discovered until 1951 thanks to a German Nun Catherine Emmerich who saw its
location in her visions. It is recognized as a shrine by Vatican. Now the House
of Virgin Mary is renovated by George Quatman Foundation from Ohio and serves as
a small church which attracts many
Christians as well as
Muslims coming to
pray for Her. The Mass
is held here every Sunday. On 15th August 2000 there was a great ceremony for
the Assumption of the Virgin
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Virgin Mary House
