"" Writer's Wanderings: The House of St. Mary - Turkey

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

The House of St. Mary - Turkey



[On our trip to Ephesus in 2008 our excursion included a stop at the place some consider to be the home of Mary, mother of Jesus after his crucifixion. Here are my notes.]

Near Ephesus, up in the hills, is the place where many believe Mary, mother of Jesus, lived out her life. The disciple, John was asked by Jesus to take care of her and, since he moved to Ephesus, it is assumed that he took her with him. As the story goes, a Bavarian woman had a vision of a home in the hills near Ephesus where Mary lived and was buried. In 1892, ruins were discovered of a church dedicated to Mary in the 9th century. It is said that the church was built over the ruins of her home. The grave of Mary has never been found.

The building has been restored but you can see where the original ruins end and the new part begins about 2-3 feet above the ground. The inside is bare stone walls with an altar built into a niche. Outside and down a walkway is a place where you can find holy water from a spigot--actually three spigots--and a wall where people leave a small prayer cloth or prayer wish.








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