Visiting the Virgin Mary's House in Turkey

Several years ago John and I traveled around Israel. In Nazareth we visited the Basilica of the Annunciation where, according to scriptures, the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary. Just a few feet away we went to the Church of St. Joseph that was built on the site of his carpentry shop. In Jerusalem we walked the Via Dolorosa which is believed to be the way Jesus walked from the Roman Judgement Hall to Calvary. Prayers were said at the 14 Stations of the Cross. There were many other sites significant to the Christian religion in both Nazareth and Jerusalem. On our last day in Israel we went to Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity. I thought we had visited all the important Christian holy sites so I was surprised to hear that the House of the Virgin Mary was in Turkey.

I had never really thought about Mary’s life after the death of Jesus. Before Jesus died he asked the apostle John to take care of his mother. Therefore Mary went with John when he went to Ephesus to preach and write.

The story that led to locating Mary’s House is quite amazing. It is told that in the early 1800s, a bedridden German nun, Anna Katherina Emmerich, had visions that included the story of the Virgin Mary and her years after the death of Jesus. When the persecution of Christians increased she traveled to Ephesus with John and lived in a small stone house John built for her on the hillside above the city of Ephesus. Emmerich’s visions were recorded in a book, which was later read by others who went in search of Mary’s house. The book was very detailed making locating the site fairly easy. Plus, according to our guide, for generations the people who lived near Ephesus had venerated the area as Mary’s House long before people came in search of it. Archeological work on the site showed that there was indeed a building on that spot 2000 years ago that met the description described by Emmerich. Pope Paul VI unofficially authenticated the site during his visit in 1967.

Today on the quiet hillside, with a view of the valley below, the small stone house has been rebuilt with a chapel and small side room, again based on Emmerich’s narrative. Nearby is a fountain where people believe the water is holy and also a wall with hundreds of white pieces of cloth tied to it where people make a wish.

Mary’s House is a place of pilgrimage visited by thousands of tourists every year - Christian and Moslems alike. The Moslems revere her as Mother Mary, the mother of the Prophet Jesus.

Located in Western Turkey on the Aegean Sea, Ephesus was one of the important cities in ancient Greece and Rome. John and I walked down the Marble Way that was once lined with white marble statues and found it amazing that it is the same road trod upon by Cleopatra, Anthony, the apostles Peter and John, and the Virgin Mary.

Even in ruins Ephesus is impressive with a huge amphitheater and a beautiful library that protected 12,000 scrolls from the heat and humidity. I am always amazed at places in antiquity that had public baths, water, drainage systems, and other “civilized” conveniences that Americans and Europeans did not have two hundred years ago.

Antalya is the Turkish Rivera

Antalya is the hub of the Turkish Rivera. John and I flew from Istanbul to Antalya where we checked into the Divan Hotel. The view from our balcony was breathtaking. Across the large blue bay of the Mediterranean the Taurus Mountains were snow capped. The locals like to say, “Here in Antalya you can go skiing in the morning and swimming in the afternoon.” We didn’t do that but instead walked into the historic center where we entered through Hadrian’s Gate built in 130 AD to commemorate the Roman emperor’s visit to the city. Incredible that so much of the walls are still standing.

The city’s Archeological Museum is one of the best in Turkey which gives a glimpse into the many groups who lived in the area and especially the Greeks and Romans who build temples and amphitheaters. I am always amazed and impressed with all the stonework the people of 2000 years ago did – building forts, castles and carving mammoth statutes. John and I also visited the smaller but also interesting Kaleici Museum which shows the lifestyle of 1800s. Especially fascinating were scenes of a couple getting ready for their wedding and the traditions associated with the ceremony such as the traditional shaving of the groom.

From Antayla we took a bus to Kas, a lovely little port town. The views along the rugged coast were beautiful with hidden bays, fishing villages and many islands. Our hotel, the Hideway, was just steps from a Roman amphitheater and on the short walk into town we passed a Greek temple. In town there were two Lycian Tombs, which predate the Roman and Greek periods. History is everywhere. Amazing.

The bus system in Turkey is excellent with large buses connecting cities and mini vans connecting to the villages. The prices are low with the larger buses having on-board attendants who provide drinks and sometimes a snack. The connections were incredibly seamless. We seldom waited more than 10 minutes for an on-going connection.

Continuing northward along the coast we spent five nights in Turkbuku near Bodrum. We loved the beautiful Divan Palmira Hotel where we were the only guests a couple of nights. We could tell from the number of hotels, restaurants, and tour offices that during high season the coast of Turkey is extremely busy. The tourist season starts in April in Antalya and May in the Bodrum area. Since lazing on the beach was not our intent we really enjoyed the off-season when there were virtually no tourists and we had time to talk to the locals and visit the historical sites that were nearly deserted. It was just the way we liked plus it was warm and sunny – light jacket weather.

In Turkbuku the bus stop was right next to the Divan Palmira Hotel so we could hop on the bus to Bodrum where we toured the castle. Looking out from the castle the scene was so beautiful and peaceful and in the inner courtyard there were strutting peacocks. It was hard to reconcile our views with the descriptions of the horrific battles that took place trying to defend the area from attacks. The castle has a good museum of artifacts removed from the sea.

One afternoon we went to the Komodor Evi Restaurant where Manolya showed us how to make a couple traditional dishes namely Irmik Helvas and Cuttlefish in Ink. Slow travel is good.