Visit the House of the Virgin Mary

Most people believe that the Virgin Mary spent her final days in Jerusalem, but some believe she flew the coop and ended her stay on Earth in Turkey...
The House of the Virgin Mary is a sacred place of pilgrimage for both Christians and Muslims who believe that the spring running under the house has miraculous healing powers.  Many miracles have apparently been reported with crutches and canes inside the house said to be left behind by those who were healed.  As well as a reconstructed replica of Mary’s house, the site also contains a prayer wall where people place pieces of paper containing their prayers for the Virgin Mary and some fountains where visitors can drink from the sacred spring.The site claims its legitimacy from a German nun named Anne Catherine Emmerich who had a vision revealing where the Virgin Mary spent her final days on Earth  before making her ascension into heaven. It is important to note that this nun never visited the site but her vision was published in a book by Clemens Brentano. A French priest was the first to identify this as a potential site of the nun’s vision in 1881.    
    The idea of the Virgin Mary ascending into heaven from Turkey conflicts with the Christian belief that her ascension took place in Jerusalem at a site where there is also a church built in her honour.
    The small chapel was built in the 1950’s on top of the original foundation. A red painted line distinguishes the restored part from the original structure which dates back to the 1st century.  Even though the Roman Catholic Church has not declared the site authentic, it still remains a site of pilgrimage for both Christians and Muslims. Two strong arguments support the authenticity of the site: the fact that the Tomb of St. John – the man Jesus entrusted to look after his mother after he died, is located in Ephesus and the presence of the Church of Mary – the first basilica in the world dedicated to her.  Apparently the places of worship built in the early centuries of Christianity were only dedicated to people who actually lived or died in the area.
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Onder Otel
Ataturk bulvsri girisi
Yat limani Karsisi, Turkey
Tel:0 (256) 618 16 90
Email: info@onderotel.com
Website: www.onderotel.com
How to Get There - Fly into Izmir, stay in Karsisi and take a tour from there to the House of the Viring Mary in Ephesus.