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.
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.
Quoted
from From KusadasiGuide.com
with permission.
