Among the most compelling Christian sites to visit in Turkey is a small shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary just outside the ancient city of Ephesus on the slope of Bulbul Mountain in Izmir. It’s believed to be where the mother of Jesus spent her final days.
Officially called the Ephesus House of Mary, the quaint building is popular among faithful travelers, many of whom weathered both cold and rain to see the attraction during a recent visit by The Christian Post earlier this month, courtesy of Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
On the way to the shrine, not far from the entrance is a key hole shaped baptismal pool where members of the early church community in Ephesus are said to have conducted baptisms. There’s also a banner explaining why the site is believed to be where Mary spent her final days.
Scriptures show that during His crucifixion, Jesus entrusted the care of his mother to St. John, “the disciple whom he loved” in John 19:25-27 and the author of the book of Revelation. The last time Mary is mentioned in Scripture, she is with the early church praying in the Upper Room in the Book of Acts 1:13-14 ahead of the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit is first poured out on the Church “in cloven tongues like as of fire.”
Where the Virgin Mary spent her final days | World News
Where the Virgin Mary spent her final days | World News
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