About House of the Virgin Mary
House of the Virgin Mary
Every time I try to stay away and want to take a sea voyage, I inevitably find myself in the midst of history. I don't know why, but wandering around historical places seems extremely peaceful. Perhaps it's the mysterious atmosphere here or because it's a connection point to the past. My path led me here this time. This mysterious place is full of incredible stories. We couldn't decide which one to tell. But if you get a guide when you visit, you can be sure you'll be amazed by this place. I also want to tell you a story.
This mysterious place is full of incredible stories. We couldn't decide which one to tell. But if you get a guide when you visit, you can be sure you'll be amazed by this place. I also want to tell you a story.
Anne Catherine Emmerich
Anne Catherine Emmerich, known as a mystic medium and has entered the Parapsychology literature, was a bedridden nun who would go into a sort of trance and have visions related to Jesus or the Virgin Mary. While she narrated these visions in a semi-sleep state, the poet of the time, Clemens Brentano, wrote down what Emmerich told. Those writings or Brentano's later book 'The Visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich' led to the discovery of the current house about 200 years later. A group of devout people from Izmir, following this book, found the house described as the house of the Virgin Mary exactly where Anne Catherine Emmerich described it...
Where is the House of the Virgin Mary?
This hard-to-find spot is considered to be where a woman who had officially disappeared spent her last days. After Jesus ascended to heaven, Mary lived in Jerusalem (Zion) for about 3 years, then in Bethany, and later resided in Ephesus for about nine years. When I say Ephesus, it's not exactly in the city! Whether to stay away from people or to find inner peace, tranquility and nature is unknown, but she settled on top of the mountain, which was once called Emerald Mountain and now known as Bülbül Mountain, about 10 kilometers from the Ephesus city center. There is only one road to reach this house in endless greenery. If you follow the mountain road from the upper gate of the ancient city of Ephesus, you can reach it in 15 to 20 minutes. The house has been restored and is accepted as a pilgrimage site for the Christian world, and many tours are organized on this route. Philosophers, clergy, ordinary citizens, and even the Pope have visited here.
Wish Wall
Right next to the chapel building, in front of the wall facing the lower forest, there is a wall where wishes of people from all over the world who have visited here are hung. Perhaps they have considered this place equivalent to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. There is a water source right next to it. It is believed that this water is good for fertility.
Chapel, Church, Basilica, Cathedral, Monastery Concepts
Chapel
These are mostly small and sacred places. In Christian countries, you can see places of worship on roadsides and between neighborhoods. Additionally, you can see small rooms and niches in churches or cathedrals. These are chapels dedicated to saints. The most famous in the world is the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
Church
This term is the general place of worship used for Christians. The service is led from the front. Chapels can be located on the right and back. Turkey's most famous church is Saint Pierre Church in Antakya.
Basilica
These structures are actually churches, but they have some characteristics that distinguish them from churches. First of all, the basis of this distinction is architectural. The shape of a basilica is as follows: A long and high corridor in the middle, two lower corridors on both sides. Basilicas therefore do not have a cross plan. Since it consists of three long corridors, with the middle one high and the sides low, its roof is generally domeless and egg-shaped. Rarely, there can be a dome. According to Catholicism, churches granted certain special powers by the Papal office can also be considered basilicas regardless of their architectural form. One of the most famous is St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
Cathedral
Usually the largest church in a city is called a cathedral, but this concept has a religious aspect rather than size. It is not uncommon to see churches larger than the cathedral in a city. But the main feature of the cathedral is this: Countries are divided into diocese regions by Christian clergy. Each of these regions is governed by a bishop, that is, a chief priest. The church where the bishop serves and resides is the most senior place of worship in that diocese. Therefore, they are called cathedrals. Consequently, cathedrals that are diocese centers have been built more magnificently and larger than other churches in the city due to their importance. One of the most famous is the Duomo Cathedral in Milan.
Monastery
These structures are generally complexes where reclusive clergy stay. It is seen that clergy are also trained in some monasteries. In some places, clergy are seen to engage in crafts and agriculture to meet the needs of the monastery. It is customary to build monasteries outside the city and even in carefully selected places because they are difficult to reach. But monasteries can also be found within cities. The most familiar in Turkey is the Sumela Monastery in Trabzon.
Things You Should Know
First of all, although this place may seem attractive to you at first, your opinion may change when you reach the entrance gate. I can say the entrance fee is really expensive. Although it is stated at the gate that the chapel has nothing to do with the fee collected at the entrance, the collected fee is taken by Selcuk Municipality. 10 lira for the vehicle and 10 lira for each person. (2017) I can say it's a rip-off. It's a cool place here, I recommend you bring some layers.
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