Ephesus (Turkey) 1818

One of the questions that christians have is. Were did Mary spend the last days of her life?.

Assumed is that she left Jerusalem during the persecution of the Christians (4 AD)  and travelled (accompanied by John the Evangellist) to Ephesus. The story says that in Ephesos she lived the last years of her life and there she died. This statement was accepted by the Holy See in 431 AD. 

In 1818 this statement was consolidated by the visions of a German nun called Catherine Emmerich.

The nun had multiple visions of Our Lady. In her visions Our lady told Catherine about the persecution and their flee to Ephesus. Our lady pointed also the place where she lived in Ephesus. On a mountain called "Bülbül" (south of Ephesus) she spend the last years together with John the evangelist.

Many years later The Superior of the lazarists (in Izmir) decided to do examine the visions. Together with a priest called Jung and a research team he went to Ephesesus to search for the place Mary pointed at in her Visions.  After a while they discovered the house on the same spot as they were told. They identified the house as the house of Mary.

When the dscovery of the house was published.,  archbishop Timoni, declared the site would be opened to honour Our lady.

The house was restored and became a chapel. Many pilgrims both christians and muslims came to Ephesus to honour Our Lady. Among the pilgrims were pope Paul VI and John XII. In 1961 pope John XII certified the place as a place of pilgrimage.

The Spring

Near the house, in the garden there is a spring. Many healings have been asscribed to the water of the spring.