House of the VIRGIN MARY

The house is situated at the peak of Bulbul Mountain, 9 kilometers (15 miles) from Selcuk. According to legend, St. John came to Ephesus with Virgin Mary four or six years after the crucifixtion of Jesus. Following the visions of a German nun, Catherine Emmerich, a group of Lazarist priests discovered a house, which is believed to be the place where Virgin Mary spent her last days in 1891.

This discovery atracted the attention of the entire Christian world. The cruciform building topped with a dome was restored in modern times. The house received visits from Pope Paul VI in 1967, Pope John Paul II in 1979, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.