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​A Message from the Pope to visitors of the House of Virgin Mary in Selcuk, Ephesus, Turkey

From here in Ephesus, a city blessed by the presence of Mary Most Holy - who we know is loved and venerated also by Muslims - let us lift up to the Lord a special prayer for peace between peoples.  From this edge of the Anatolian peninsula, a natural bridge between continents, let us implore peace and reconciliation, above all for those dwelling in the Land called “Holy” and considered as such by Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike:  it is the land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Peace for all humanity.
Benedict XVI
Ephesus, Wednesday, 29 November 2006 
​

PictureBenedict XVI - From here in Ephesus, a city blessed by the presence of Mary Most Holy - who we know is loved and venerated also by Muslims - let us lift up to the Lord a special prayer for peace between peoples.  From this edge of the Anatolian peninsula, a natural bridge between continents, let us implore peace and reconciliation, above all for those dwelling in the Land called “Holy” and considered as such by Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike:  it is the land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Peace for all humanity. Benedict XVI Ephesus, Wednesday, 29 November 2006

House of the Virgin Mary - Selcuk, Ephesus


"From here in Ephesus, a city blessed by the presence of Mary Most Holy who we know is loved and venerated also by Muslims let us lift upto the Lord a special prayer for peace between peoples."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
Pope Benedict XVI

In1961 Pope John XXIII made known that ceremonies could be performed in the House of the Virgin Mary discussions about the place were subdued and the number of visitors gradually increased. The house was declared a place of pilgrimage. In 1967 Pope Paul VI and in 1979 Pope John Paul II visited. Nov. 29, 2006  Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass at the House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus.

House of Virgin Mary - Selcuk, Ephesus, Turkey
House of Virgin Mary - Selcuk, Ephesus, Turkey
The Virgin Mary in Ephesus

The story of House of Virgin Mary, Ephesus begins just after the death, Resurrection, and Ascension of the Virgin Mary’s son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said, ‘Woman, behold your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home." John: 19, 25-27

Historians agree that John went to Ephesus after the Ascension of Jesus. During the three years just after the Descent of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, John was part of the new Christian community there which was growing in numbers. He was teaching about Jesus and inspiring conversions. This irritated the Jewish authorities and so the persecution of Christians began. The deacon Stephen, the first martyr for Christ, was stoned to death in the year 37. Christians dispersed to Judea and Samaria in fear of the increasing religious persecution. From the Gospel we know that John left that area as well. Entrusted one to the other by Jesus himself, John and Mary would certainly respect the last wishes of their beloved Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is entirely plausible to believe that since Mary’s safety would be of paramount importance to John, he took Mary with him to the safety of Ephesus.

In 431 AD, the Third Ecumenical Council took place in Ephesus. The council met in the 2nd century building called by the same name today, The Church of the Virgin Mary. Since the Council it is also referred to as the Council Church. The aim of the Council was to solemnly pronounce Mary’s divine motherhood. Two hundred religious authorities held discussions for nearly three months. In the end it was pronounced as doctrine that the Virgin Mary had given birth to Christ, son of God, and Mary’s title of “Mother of God” was proclaimed in grandeur. Also, “It was recorded in the proceedings of the meeting that the Virgin Mary, on her arrival at Ephesus, has stayed for sometime in a house which had stood at the site of this Church and that she had died in Ephesus.“ (Virgin Mary, n.d., p.24) In the early days of Christianity a church was only dedicated to a person if he or she had died in that place. At the time of the Council, the existence of a church dedicated to Mary in Ephesus, and only in Ephesus, is proof that Mary was thought to have died there. The Basilica of St. John is found in Ephesus for the same reason.

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 What Our Clients Are Saying - 

Absolutely the best tour option for Ephesus if you want to see it properly
Chris, Mehmet and Mete, thank-you for the most fantastic day at Ephesus. I research many options online in advance of my holiday bookings to find the best options for us and I wanted the Ephesus experience that would give us the most time at the archeological site seeing the things we wanted to see. We got that with a really engaging driver (Mehmet) and guide (Mete) as well. We were met at the ferry port terminal right on time and Mehmet and Mete were waiting for us as promised. Mete is the best guide - so engaging and knowledgable about his subject matter, and just such a genuine person too - so wonderful to talk to over lunch. We loved seeing the Terrace Houses at the site - don't miss this as it really gives you a perspective on life during the peak time in Ephesus. We did the trip as a day trip from Samos in Greece where we were staying. In the end it was easy but no one can confirm the ferry times from Samos until the end of May (for the summer season), so don't even try organising it before then if you are trying to do it from Samos. If you are intending on doing it from Samos, once the ferry times are confirmed, it was very easy to do. The trip took a bit over one hour from Samos. Both ferries out and back were on time.

The booking process for our Ephesus tour was made very easy by Chris (who is a native English speaker) and all communication was really clear and prompt. We would love to come back and see more of Turkey and we would definitely use No Frills again (and perhaps get to meet Ted the dog next time!). We are generally independent travellers but found that the quality of the guide with No Frills really made the day great for us at Ephesus and added to the quality of the experience. I'm not sure why anyone would use any other company for their Ephesus Tour. They are very professional, friendly, do what they promise, and the guide is top quality.

Visited October 5, 2017

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Selcuk, Ephesus, Turkey