Places to Visit - House of the Virgin Mary
Monday, 2nd November 2009
The house of the Virgin Mary is an important site to both Christians and Muslims.
Located about 5 miles from Ephesus, the house is thought by some to be where Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, lived before her death. It is reliably thought that Saint John lived in the region for several years.
The house is of Roman construction, using only stone. The house was discovered as a ruin around 1881. Parts of the site have been proven to date back to the 1st Century AD. A restoration programme was carried out in the 1940’s.
Pope John-Paul II declared the house as a Christian shrine after a visit in 1979.
Muslims regard Jesus Christ as a prophet of Allah, and revere his mother. Each August 15, on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, Christian, Muslim and Orthodox clergy celebrate a service together. That alone is worthy of note.
There is a source of water at the site, which many Catholics believe has restorative powers.
