Although some sources say that the Virgin Mary died in Jerusalem, there is a second version, according to which St. John took Mary to Ephesus, where she finally died. There was also a Bavarian nun, Catherine Emmerich, who had a vision during which she saw a place where the house of the Virgin Mary, where she lived and died until the age of 63, was located, as well as the remains of her tomb. Even though the nun had no education and had never left her country, she described the place in detail, based on her vision. This was later confirmed by two researchers who investigated the mountain seen by the nun where they found Maria’s house. However, they didn’t find her tomb even though the site has become famous to all Christians as a holy place.
The Archbishop of Smyrna declared the House of the Virgin Mary a pilgrimage site in 1892 and Pope Paul VI visited it in 1967. A number of miracles are said to have taken place there.
The House of the Virgin Mary consists of a small vaulted church with an entrance hall and a prayer room. Mary’s bedroom was possibly located on the right and a small kitchen probably on the left.
It is located 7 km from the city of Ephesus and is surrounded by a wonderful courtyard with flower gardens.