Selcuk Bus Tour: Mary's House Part 1

Sunday we spent on a bus tour arranged through our hotel. We went to Mary's House, Ephesus, a Carpet shop, and the Temple of Artemis. The Ephesus museum has been closed for a year for renovation or it would have been included in the tour.  Included in the price (100tl per person) was a buffet lunch* catering exclusively to tourists. 

The English speaking guide was excellent. He provided lots of detailed information, answered questions and was careful to provide a balanced view.  He didn't blame other countries for taking relics from historic sites, but admitted that Ottoman Sultans allowed goods to leave the country because they didn't value them.  It was also interesting to hear him talk about Jesus' mother, his disciple John and Paul as historical figures without couching the information in the kind of political correctness we would hear in North America.

"Waiting for the bus" Statues you can't see at just any historical site.

Mary's house:  In the hills above Ephesus they found the ruins of an old building in the 1800's based on the vision of a German nun.  The first foot or so of the foundation is original; the rest is imagination.  There is some evidence that Mary lived in the area.  John came to Ephesus, died and was buried there. Jesus charged John with the care of Mary, so it is likely that where John went, Mary went too.  Also, the first basilica dedicated to Mary is in Ephesus.  Catholic Popes visit this site.

The spring with miraculous powers at Mary's house.

The wishing wall.  Leave a wish here and if it comes true you must return to show your gratitude.

 *After some reflection, we decided that 4/5 of us got food poisoning from this buffet lunch. We were all violently ill less than 24 hours after eating there.  The food wasn't much to Sam's taste so we think that was why he missed out. Lucky boy. The girls healed in a day or two, but Cam and I suffered most of the week after we got home. We coped by eating Imodium like jelly beans, and I finally took antibiotics, which put an end to the symptoms.