The House of the Virgin Mary, nestled on Bulbul Mountain and situated 9 km from Ephesus, is revered as the final dwelling place of Mother Mary following the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Tradition holds that before Jesus succumbed to crucifixion, he entrusted his mother’s care to Saint John, telling him, “Here is your mother.” Accepting her as his own, Saint John and Mother Mary journeyed across Asia Minor, ultimately settling on Bulbul Mountain. It was here, in a residence constructed by Saint John, that Mary spent her remaining years, passing away at the age of 64.
The discovery of the Virgin Mary’s House carries a remarkable narrative. Anna Katherina Emmerich, a bedridden German nun who experienced a trance-like state accompanied by stigmata, recounted detailed visions of Virgin Mary’s life, including her travels with Saint John from Jerusalem to Ephesus, and the specific characteristics of the stone house where she resided until her death at 64. Emmerich’s accounts, meticulously documented by the writer Brentano, went largely unnoticed until a French clergyman, Goyet, inspired by her descriptions, located the house in Ephesus and attempted to draw the attention of the ecclesiastical authorities in Paris and Rome.
On June 27, 1891, an expedition comprising two Lazarist priests and two Catholic officials ventured to Ephesus, uncovering the ruins of the Virgin Mary’s House. Following their report, a team of specialists and clergy was dispatched to the site, culminating in the restoration of the house by 1897. Since then, it has evolved into a cherished pilgrimage site for Christians and is also venerated by Muslims. An annual service on August 15, commemorating the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, sees Orthodox, Catholic, and Muslim clergy unite in ceremony at this sacred location. The Lazarist Brothers, who maintain the site, conduct daily masses, while two nuns perform the Divine Office, underscoring the enduring spiritual significance of the Virgin Mary’s House.
