The House of Virgin Mary:

At his crusifixtion, Jesus ask the disciple John to take care his Mother. (John 19:26-27)

John was also Mary’s nephew. They came to Ephesus together, 4 or 6 years after the crucifixion. (Crusifixtion happened in 33 AD) St. John found a secret place at the top of the Mount Koressos. And they stayed there until 48 AD. According to the local sayings, John went to the city and climed back to the mountain each day to have some food and bevarage for Virgin Mary and himself. By the time, he preached in Ephesus and he made a Christian community. Efesians were mostly pagans who believed in Artemis, Goddess of fertility, wild life and hunting, also the guard of Ephesians.

Christianity became official in 4^th century AD.

The modern claim of Mary’s presence in Ephesus began with a German nun Anne Catherine Emmerich. She received a series of visions in her dreams between 1818-1924. She told all her dreams in every details to a German writer Clemens Brentano. Brentano recorded them and finally published a book in 1841. The name of the book is “The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

In one particular vision Emmerich saw a house in the mountains south of Ephesus in which the Virgin Mother Mary had lived. In 1890 the book was read by some Roman Catholics in Smyrna (todays İzmir). Lazarist from İzmir and local priest led a group to Ephesus to find out whether such a house existed. On the third day of exploration, July 29, 1891, they discovered the remains of a building in a place above Ephesus exactly as described in the vision of Emmerich. Since then a Roman Catholic festival has been held annually to celebrate the holy spot.

Archeological attempts discovered a one roomed house here. Three walls of the house were dated to 3^rd century AD, but the kitchen wall and the ashes in the oven were dated to the 1^st century AD. They announced that the house was accommodated in the first century, then the house collapsed by an erthquake happened in third century and local people, who worshiped the lady passed away here, reconstructed the building in 4^th century AD.

Three popes have visited the House; Pope Paul VI on July 26,1967, John Paul II on November 30,1979 and Benedict XVIon November 29,2006.

The House is accepted as a Pilgrim Center by Pope Paul VI. He declared the Virgin Mary might have spent her last days here. This is the first place which was dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Since then, 1 priest and 4 nuns have been living there. Catholic servises are held every Sunday in the garden next to the pilgrim center.

One can pray in the house, lit a candle to arranged places outside, drink Virgin Mary’s water from the spring water taps. They are blessed by Virgin Mary.

In the Early Byzantine period, when Christianity became an official religion, there were pilgrim centers where the first Christian martyrs were. Christian Pilgrims started visiting these holy places. They used to go these areas and put the water from the holy spring into a small bottle and hung it around their necks. This was referred to as a pilgrim bottle in the international literature. Due to this tradition and belief, one can find bottled holy water of Virgin Mary in the suveniour here.

Also the Cistern ruins on the ground dated to 6^th Century AD can be seen here in the site.

The Ancient City of Ephesus

Before entering to the ancient site, you will have an opportunity to spend a short time at the upper souvenir area. You will have pretty more time at the lower souvenir area.

The Ancient City of Ephesus is one of the most important open-air museums in the World History. Ephesus, which was included in the World Heritage Tentative List by UNESCO in 1994, was registered as a World Heritage Site in 2015. It is also home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the 7 wonders of the old world. Each year Ephesus is visited by almost 2 million guests.

Ephesus is the second well preserved ancient city in the world. It collapsed down by an earthquake in 7^th century AD and covered by earth naturally. Although it has been excavated for more than 130 years, only the 20 % of the city has already uncovered. The city ruins are situated around 18km² (7mi² ) area. On the other hand, the tour provides you 2km (1,2 mi) walk around the central streets of the ancient city with your private guide. It is highly recommended to wear sport shoes during the tour.

The history of Ephesus goes back to 6000 BC. There are different stories about the foundation of Ephesus. According to one of them; it was founded by Amazons, women warriors of Asia Minor and they named the city after their queen “Apasa” meaning Queen Bee. The name APASA became EFES in the time. We can see bees on Artemis statues and on the coins in the Museum of Ephesus.

During the Hittite period the city inhabited by local Lelegs and Carians. In 10^th century BC Greeks came to Asia Minor in groups, as a result of the Dorian invasions. They called themselves Ionian. (There were 12 Ionian cities in the Agean region) One of these groups led by Androclus, son of the legendary King Codrus of Athens, arrived in the area. There are no remains of this settlement. Respectively, Ephesus was invaded by Lydians, Persians, Macedonians (Lysimachus, General of Alexander The Great) and Pergamon Kings. It was an active city settlement during the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine (Eastern Roman), Turkish Principality and Ottoman periods.

Ephesus was one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire and it was a gate between the west and the east. It was a port city at one of the intersections of ancient trade roads; Royal Road, Spice Road and Silk Road.

Ephesus have preserved its privilege of being a relegious and trade center for centuries with its rich culture and civilizations.

Citizens wanted to show their wealth by constructing huge marble buildings such as temples,

fountains, governmental buildings, ancient brand shops, terrace houses, library, gymnasiums, amfi-theatre and etc.

There was no common language in the ancient period. In order to express their rich culture, they decorated the buildings with reliefs and statues according to their beliefs.

Following an expert historian guide around the central streets of the city, you are going to see marble buildings which dates back to between 1^st and 7^th century AD. The only ruin which dates back to 3^rd century BC is the Great Theatre which is also very important for Christianity. Because it is the holy place where Saint Paul the Apostle preach to Ephesians as one of the earliest believers. Due to this, Ephesus is announced as one of the Seven Churches in Anatolia in The Holy Bible.

At the upper entrance, Varius Bath Gates welcome you. Ephesians constructed aquaducts to bring water to their city from the origin of the Meander River and they distributed water to every building. Baked clay pipes are exhibited in the State Agora.

Meander River is still the main water source in the area. In addition of all its positive effects, it caused the port of Ephesus to silted up by alluviums. So, Ephesians changed the place of the port and the city settlement for five times, due to continue the commercial life. Today we can see the 3^rd Ephesus belong to the Roman period. Ephesus continued as a port until 1244 AD. Today the site is 8 km/ 5 mi inland.

Upper area is called State Agora, due to the business buildings situated around it. Prytaneion (town hall) was a sacred place. Religious ceremonies and official receptions were held here. The sacred flame symbolizing the heart of Ephesus was kept constantly alight here. Two great Artemis Statues were found buried in the courtyard of Prytaneion by archaeologist and now they are exhibited in the Ephesus Museum. Bouleuterion(Odeon) was the meeting place of the advisory council and a small concert hall for VIP. 1500 capacity of odeon gives an idea about the VIP population in the whole population.

In addition to these, you will see a huge colonnaded area which was called Augustus Basilica used as a law court previously. It was a typical Roman basilica, a rectangular building with a nave and three-aisles. Ionic columns in the basilica were adorned with bull’s head figures which were unique. The statues of Emperor Augustus and his wife Livia found here are now displayed in the Ephesus Museum.

Following the downhill way, pedestrian street takes you to Domitian square. It takes its’ name from the Domitian Temple which is the earliest temple, dedicated to Roman Emperor. This shows us the diplomacy of Ephesians. In this way, they received the honour of the Roman Empire.

Polio Fountain here was the centeral fountain of the city and had a connection with the great cistern at the State Agora. It was decorated with the statue group of Odysseus and Polyphemus (which are exhibited in the Ephesus Museum today), and a basin stood in front of it.

Across the Domitian Temple Memnius Monument was built in the name of Dictator Sulla who was also a stateman of Roman Empire. We can see both Dictator Sulla’s and his grandson Memnius’s reliefs on the facade. Dictator Sulla was a hero for the Romans in Ephesus. When the taxes were too high, they were fed up with the yoke of Rome. They needed a miracle; because, Mithridates of the Pontic Empire on the Black Sea Coast killed 80.000 Romans with his army. Three years after this revolt, the Roman army, under the command of Sulla, conquered Mithridates and brought security. This monument was built to remind this conqueror in 87BC.

The hospital of Ephesus, situated at Domitian Square, dates back to 2^nd century AD is also very important. One can see the injection relief as the symbol of pharmacy and the snake relief as the symbol of medicine on marble blocks which found in the hospital building. Also, Hermes (The messenger God) relief indicates both earth and afterlife. Medical tool are exhibited in the Ephesus Museum.

Across the hospital, flying Nike (Goddess of Victory) relief on a marble block is a good photo spot. It is thought to be a part of the Hercules Gate.

Hercules Gate opens you to Curetes Street known as chariots road and the Celcus Library is at the end. On the gate, one can see of Hercules with the head of a lion in his hand and lion’s skin on his shoulders. According to the Greek Mythology, an undefeatable lion had been terrorizing Nemea and had a skin so thick that it was impossible to kill it. Finally, Hercules wrestled the lion to the ground, eventually thrusted his punch down its throat. The lion couldn’t breathe and died. This was one of the 13 missions given by the Goddess Hera to Hercules. After defeating the Nemean Lion Hercules got the title of being the strongest person in the world, according to the Greek Mythology.

Curetes Street , between Hercules gate up to Celsus Library, was one of three main arteries in the ancient city. The street took its name from the priests called Curetes, who did ceremonial walks here in religious festivals.

Along the street, there were fountains, monuments, statues, and shops on both sides of the

street. And there were mosaic galleries on the floor of the porticos in front of shops. One can see very good samples of these mosaics (dates back to between 4 th -7 th century A.D) in front of the ancient brand shops here.

In front of the portico, you are going to see the earliest advertising style as a statue on a marble base like the billboards of today.

Following the downhill marble street, Trajan Temple is situated on the right and is decorated as a Roman Fountain. It was built in 2^nd century AD to show Ephesians’ respect to the emperor. During the reign of Trajan, Roman Empire reached the largest borders in its history. Ephesians wanted to express that Trajan as the ruler of the world by placing the round shape marble under his statue’s right foot on the facade. Archaeologists estimates that Ephesians knew the world was round, in 2^nd century AD, before Middle Ages.

A few steps ahead, facade of the Hadrian Temple is standing in all its glory. It was built in 2^nd  century AD after Hadrian took the city from Trajan. And the temple reconstructed again in 4^th  century AD. Inside the Temple of Hadrian above the gate stands a woman figure, possibly Medusa decorated with acanthus leaves. (Both are protection symbols) Friezes on both sides telling the story of the foundation of Ephesus – the wild boar of Androclus, the procession of Dionysus and the Amazons. Two male figures, one of which is Apollo, on the fourth frieze; Athena, Goddess of the moon; a female figure, wife and son of Androcles, Heracles, Theodosius and the goddess Athena. The friezes seen today are replicas and the originals are exhibited in the Ephesus Museum. At the outer arch, one can see Tyche/Fortuna (Goddess of fortune) on a key stone. She expresses health rather than wealth. The keystone keeps the arch together just with its shape, Fortuna (Health) keeps the body alive.

The Roman latrine of Ephesus, situated in the same street, was constructed as a part of the

Scholastica Baths and a brothel at the corner. Only men used to come here in their daily life and they paid for the entrance. Latrines used as public toilets which have no separation between toilet seats. Today we like privacy, but at that time they liked spending a good time while chatting and gossiping even in the public toilet. There was a square pool decoration in the center, situated a stage here for a musician. Besides using the toilets, Ephesians listened live music here. It shows the luxurious life style of Ephesians.

Terrace Houses located, on the slopes of the Mount Coressos, at Curetes street across the temple of Hadrian, were the residences of the wealthy Ephesians. The ancient houses had been excavated since 1950 and now it is covered with an insula as a protection roof. Houses were found next to the ancient shops but when the whole part was uncovered, archaeologists discovered 7 different houses highly decorated with mosaics on the floor and frescoes, also tiny marble pieces on the walls. There was no doubt that the newly found places were not shops. The mosaics and frescoes have been consolidated and the Terrace Houses opened to visitors. The houses were two or three storeyed terraced buildings. Each house had an interior courtyard surrounded with living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, private bedrooms, restrooms and baths. The houses had a running water system and a heating system as well. Each corner of Terrace Houses gives an idea about Ephesians luxurious life style. You will feel it while visiting the area with your private guide. Terrace Houses are a unique ancient place in the World Heritage List of UNESCO. Terrace Houses has a separate entrance fee within the borders of the archaeological site.

There are 80 steps from the entrance to the upper exit.

Your guide is going to give the information about the Terrace Houses in front of the sign at the enterance. If you are interested in visiting inside of them, it is recommended to choose a tour with Terrace Houses. Please ask for information.

There is a Heroon situated on the left of the Curetes street. It is thought that the Heroon, which was built in the 1st century BC, was built for Androklos, the founder of Ephesus. A fountain pool was built in the front of the Heroon during the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) period. Besides, different forms of crosses in front of the fountain can be seen.

The Octagon was a vaulted burial chamber placed on a rectangular base with a skeleton of almost 15 year old woman in a marble sarcophagus. According to the interpretation Octagon was a monunment to Ptolemy Arsinoe IV., the youngest sister of famous Cleopatra VII, was murdered in ephesus in 41 BC.

Just beyond the southeast of commercial agora, Celcus Library is at the intersection corner of

Curetes and Marble streets. It was built in 2^nd century AD by Julius Aquila for his father Celsus

Polemaeanus, the proconsul and the governor of the province of Asia in the Roman Empire.

Between the lower pair of columns there are niches containing statues of female figures personifying the virtues of Celsus. These statues identified by inscriptions as Sophia (Wisdom), Arate (Valor), Ennoia (Thought) and Episteme (Knowledge).

They built the lower colums taller and thicker than the upper ones to make the view wider than itself. There was a one-meter gap between the inner and outer wall constructed as a dublewalled system to protect the scroll books in the niches, as cupboards on the walls. This system protects the area against extreme temperatures and humidity.

The capacity of the library was more than 12.000 scroll books. It was the 3^rd richest library in the ancient times after Alexandria’s and Pergamum’s. These books were given as a wedding gift to Cleopatra by Marcus Antonious and they were taken to Alexandria  library.

Near the southern corner of Agora faced to the courtyard of Celcus Library, there are two marble gateways in the form of triple triumphal arch. Inscriptions in the Greek and Latin on the attic of the gateway record that it was erected in 4^th or 3^rd century BC by Mithridates and Mazeus, two rich freedmen (former servants of Augustus family), dedicated these gates to the Emperor Augustus, his daughter Livia, and his son-in-law Agrippa.

Commercial agora was the main marketplace for trade in Ephesus. It was square and bounded on all four sides by colonnades. Ephesians used their own city money. You can see coins of Epesus in the Ephesus Museum.

Marble Street was one of the main streets between the Curetes and Arcadian Street. It was designed for wheeled vehicles, since pedestrians used the raised colonnades on both sides of the street. The sewage system of the city ran under this street. One can see a notice, a crude carving on a pavement showing a woman’ face, heart drawing and a left footprint, indicating the brothel at the end on the left across the library.

The Great Theatre was constructed on the slopes of the Pion Mountain to get the best aquatics. It was built in the Hellenistic Age (3^rd Century BC) and it was enlarged in the Roman era by considering the literacy rate (10%) due to the people attending cultural events. So, the seating capacity enlarged to 24.000. Archaeologist estimates the population, in Roman time, reached to 240.000 except for slaves and women. Unfortunately, they were not counted in the population. The whole population was around a million.

Still today the great theatre is a very famous cultural place. Many famous singers and orchestras performed here. Diana Rose, Gheorghe Zamfir, Jethro Tull, Sting, Elton John, Romeros Guitar Players and many famous others… nowadays it is prohibited to give a concert with a sound system due to the vibration gives harm to the original marbles. Today classical music conserts are held here in the Great Theatre, Celcus Library and Odeon. Besides this private receptions are held in the comercial agora and in the Arcadian Street.

The Great Theatre is also very important for Christianity. St. Paul the Apostle came here in  56 AD. There had been a Christian community based by St John the Evangelist who came to Ephesus with Virgin Mary, 4 or 6 years after the crusifixtion. When St. Paul came to Ephesus first he preaced in the sinagogs then everywhere in the city and he gained followers during 3 years.

Ephesus became one of the Seven Churches of Anatolia ( Asia Minor) after St. Paul preached to Ephesians. A very famous story is told about this in the Holy Bible in St Paul’s part. (Act 19:21) The Riot in Ephesus

Arcadian Street is situated across the Great Theatre. Entering from the port, traders and sailors would first arrive in this street and they impressed by the theatre.

There were gymnasiums as schools in the ancient city. One can see one of them called the Harbour Gymnasium ruins at the Arcadian Street.

Famous earliest philosophers lived here and gave lectures in Ephesus Gymnasiums.

*Heraclitus claimed that nothing remains the same. “One cannot step into the same river twice.”

*Hipponax was one of the famous poets of his time.

*Socrates was born and lived in Ephesus. Plato and Xenophon were his students.

*Soranus: The father of obstetrics and gynecology. His main work, on the disease of women, was a textbook, which remained in use for fifteen centuries.

*Rufus was a doctor of Ephesus who wrote works on vascular, renal and bladder illness, the cardiac system and the treatment of wounds and diet. He invented a lot of pharmacological recipes.

*Alexandros was a doctor of Ephesus. The citizens and the concul erected his statue on the Curettes Street.

On the way to the exit from the pine trees way, one can see sarkofagus section on the left.

The enterance road to The Church of the Virgin Mary is one step a head on the left. This Roman  building is dated to the 2^nd century AD as the “Hall of the Muses”. It was used as an education and cultural center. After Christianity became official religion of Rome, they coverted this building into a basilica. It was the first church dadicated to Virgin Mary. The baptistry of the churh can be seen at the central part.

The 3^rd Ecumenical Council was held in Ephesus in 431, under Emperor Theodosisus II, grandson of Theodosius the Great. Approximately 200 Bishops attended the meeting. Here, the divine character of the Christ and the Virgin Mary were discussed. So, at this counsil it was decided that Christ had a double nature as God and man, and the Virgin Mary was theotokos, god-bearer.

The Basilica of St. John

It is located nearby the Ancient City of Ephesus and also very close to a Turkish Fortress which dated to 14^th century AD. The first settlement of Ephesus is underneath that fortress which is also a historacly protected area that archeologists don’t want to uncover the place.

There is a propylon between the enterance gate and the church. In the left part of the propylon is an obresvation area that provides a wonderful view of the Meander ( Ancient Cayster) River, Isa Bey Mosque, The Artemisium, Mt. Pion and Mt. Coressus. A topographical map of the Ephesus Region has been erected that shows the different city locations and silted up layers of the Ephesus Harbour.

Several stages marked the development of St John Basilica. Disciple John who came to Ephesus with Mother Mary, exiled to Patmos Island (Greek today) by Emperor Domitian who was a tyrant and a pagan. John sent letters to Ephesians from Patmos. Two years later Domitian died (he was killed by his slave) and the new emperor made John free. He came back to Ephesus. When he died here, local Christians made a tomb for him at the top of a hill which was very close to the earliest city settlement.

Christianity became official in the early 4^th Century AD.

In 6^th Century AD, Byzantian Emperor Justinian I and his wife Theodora visited the tomb and they thought that St. John the Evengalist deserved much more then a tomb.

A curiciform church was completed in 548 AD under the patronage of them. The monograms of Justinian and Theodora can be seen on the capitals of the columns separating the nave from the side aisles. And also frescoes of the emperor, his wife and St. John can be seen in the treasury.

The basilica was covered by six domes. The largest central dome was built above the original grave of St. John. The apse has a small seating area. There is a key-hole shape baptistry for adults, in the northern part of the basilica.

The Temple of Artemis

The Temple was dedicated to Artemis of Ephesus, as the Guard of the Ephesisans. It is also very well knownd as Diana’s Temple. It is accepted as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World due to its size and magnificence. (Other 6 are; Piramids of Egypt, the Collossus of Rhodes, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse at Alexandria and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.)

The Temple was also used as the earliest style of banks because Ephesians believed that she could protect their money.

The Temple was finished in 550 BC by the Lydian King Croesus. But astonishingly,it was burned by a man named Herostratus who hoped to make his name immortal. Then the temple was rebuilt in 2^nd century BC. located on the previous one. It has a plan of Hellenistic bottom and Archaic top. There were 127 columns, 36 of them at the front row were beared with God and Godesses reliefs. Each columns were 17.5 meters high. At the earliest excavations, foundings of the temple were transferred to Brithish Museum in London. Besides, some of the foundings were transferred to the Vienna Museum. Very well preserved Statues are exhibited in Habsbourg Palace in the Ephesus Section in Vienna.

So, one can see the few column left and the original place of the temple today.

According to the Greek Mythology Artemis is the twinsister of Apollo, but Ephesian Artemis is more likely to Kybelle, Mother Goddess of Anatolia (Asia Minor). Artemis was the goddess of fertility, wild life and hunting. One can see very well preserved statues of Artemis, which were found in the Prythanion in Ephesus, in the Ephesus Museum.