MAY 2004

This panorama shows how high up the mountain we had to go to visit the grounds.  The farm land out in front runs right into the Aegean Sea.  Remember what I said about Ephesus now being miles from the sea?  Ephesus is down around the corner to the right, a long way from the sea.  Kusadasi, where we were staying is thru the valley below, over the hills, then down into the town.  The only flat land is where the river left the silt.

This statue of Mary is about 50 meters from the upper entrance to Ephesus.

This matching status is in the church grounds.  There are signs all along the walk in about 8 different languages stating that they found evidence that there was a house built here during the 1st Century A.D.  There was also a second structure on top of it built about the 4th Century A.D.  The tiny Byzantine church was on the site when discovered, and presently, the Catholic Church maintains the site and the chapel. 

View from the left.

Historians knew that Jesus told John to watch over his mother.  When they found the tomb of John they knew that the mother had to be close at hand.  She wasn't in the same city, Selchuk, but she was close by, 7 kms. up at the top of the mountain, isolated from any that could bring her harm.  This was not actually discovered and documented until 1891.  The tiny Byzantine church was here when discovered.