WHEN Jesus was on the cross at Calvary, he turned to his youngest Apostle and asked him to look after his mother Mary, the Bible says. But the book remains largely silent about what happened to her after that.
It is believed, however, that John the Evangelist, as the Apostle came to be known, quietly spirited her away to what is modern-day Turkey.
High on a hill slope outside the town of Ephesus he built her a simple stone house where she stayed secretly. Those were dangerous times for Christians. The Romans held Ephesus and they were responsible for crucifying Jesus.
Centuries passed. Earthquakes rocked and wrecked Ephesus. The Romans, who persecuted the Christians, themselves became Christian and, subsequently, the people of the region became Muslim.
In the 19th century, the house was found based on the visions of an ailing nun, Anne Catherine Emmerich in Germany, and pilgrims began trekking there. There is a spring near the house and many believe the water has healing powers.
via House of the Virgin Mary in Turkey – Nation | The Star Online.
