House of Virgin Mary

Pilgrims and curious visitors alike make the trip up into the hills above Selçuk to reach this small stone house, which Christian tradition holds as the place where the Virgin Mary spent her final years, brought here by Saint John after the death of Jesus. For those who share that faith, the significance is hard to overstate.

The house itself is compact and plainly furnished, more chapel now than dwelling. Photography is not permitted inside, so you put the phone away and simply stand there. The gardens around it are open, and most visitors take their time walking the grounds and reading the history before heading back down the hill.

This stop pairs naturally with a visit to nearby Ephesus, since the two sites sit in the same area and many people do both in a single day. It is well suited to travellers with a religious or historical interest. Those with no particular connection to either may find the visit brief and the round trip a longer commitment than the site rewards.