KUSADASI, TURKEY –

VIRGIN MARY’S HOUSE,

EPHESUS &

TURKISH CARPETS!

Friday, April 18, 2025, Temperature 66 Degrees, Humidity 68%, W- SE 3.5 mph

We sailed into the Harbor at Kusadasi just as the sun was rising – beautiful! We passed a walled Byzantine castle that once guarded the entrance to the harbor. Kusadasi means “bird island” and takes its name from the island on which the castle is located, Pigeon Island. We moved the clocks ahead for another hour last night, now 7 hours difference from the US. It doesn’t make as sense geographically if you look at a map, but evidently, Egypt doesn’t follow daylight saving time, and that threw our time off. Like in the US, not everyone marches to the same drummer, timewise! We are in the time zone for Turkey and Athens now, so we should be set for a couple of days! Kusadasi is a beach resort town on Turkey’s west coast and is also a major cruise destination. There were three cruise ships in port at the same time.

The area has had many civilizations since its founding by the Leleges people in 3,000 BCE. Originally settled by seamen and traders, it has been a center of art and culture for thousands of years. Many countries have controlled it over the years. During the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1922), Turkey was occupied by Italian and then Greek troops. Turkish forces eventually gained control of the city on September 7, 1922. A monument in honor of the leader of the Turkish forces is visible from the harbor on a hillside above the “Kusadasi” sign. Although now a Muslim country (Minarets weren’t as ubiquitous here as they were in Egypt, but were seen frequently), Ephesus was important in Christianity, ancient Greece, and Rome. The remains of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (The Temple of Artemis) are located here. Our Excursions were Panoramic Ephesus and Virgin Mary’s House.

VIRGIN MARY’S HOUSE

Ephesus was important in the history of Christianity. The Apostle Paul lived here for several years, and he wrote one of his letters, The Book of Ephesians, to this community. The Apostle John also lived in Ephesus and wrote his Gospel and other Letters here. The Basilica of St. John, built in the 6th century, is said to contain his tomb.

Legend says that John brought the Virgin Mary to Ephesus for protection after the Crucifixion. They moved up into the hills outside the city. Mary lived there until her death, and, according to Catholic and Orthodox legend, the Assumption of Mary may have taken place here.

In October 1881, a French priest, Abbe Julien Gouyet, discovered a small stone building on a mountain overlooking the Aegean Sea. His search was based on the descriptions in the visions of Anne Emmerich (1774-1824), a Roman Catholic nun and visionary. The visions were published in a book after her death, and the book became the resource for his search. Ten years later, two missionaries “rediscovered” the house based on the same research. They learned that the ruin was known as the “doorway to the Virgin” by descendants of the early Christians who lived in the area. A statue of the Virgin Mary was found during early excavations. The original foundation appears to date back to the 1stcentury AD. There have been several restorations, most recently in 1951. There was a small stream that was in the room where it was believed Mary slept (not an uncommon feature of houses of that period). The source of the stream was a spring located near the house. Because of its association with Mary, the faithful believe the spring contains sacred water with healing properties. You may drink the water, fill containers with sacred water, or buy bottles of water in the gift shop. There is also a “Wishing Wall” adjacent to the house where you write your wishes/prayers on a piece of paper or fabric and leave it on the wall. This tradition dates to pre-Islamic, Turkish times. Thousands of visitors (Christian, Catholic, and Islamic) come to see the house where Mary may have spent her last days. Although Virgin Mary’s House has never been recognized by the Catholic Church as authentic, it has received visits from 3 modern Popes (Pope Paul VI in 1967, Pope John Paul II in 1979, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2006). In 1896, Pope Leo XIII blessed the house. Its authenticity may never be proven “scientifically,” but it is a place of beauty and peace to all who visit and of forgiveness and hope to the faithful who believe.

RUINS OF EPHESUS

There have been five locations for the city of Ephesus over time. Once it was moved when the harbor was filled with silt and changed course. Looking at the ruins today, high up in the hills, it’s hard to believe this was once a busy beach town and harbor with a population of 250,000. We passed ruins from the time of Alexander the Great. We visited the site of the Temple of Artemis. She was one of the Greek deities most revered and was Apollo's twin sister. It was originally constructed in 550 BCE and rebuilt after being burned down by a madman in 356 BCE. All that stands now is one partially reconstructed pillar and partially excavated foundations. As mentioned, at one time it was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. According to our guide, the picture shows 4,000 years of religion: the Temple of Artemis, upper right, the pillars from a temple to Zeus, to the left, the dome and minaret of a mosque being repaired after damage in an earthquake, and behind it, an older church and walls.

TURKISH RUGS

Evidently, it is impossible to take an excursion in Turkey without having the opportunity to shop for a Turkish rug! We weren’t interested in buying a rug, but the tour was interesting and the treats at the end were good. Turkey is the third largest producer in the world of cocoons to produce silk. We were shown how the cocoons were briefly dipped in hot water and the first fine silk fiber extracted (each cocoon is created of one long thread extruded from the head of the caterpillar). Multiple fibers are twisted to make a thread, and then into yarn, cleaned and dyed. We watched a young woman making a small rug on a loom. The owner said there are apprentice programs in smaller villages for girls to learn the art of weaving rugs. It is a dying art. There are limited opportunities in the villages, and they can work on the rugs in their home. Then the owner explained the different fibers and quality of rugs, based on the knots per inch. Some beautiful rugs, amazing how some would appear to change color depending on the direction you looked at them. Then on to refreshments of cold Turkish Apple Tea, Radi (a traditional Turkish anise flavored brandy -not many takers there), delicious Greek bread with fresh feta cheese, tomato & cucumbers. Tummy’s full, we were back on the bus for the ride back to the Zuiderdam (just in time for dinner!)

Turkey appears to be a more prosperous country than Egypt; we didn’t see the extremes in living conditions that we saw there. Turkey seems to have modernized but cohabitates peacefully with its past.