Known in Turkey as Meryemana Evi, the house purported to be Mary’s final dwelling and the place of her assumption into heaven, is built of stone; a simple set of rooms on a hillside in a forest sloping down to the Aegean Sea, a naturally beautiful, unblemished place. Nearby, the site of the first Christian church built in honor of Jesus’ mother and a trickling line of travelers have remained in my memory, central in a line of magnificent sights Turkey awarded our time abroad. Twenty years ago, my parents took advantage of a two-year assignment, driving as far east as was considered safe for foreign diplomats, and southwest to see the great historical sights of faith that pepper Turkey’s beautiful coastland. From Cappadocia to Tarsus to Smyrna and Ephesus, we made our way to the stone structure tradition heralds as Mary’s last earthly home. Back to Her Son Discovered in the late 1800s by a French priest guided by St. Anne Catherine Emmerich’s visionary description, the home has drawn pilgrims from around the globe; it is a hallmark when visiting historical sites in eastern Turkey, though many have been surprised by its solitary aspect, even today. According to Turkish … Continue reading Visiting Mary’s Final Earthly Home in Turkey