Mary’s House, and Ephesus

The SS City of Rhodes sailed from the Isle of Pátmos to Kusadasi, near Ephesus, on the coast of Turkey, where we negotiated for a taxi to take us to the local sights. Most of the taxis were 25 year old Chevrolets, but they are kept in good condition. Emmy’s Cousin Fina had told us we must see “Mary’s house,” near Ephesus. The taxi driver wasn’t too happy about that, since the old Chevy Taxi would have to work hard, and might overheat while climbing the steep hill.

We drove 12 miles or so, to near Selçuk, passed the ruins of Ephesus, then started up the mountain to visit what local legend says was the last home of the Virgin Mary. The story is that Mary came to Ephesus with John, who was to take care of her, and she died here. Others say she died in Jerusalem, but whether legend or fact, this place is interesting, none the less.

Near “Mary’s house,” a row of pipes supply what we understood is “holy water,” something like at Lourdes, France. Our taxi driver had been a driver for a General in the Turkish Army, and was wounded in the leg during a war in the 1950’s. The wound would not heal, in spite of what the doctors and hospitals did. He managed to visit “Mary’s house,” did something with this water, and his leg healed.

As we were going up the mountain, Emmy saw a large field of red poppies, and asked the Turkish taxi driver about them. First he worried that Emmy was interested in buying drugs, but then he understood, and explained this is a crop of poppy seeds.

He then drove down the hill to the “up-hill” entrance to Ephesus. The driver let us out, and made arrangements to meet in 30 minutes at the entrance on the “down-hill” side of Ephesus. A very good idea, as the walk through town was a slight downhill slope. The temple and some parts of the city have been excavated, but most of the remains are chiefly from the later Roman period. Ephesus is about the most stunning old city ruin we’ve seen. We believe it’s nicer than anything similar we saw in Greece or Italy. The streets, the old buildings with marble pillars, and a huge theater, all parts of what must have been a magnificent city, two or three millennia ago.

But 30 minutes was certainly not long enough, 30 days would be more like it, but we did want to be on our ship when it left Kusadasi