We are sailing back to Turkey, to the City of Ephesus, famous for two things, the ancient ruins and the house in which Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent her last years om earth.
...as always, for more Wordless Wednesday, check these out.
I'm always in awe that a place like that has survived this long.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know about the whole wordless thing, but I think this one needs an explanation. From my friends at Wikipedia...
ReplyDelete"At the beginning of the 19th century, Anne Catherine Emmerich, a bedridden Augustinian nun in Germany, reported a series of visions in which she recounted the last days of the life of Jesus, and details of the life of Mary, His mother.
One of Emmerich's accounts was a description of the house the Apostle John had built in Ephesus for Mary, the mother of Jesus, where she had lived to the end of her life. Emmerich provided a number of details about the location of the house, and the topography of the surrounding area...
“Mary did not live in Ephesus itself, but in the country near it. ... Mary's dwelling was on a hill to the left of the road from Jerusalem, some three and half hours from Ephesus. This hill slopes steeply towards Ephesus; the city, as one approaches it from the south east seems to lie on rising ground.... Narrow paths lead southwards to a hill near the top of which is an uneven plateau, some half hour's journey.”
Emmerich also described the details of the house: that it was built with rectangular stones, that the windows were high up near the flat roof and that it consisted of two parts with a hearth at the center of the house. She further described the location of the doors, the shape of the chimney, etc. The book containing these descriptions was published in 1852 in Munich, Germany.
On October 18, 1881, relying on the descriptions in the book by Brentano based on his conversations with Emmerich, a French priest, the Abbé Julian Gouyet, discovered a small stone building on a mountain overlooking the Aegean Sea and the ruins of ancient Ephesus in Turkey. He believed it was the house described by Emmerich and where the Virgin Mary had lived the final years of her life.
Abbé Gouyet's discovery was not taken seriously by most people, but ten years later, two Lazarist missionaries, Father Poulin and Father Jung, from Smyrna, rediscovered the building on July 29, 1891, using the same source for a guide. They learned that the four-walled, roofless ruin had been venerated for a long time by the members of a distant mountain village who were descended from the Christians of Ephesus. In Turkish the House is called Panaya Kapulu ("Doorway to the Virgin"). Every year pilgrims made a pilgrimage to the site on August 15, the date on which most of the Christian world celebrated Mary's Dormition/Assumption.
Supporters base their belief on the presence of the Church of Mary, the first basilica in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary, in Ephesus: In the early centuries of Christianity, places of worship were dedicated only to persons who lived or died in the area."
That's fascinating.thanks for sharing..
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos. I love the stones used to build the house but my favorite is the tree outside the house (3rd photo from beginning)it has an amazing trunk!
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate the wikipedia info!
I had no idea about this house. Appreciate your info and the wonderful (as always) pictures!
ReplyDeleteVERY cool set of photos! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat an exciting trip. Thanks for sharing these shots.
ReplyDeleteFascinating and thanks for explaining :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat photos as usual
Have a great WW!
i enjoyed my visit there. A beautiful place to explore that reflects serenity and peace and pleases the eye with the wonderful greenery surrounding it.
ReplyDeleteAmazing! Thank you for the tour.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful building, I love stone, it looks as though it has stood up well though the millenniums.
ReplyDeleteTurkey, one country I want to see before I die. Thanks for these glimpses from there.
ReplyDeleteHow fascinating!! I wish I could have stowed away on your cruise.
ReplyDeleteWow, it is so cool to have a tour in such quiet place.
ReplyDeletehow wonderful to be able to see this in person! Just breathtaking!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteCathedral Window
Once again, I'm in awe of your ability to use photos to tell us something wonderful.
ReplyDeleteSuch great photos! I've awarded you The Versatile Blog Award. :) If you want to, check out my blog,
ReplyDeleteLovely photos! And what a fascinating place to go. It's simply amazing to think that biblical places still exist. :-)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots!
ReplyDeleteMy entries:
Moms...Check Nyo
Yummy-as-can-be
Wow, I didn't know Turkey was so green. It's a bit like our Oregon.
ReplyDeleteGreat set of photos, and thanks for adding the explanation in the comments. It is interesting to have the historical context.
ReplyDeleteWhat a view! Great series and I appreciate the further information.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful views and just the thought of Mary's house brings tears to my eyes. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures again this week.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting. Thanks for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea this place even existed. Very cool. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAwesome photographs!
ReplyDeletewow, that's simply amazing!
ReplyDeleteI hear of so many people traveling to Turkey. Perhaps someday...in the meantime, thanks for the pictures and history lesson.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who lived in Turkey for a few years. Really loved the people.
ReplyDeleteThat line on the tour is sure long. Wonder how the folks in the back heard?
Happy WW!
The photos are gorgeous. The building is fascinating too, especially combined with the story.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beautiful. It is awesome that the picture of the facts about the Shrine is so clear we can read it. Fascinating!
ReplyDeleteTruly, that's a beautiful place. Thanks for sharing. This is one of the most historic places as a believer in Christ.
ReplyDeleteCassy from Guitar Made Easy