izmir / izmir
mains of the city that Emperor Augustus declared the capital of the Roman Empire in Asia are unbe- lievably well-preserved. You will need a full day to see it all while imagining what it was like in ancient times, so don’t regret setting aside the time. That’s because there’s another important place of pil- grimage nearby: the house where the Virgin Mary spent her final days. According to tradition, Mary travelled to Ephesus accompanied by John the Baptist and remained until her dying day. Today you can reach her house and the nearby sacred spring and “wishing wall” by following wonderfully positioned stone paths lead- ing through the beautiful forest that surrounds the site. Only the foundations of the house remain, with a chapel having been built on the spot as a shrine that pilgrims pass through in silence as they pay homage to the Holy Virgin. You can light can- dles beside the chapel, while slightly below this spot is place for writing wishes or prayers on paper that can be stuck to the so-called wishing wall, in the hope that the Holy Virgin will grant them. There are also three drinking fountains with holy water – the first for health, the second for love and the third for work. The water can be drunk on the spot or bottled to take away. I took a sip from the one for health, wrote a message to the mother of Jesus and resumed my journey, which was becoming in- creasingly incredible by the day.
Prema predanju, Marija je stigla u Efes sa Svetim Jovanom i ovde se upokojila / According to tradition, Mary travelled to Ephesus accompanied by John the Baptist and remained until her dying day
94 | Turska » Turkey
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