goingtobeijing

I will be in Turkey in November, I will be visiting Ephesus. I am debating whether to include the House of the Virgin Mary or the Terraced Houses on my visit to Ephesus.

Could fodorties, please share their experiences of these sites.

Thanks in advance.

bandiroot

My husband, daughter and I took a private shore excursion to Ephesus last April 2008. The House of the Virgin Mary was one of our must-see places to visit. It was a very moving experience for us when we entered the actual house (which is now a chapel). We said our prayers and lighted a candle. Afterwards, we wrote our wishes on a piece of paper and hang them in a designated area near the house. We also filled our water bottles with spring water from the well as our tour guide said that this can be turned into holy water when blessed. It is best to make this your first stop in Ephesus as the place can get pretty crowded when the huge tour buses arrive.

Dee_Dee

I would not be able to choose between the two. The previous poster eloquently described the House of the Virgin Mary. In my opinion it is not to be missed. However, the terraced houses are within Ephesus proper and are magnificent. They give a real feeling of how the Romans lived. The frescos & mosaics are fabulous. If you can swing it, please do both.

Ruff

I thought the story behind the House of the Virgin Mary was very interesting but I didn't think there was much to see at the site. I'm not a religious type; if I were, I might have had a different impression.

Weadles

I agree with Ruff. In fact, dare I say it? We found our visit to the House of the Virgin Mary a bit hokey. A lot of piped in music and well-placed donation jars. However, we did find the outdoor area where people wrote their wishes on paper and placed them on a designated wall very special and moving. Anyway, if we had to pick one or the other, we'd probably visit the Terraced Houses.

cd

We did not have time to include the House of the Virgin Mary but if we had the time, we would have done it. This may or may not have been the Virgin Mary's home. The foundation dates to the first century, the rest does not and knowing that it is just tradition and not factual played a part in making our decision when time was short.