Гигантская статуя Девы Марии в Эфесе

Ephesus is the place where the Virgin Mary (the mother of Jesus Christ) spent her last years. It is known that she died in Ephesus and most probably buried by St. John on the Mountain named Nightingale nearby Ephesus. St. John (Apostle, Evangelist) lived Ephesus for a long time, wrote his gospel and died by the age of 100 in Ephesus. Virgin Mary was entrusted to him by his son Jesus Christ. St. John’s burial chamber is just 5 miles away from the Nightingale Mountain, where the Virgin Mary lays in peace. Justinian Emperor of Byzantium gave a permission to build a huge Basilica on the tomb of St. John in Ephesus to honor him (6th century AD).

On the way to the House of Virgin Mary from Ephesus a new statue was built. Also there are two older and smaller Statues of the Virgin Mary nearby and in the house of the Virgin Mary. The one outside the house of the Virgin Mary was a present by the first Pope who had ever come to Ephesus. Paul the sixth gave this statue as a present in 1967. It is known that this statue was made in 1867. Up to now two other Popes visited Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary on the Nightingale Mountain. Pope John Paul II visited in 1979 and Pope Benedict visited in 2006.

There is an important Church located in Ancient Ephesus, which is known as the first church ever called the Virgin Mary Church. This church also is known as double church and as the council church because the third Ecumenical Council of the Christian world met here in 431 AD. In this meeting the Virgin Mary was accepted as "the Mother of God".

That’s why the town Selcuk (Ephesus) is so important for the Virgin Mary and Ancient Ephesus. The House of Virgin Mary is visited by millions of people every year; The Major of Selcuk declared that the biggest Statue of the Virgin Mary ever will be put up in Selcuk at the Nightingale Mountain. The place and the size of the statue are not certain for now. But it is planned to be like the size of Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janerio and Statue of Liberty in New York. For sure this will take more interest of the visitors in Ephesus and the area.