High above Ephesus, on Bülbül Dağı, the Nightingale Mountain, there is a small stone house in a pine wood that Christian tradition, and a certain amount of nineteenth-century detective work, links with the last years of Mary. The story goes that John the Apostle brought her to Ephesus after the crucifixion. In the 1800s a German nun, Anne Catherine Emmerich, described the house in visions, and a French priest set out to find it and identified the ruins. The Catholic church has never officially declared it authentic, though several popes have visited, and both Christians and Muslims, who honour Mary as Meryem Ana, come to pray here. A wall outside is covered with folded notes and strips of cloth bearing wishes.
The building is small, with a chapel, and the air is cool and fragrant with pine. A spring nearby is said to heal, and pilgrims queue at its taps. It is a gentle, quiet place, in pleasing contrast to the crowds below at the ancient city.
The approach from Selçuk is a short climb of about five kilometres on a well-surfaced road, with a handful of hairpin bends and views over the Aegean plain. It is a lovely little ride, particularly early, before coaches arrive, or late in the day when the light is low and the valley is gold. In midsummer, expect heat and congestion, with a one-way flow for buses, and be prepared to park well. In winter the road is quiet and the air is clear, though rain can bring slippery leaves.
Selçuk is a friendly town with fuel stations, bakeries, cafés and a weekly market, and a good place for a long lunch of grilled meat or fish. Kuşadası, a little further to the coast, is bigger and busier, with plenty of services. Down in Selçuk you will also find the remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the ancient wonders, of which just a single column stands, and the Basilica of St John. A small entrance fee is charged at the house, and modest dress is expected. Carry water and some small change for the donation boxes.