A visit to Ephesus Ancient City is an absolute must whilst you are in Turkey. The ancient city of Ephesus was visited and patronised by Alexander the Great in 334 BC. The city is known for its importance as it is the place of one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Artemis’ Temple, the Greek Goddess of Moon and Hunting. Over the following centuries, it passed through various hands, reaching its peak under the control of the Romans, who built it up to become their Asian Capital. The silting of its harbour in the 3rd century lead to its end and over time the city became completely covered over until 1869 when it was discovered by a British archaeologist. Even now the city is still being excavated and experts say that 75 per cent of the city still remains buried.

The house of Virgin Mary was discovered in the 19th century by following the descriptions in the reported visions of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774–1824), a Roman Catholic nun and visionary, which were published as a book by Clemens Brentano after her death. The Catholic Church has never pronounced in favor or against the authenticity of the house, but nevertheless maintains a steady flow of pilgrimage since its discovery. Anne Catherine Emmerich was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 3, 2004.