World Travellers

The caves of the 7 sleepers is the place where seven Christian young men hid themselves with their dog when they were fleeing the wrath and punishment of the idolaters. Later, they were found and murdered during the reign of Decius, the Roman emperor, in the middle of the 3rd century. It is said that they were resurrected after 200 years during the reign of Emperor Theodosius II in the 5th century. After that resurrection, many of those who believed in Christ wished to be buried in this place and they were, so that a large graveyard was formed with about a thousand graves, tombs and monasteries. Up to the 6th century it was enlarged continually and became a place of pilgrimage. This continued up to the 12th century. After that century it fell into ruins. The graves are on the slope of Panayir mountain facing Selcuk. The legend told above does not only exist in Christianity, but is also known as “Eshab Ul-Kehf” in the Muslim world.

You can climb up Panaya-Kapulu by a smooth but winding asphalt road, 9 km. in length, from Ephesus. After climbing up the hill 450 m. high above sea-level, you come down again a hundred metres over a slope, until you arrive at a peaceful place, where there are some inhabitants, and buildings that create an air of holiness. To the left side, when you pass through the olive trees, the first significant thing to be seen is the statue of St. Mary on the wall under the trees, which welcomes you with raised arms. Hundreds of people regarded as pilgrims, pass before this statue with reverence on every day of the year, especially at Easter. You can come here on foot from the shore.

The view of St. Mary’s House after restoration is wonderful. The house was discovered through the explorations of Pere Poulin and Young in the year 1892, and formerly its site was predicted by the Bavarian sage, Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824), two years before her death. When the house was discovered, the roof was broken down and only the ruins of the walls were left standing. It is said that those were the ruins of a church dedicated to St. Mary in the 9th century.

St. Mary lived her last days drinking the healing water of a fountain (30-35 A.D.). There are so many miracles worked by this water and by the ash in the fireplace of St. Mary’s House, that there is hardly anybody who has not witnessed them; people with cancer, whom doctors said were incurable, cripples brought on a stretcher, and children with disabled bones from birth, have all been cured here.

By: Sofia Petrakou

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