Ephesus, one of the 12 cities of the Ionian League (an ancient Greek district on the western coast of Asia Minor), located near Izmir. As a port city it was a major departure point for trade routes into Asia Minor. Walk through its historic marble streets lined with wonderful public buildings, among them: the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, and the Grand Theater.

House of Virgin Mary, located in the Aladag Mountains, 5 miles away from Ephesus. At the third Ecumenical Council on 431 AD in Ephesus, it was claimed that Mary came to Ephesus with St. John in 37 A.D. and lived there until her death in 48 A.D. After the discovery of the house, the Archbishop of Izmir declared it as a place of pilgrimage in 1892.