Ephesus is particularly important for faith tourism as it contains the House of the Virgin Mary.
It is believed that the Virgin Mary was taken to this stone house by St John, where she lived until her death at the age of 101.
Two other religious sites worth visiting are the Basilica of St John, built in the sixth century, and Isa Bey Mosque, which is a sample of Seljuk architecture.
Ephesus is not just a touristic site. It is home to the International Izmir Festival utilizing its grand amphitheatre, Celsus Library and the House of the Virgin Mary.
As one of the most important centres of the ancient era that is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015, Ephesus had been inhabited approximately for 9000 years throughout the Hellenistic Era, Roman Period, Byzantine Era, the Period of Principalities and the Ottoman Era.
It was a very important port city and centre of culture and commerce.
The whole site comprises Çukuriçi Mound, Ayasuluk Hill (Selçuk Fortress, the Basilica of St. John, Isa Bey Bath, Isa Bey Mosque, Temple of Artemis), the House of the Virgin Mary, and of course the ancient city of Ephesus.
