After a scenic short drive, arrive in Ephesus, the Roman capital of Asia Minor, and home to over a quarter of a million people—from slave traders to saints—at its peak between 1 AD and 2 AD. 150 years of excavations at Ephesus have revealed the most complete Greco-Roman classical city on Earth.

Afterwards, head to the House of Mother Mary and in accordance to the predominant Christian tradition, Mary was brought to Ephesus by the Apostle John after the Resurrection of Christ and lived out her final resting days here. This is based mainly on the traditional belief that John came to Ephesus combined with the biblical statement that Jesus consigned her to John’s care (John 19:26-27).