Tradition says that after Jesus ascended into Heaven, John the Evangelist and the Blessed Mother lived in Ephesus, Turkey.
You can visit the house today.
The Holy House in Ephesus
There’s no question that Mary and John lived here, but there are arguments about where Mary died. Turkey claims it happened in Ephesus. But many believe she would have returned home to Jerusalem and died surrounded by the Apostles, except Thomas, he was late.
So in Jerusalem, on Mount Zion, we have Dormition Abbey, built over the spot where Mary died.
This church also has a beautiful painting of Jesus holding His mother.
From here the tradition is that she would have been buried in a tomb in the Garden of Gethsemane. The tomb is deep underground in the Orthodox Church across the road from the Catholic Church.
Mary’s tomb in the Garden of Gethsemane
Thomas arrived in Jerusalem a few days later and wanted to see the body. When they got to the tomb, the body had been Assumed into Heaven, and only flowers remained.
It is possible to visit the empty tomb, though it is not part of many Catholic pilgrimages.
Mary’s empty tomb