"Cemil Seboy, candidate of the Party for Justice and Development (AKP) in the region of Izmir (Smyrna, Turkey) stated that, if he was elected in the legislative elections of June 7, 2015, he would sponsor, with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the project to build in the Selcuk district the largest statue in the world dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In statements to the local press, the candidate presented the idea as an attempt to enhance the touristic appeal of the area that is also known for the ruins of ancient Ephesus and the site of Meriem Ana Evi, the "House of the Virgin Mary", discovered in 1891 through the private revelations of the mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich.
The parliamentary candidate’s whim was inspired by the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer of Corcovado, overlooking the bay of Rio de Janeiro. The several projects presented by the candidate at meetings with potential voters also included the construction of a cable car for tourists to access the top of the hill on which the statue of Our Lady would be erected."
Source: Fides News Agency 05/04/2015
Current statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary Dedicated by The American Society of Ephesus (George B. Quatman Foundation) on the road to the House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus, Turkey.
Current statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary Dedicated by The American Society of Ephesus (George B. Quatman Foundation) on the road to the House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus, Turkey.
