When we went to visit our accountant yesterday evening he showed us some impressive plans for a Faith Garden to be constructed about 5km away from our village at Cinar.  This multi-denominational celebration of diversity in religion will feature a mosque, a church and synagogue all within the same complex encouraging people to understand each other’s creeds and worship peacefully together. 

In addition to the formal places of worship there will be a hotel, restaurant, conference facilities and extensive gardens.  The plans looked extremely comprehensive and the location is very apt as Cinar is very close to Ephesus and that place has welcomed so many religions over the centuries and has seen so many different faiths co-exist.  Ephesus welcomed early Christians and was home to one of the first Christian communities outside of the Holy Land, at Mary’s House.

I think if the Faith Garden is built – and the plans have been initially approved and now funding is being sought – then its existence here will be enormously important to Kusadasi and to the whole of Turkey, and will show Turkey actively demonstrating tolerance and promoting peaceful co-existence of religions.
posted 01-02-2007