The House of the Virgin Mary in İzmir is not merely a holy site for Christians, but also a place where visitors believe that their wishes can come true. For Christian visitors, the House of the Virgin Mary represents a pilgrimage site where they pray and light candles. The wishing wall at the House of the Virgin Mary is filled with dozens of wishes written on papers, napkins, museum tickets and even toilet paper. One of the Christians visitors, Alessia Carlozzo from Italy, said that she wished for peace, love and luck for the New Year. Non-Christian visitors also make wishes. Many visitors wish for things like a healthy life, good job and spouse; some cast more interesting wishes for Porsches, a Beşiktaş championship win, a successful score on the Public Personnel Selection Exam (KPSS) and a world tour. Muhammet Özdemir of İzmir Katip Çelebi University said that these wishes can be analyzed in sociological terms to better understand a society's expectations. He said that while wishes in foreign languages tend to focus on healthy and happy living, Turkish visitors have more money and prestige-related wishes. This year, several visitors also wished for the peace and happiness of refugees all around the world at the House of the Virgin Mary.