![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204512-scaled.jpg?fit=920%2C681&ssl=1)
![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204515.jpg?w=523&h=785&ssl=1 "Christmas mass at the House of Virgin Mary in Turkey's Izmir")
People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]
![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204514.jpg?w=389&h=259&ssl=1 "Christmas mass at the House of Virgin Mary in Turkey's Izmir")
People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]
![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204523.jpg?w=389&h=259&ssl=1 "Christmas mass at the House of Virgin Mary in Turkey's Izmir")
People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]
![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204522.jpg?w=389&h=259&ssl=1 "Christmas mass at the House of Virgin Mary in Turkey's Izmir")
People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]
![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204521.jpg?w=610&h=407&ssl=1 "Christmas mass at the House of Virgin Mary in Turkey's Izmir")
People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]
![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204520.jpg?w=302&h=202&ssl=1 "Christmas mass at the House of Virgin Mary in Turkey's Izmir")
People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]
![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204519.jpg?w=302&h=201&ssl=1 "Christmas mass at the House of Virgin Mary in Turkey's Izmir")
People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]
![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204518.jpg?w=303&h=202&ssl=1 "Christmas mass at the House of Virgin Mary in Turkey's Izmir")
People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]
![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204517.jpg?w=303&h=202&ssl=1 "Christmas mass at the House of Virgin Mary in Turkey's Izmir")
People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]
![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204526.jpg?w=302&h=202&ssl=1 "Christmas mass at the House of Virgin Mary in Turkey's Izmir")
People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]
![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204525.jpg?w=259&h=181&ssl=1 "Christmas mass at the House of Virgin Mary in Turkey's Izmir")
People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]
![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204524.jpg?w=271&h=181&ssl=1 "Christmas mass at the House of Virgin Mary in Turkey's Izmir")
People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]
![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204513.jpg?w=130&h=181&ssl=1 "Christmas mass at the House of Virgin Mary in Turkey's Izmir")
People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]
![People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171225_2_27734053_29204512-scaled.jpg?w=244&h=181&ssl=1 "Christmas mass at the House of Virgin Mary in Turkey's Izmir")
People attend a Christmas Eve, marking the birth of Jesus Christ, at the House of Virgin Mary at Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey on 25 December, 2017 [Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency]