Footsteps of St. Paul in Turkey 15 Days

Arrival at Hatay Airport and transfeerred to the hotel. Take a rest in the hatay hotel. Lunch in a local restaurant, afterward start our Antkya tour.  Antakya (Antioch), an important center of early Christianity. This is the place where the followers of Jesus Christ were first called Christians (Acts 11; 26).
We will visit the Hatay Mosaic Museum, which is the second largest collection of classical and Roman mosaics in the world. Afterward, we will visit one of Christianity’s oldest churches, Saint Pierre Church. This church is actually a cave carved into the side of Mount Starius where the first Christians of Asia Minor worshipped. Saint Peter was the person to build this church in Antakya and along with St. Paul and Barnabas, he used Antioch as a center to spread Christianity. Thus, the church, grew in a short time, becoming the third important Episcopacy after Jerusalem and Rome. 
At the end of our visit, we will check- into our hotel. Dinner and overnight in Hatay.  ( Breakfast – Dinner )

After a delicious breakfast at our hotel, before returning to Tarsus, if we have time, we will see Selucia Pieria, the ancient port of Antioch from which the Apostle Paul and Barnabas embarked on their first missionary journeys as chronicled by Acts (Acts:13:4). Visit Titus tunel and Besikci cave.
Afterward, we will drive to Adana sightseeng in Adana Take Lunch on the wat in a local restaurant. Arrivel at  Tarsus. Here, we will visit the Well of St. Paul and the Gate of Cleopatra. One of the 12 apostles of Jesus, Paul was born in Tarsus. According to Acts, Paul was born as “Saul of Tarsus”, but was brought up in Jerusalem and became “Paul the Apostle” after his encounter with Christ (Acts 9:11; 21:39; 22:3). Once the capital of the province of Cilicia, Tarsus was also the site where Mark Antony and Cleopatra first met. At the end of our tour, we head to  Adana. Check-in and overnight in Adana ( Breakfast – Dinner )

After breakfast, departure to Konya. ( Distance 5 Hours )  Konya, known as Iconium during antiquity, was visited a lot by Paul the Apostle and Barnabas as a part of their missionary efforts preaching the Gospel. According to Acts, they spoke boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace enabling them to perform miracles (Acts 14:1-3). Afterward, we’ll visit the Mevlana Museum, which houses the tomb of the great 13th-century Persian poet and founder of the Order of the Whirling Dervishes, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi. Popularly known as Rumi in Western countries, meaning “Roman” in Arabic, his followers and Muslims like to call him “Mevlana”, meaning “our master”. We will then end our day at the Karatay Museum. This former madrasah, or place of learning, was founded in 1251 by the Seljuk Emir Celaleddin Karatay as an institution for Islamic studies. However, the building is now a museum showcasing the most beautiful examples of Seljuk tile work. Lunch at a local restaurant. 

Later, we will see the 4500-year-old Sille Village. Sille Village was on the way to Jerusalem during the Roman and Byzantine periods, so it became an important religious center for Christians. In the first years of Christianity, the apostles St. Paul and his friends came to Konya and tried to spread Christianity. In the face of pressure, the first Christians withdrew to the mountains around Sille and lived here. One of the oldest and largest monasteries in the world, Ak Monastery (Hagios Khariton Monastery) is in Sille Village.
Dinner and accommodation in Konya.  ( Breakfast – Dinner )

We depart from Konya and head to the modern town ofYalvaç to see the ruins of Antioch in Pisidia. Sitting on the southern foothills of the Sultan Mountains, this city was once a major Roman colony that Paul the Apostle visited on his First Missionary Journey withBarnabas. Here we will tour the archeological site and visit the Yalvaç Archaeological Museum to see a display of many of the unearthed artifacts from the region. Afterward, we will continue on our way to Antalya, Turkey’s famous and modern touristic resort city, and largest international sea resort on the beautiful Mediterranean coast.
You will have lunch at a local restaurant on the way.

Antalya which has hosted tens of civilizations for thousands of years with its mild Mediterranean climate, beautiful sea, and magnificent geography. Saint Paul set sail from Antalya on his first missionary journey. After his return to Antakya, he set out from Antalya again around 48 A.D.

We will be visiting the archeological site of Perge, a chief city of Pamphylia that was visited twice by Paul the Apostle and his companion St. Barnabas (Acts 13:13–14 and 14:25). Saint Paul, Barnabas, and his cousin John Mark came to Perge on their first missionary journey in AD 47 or 48. (Acts 13:13, 14:25).
Perge ruins ; we will explore Perge’s extensive ruins, including a well-preserved theatre, the Agora, Roman baths, a colonnaded street, a great gymnasium, the necropolis, memorial fountain, and the Greek and Roman gates. 
Dinner and overnight in Antalya. ( Breakfast – Dinner )

After breakfast visit Antalya’s Old Town (Kaleiçi) where we’ll see the ancient Hadrian’s Gate with its three doors, one of the most beautiful structures of the Roman period, the Clock Tower, Fluted Minaret, and the Ancient Harbor. You will enjoy the narrow streets of the old city. In the Old Town, you’ll have the opportunity to look for and buy souvenirs from the local shops. 
we’ll set out on a beautiful, coastal, scenic drive to Demre. First, we’ll visit the St. Nicholas Church. Saint Nicholas, also known as Santa Claus, was a bishop here before he became a legendary and historic figure all over the world. 
You will take lunch in a local restaurant. 
Lycia had big cities such as Perge, Aspendos, Side, Phaselis, Kekova, Termessos, Kurşunlu, Myra, and Demre. Saint Paul went to Roma from Myra by ship for his 4 th missionary journey. We will visit ancient Myra to see its rock tombs, Roman theatre, and Roman ruins.
Dinner and overnight in Antalya.   ( Breakfast – Dinner )

We will depart for Pamukkale (240 km) early in the morning. On the way, we will visit the holy land of Colossae, which used to be a city of the Roman province of Asia, located near Honaz today. It holds an important place in Christian history as Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians was addressed to a church here. This letter is estimated to be written in around AD 60 or 65.
It is possible that St. Paul was living in Ephesus when he sent the letter to Colossae (Acts 19:10). Paul had apparently not visited Colossae when he wrote his epistle, and it is likely the gospel was preached through Paul’s companion, Epaphras, who was from Colossae (Col. 1:7; 4:12-13). Members of the early Colossian church included Philemon and his slave Onesimus (Col. 4:9; Philem. 10, 23).

After our visit to Colossae, we will visit the ancient Laodicea (present name Denizli) yet another of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor [Rev. 1:11; 3:14; Col. 2:1; 4:13 - 16]. 

Laodicea thrived as a major center of worship for the pagan goddess Aphrodite for about 500 years after Christ. The Christians of Laodicea, one of the Seven Churches, (Rev. 3: 14-22) were chastised for being lukewarm, "You are neither cold nor hot" (Rev. 3: 15), and for being too comfortable incorporating pagan and Christian beliefs. In the famous scripture from Revelation (3: 20-21), Jesus says to the Laodicean Church: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock..."
Today, excavations still continue in Laodicea uncovering an ancient city as beautiful as Ephesus with ancient theaters, marble paths lined with columns, basilica ruins, antique stone water pipes, temples, agora, and monumental fountains.

After our arrival to Pamukkale city, we will have lunch and head for Hierapolis right away. Here, we will visit the Martyrium of the Apostle Philip where he was martyred during the persecutions ordered by Domitian. We will see the Gate of Domitian, the Arcadian Way, the ancient 2nd century Roman Theater, the Nymphaion, the Temple of Apollo, the Plutonium, and the Necropolis.
We will pass through the Roman Gate, admire the ancient Pamukkale Theater, walk around the grave monuments built to honor heroes. Each tomb is a small work of art telling a different story. We will finish our day with a relaxing walk on the travertine terraces, which were created by flowing hot thermal waters releasing carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into the air, leaving behind the white-colored calcium carbonate.

End of the tour. Overnight stay in a thermal hotel in Pamukkale. ( Breakfast – Dinner )

From Pamukkale we continue our journey to Philadelphia  nowadays called Alaşehir,
Philadelphia one of the Seven Churches of Asia [Rev. 1:11; 3:7], and the only church that wasn’t censored. There, we will see the remains of a Byzantine basilica built of brick, with a high arch and 11th-century frescoes.  And we will continue to Salihli city (Sardis). Sardes was the capital of the ancient Lydian kingdom of the 6th century B.C., portrayed as a dying church. We visit the great Temple of Artemis and the Temple of Cybele, which was converted into a Byzantine Church. We will also visit the restored Sardis Gymnasium and reconstructed Synagogue. 
After our visit, we will have lunch at a local restaurant.
Arrive in Izmir and visit the ruins of ancient Smyrna, one of the Seven Churches where the Apostle John relays the promise from God: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev 2:10).

Smyrna is the second city of the Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation to receive the message from St. John (Rev. 1:11;2:8). We will see the remains of a basilica and architectural works from the Roman period.
Afterward, we will visit the oldest church of Izmir, the Saint Polycarp Church, which was the bishop of Smyrna and a student of St. John, who was martyred here in the 2nd century.
Ee will see what remains of the Agora, the ancient marketplace that was built in the 4th century B.C.   You may enjoy Kordonboyu and some Izmir sights and streets during the night.
Dinner and overnight stay in Izmir . ( Breakfast – Dinner )

Izmir, which is the third-largest city in Turkey, it is long-time center for Jewish and Christian communities. In Paul's day, Izmir was known as Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11).
Smyrna is the second city of the Seven Churches of Book of Revelation to receive the message from St. John (Rev. 1:11;2:8). We will observe the remains of a basilica and architectural works from the Roman period.
Afterward, we will visit the oldest church of Izmir, the Saint Polycarp Church, which was the bishop of Smyrna and a student of St. John, who was martyred here in the 2nd century. Sightsing in the Izmir city, Visit Kemeraltı public  Bazar for shopping. Lunch in a local restaurant, and drive to Ksadasi.
Şirince village, which is an old Greek village, famous for its 300-400-year-old houses and its nature and wines. Afterwards, watch the fashion show at the leather factory's outlet center and take a short shopping break.

In Kusadasi, which is one of the most beautiful holiday centers in Turkey, you can spend a nice evening after dinner, strolling on the beach and drinking something in the stylish cafeterias.
Accommodation in Kusadasi  ( Breakfast – Dinner )

Today, our tour starts in Ephesus (80 km from Izmir).
Ephesus is on the World Heritage List and is one of the best preserved ancient cities in the world.  
We will walk around the spectacular ruins where excavations still continue in this once great and important city, which was founded in the 10th century B.C. We will walk through history, along the marble streets lined with wonderful public buildings, including the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, Curetes street, and the Grand Theatre with a capacity of 25,000.
The Church of Ephesus is the most important of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor. It is thought that the Gospel of John was written here. Apostle Paul preached to the Ephesians and lived here for three years. The Church of Ephesus also received an epistle from him.
Lunch at a selected local restaurant. Afterward, we will visit the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the Basilica of St. John.

Lastly, we will see the House of the Virgin Mary, a small modest stone house located in the forest on the side of a mountain 9 km from Ephesus. It is visited by Christian pilgrims from all over the world. St. John brought Mary to Ephesus, following the advice that Jesus Christ gave to his mother. (John 19:27)

At the end of the tour, we will be watching the special demonstrations in Turkish Delight and Leather Wear Factory stores in the area, and have free time.
Accommodation in Kuşadası or Izmir. ( Breakfast – Dinner )

After breakfast, we will set off for Akhisar (approx. 100 km).
Church of Thyatira, now called Akhisar, one of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor [Rev. 1:11; 2:18 - 24; Acts 16:14]. Paul's sermons in the Philippi city of Macedonia mention Akhisar (Thyatira) and the church there. He describes Thyatira as the hometown of a wealthy purple dye merchant named Lydia, who worshiped God. (Acts 16:14)
We continue on our way to Bergama (Pergamon) (approx. 90 km) and have lunch at a local restaurant.

Pergamon is on the World Heritage List, and one of the most powerful cities in the ancient world rose to prominence following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C. and eventually came under Roman control in 133 B.C. Although the city benefited from immense wealth, in the Book of Revelations, the risen Christ instructs John to convey the message that the people of Pergamon, the site of “Satan’s Throne”, needed to repent (Rev 2:13-16). Temples in Acrapol were the worship centers of Dionysus, Zeus, and other pagan gods, and the first Christians were executed here by the Romans. For this reason, it is defined as “The Seat of Satan” (Revelation 2: 12-16).
Visit PergamonAcropolis sits atop a 1000-foot windswept mountain, offers a view of the neighboring modern towns, the azure waters of the Aegean, and the ruins of Pergamon that cascade down from the ancient city center. Here, we will explore the Temple of Trajan, the Temple of Athena, and the Altar of Zeus, which was once among the grandest monuments of the ancient world. The Great Theatre of Pergamon is among the steepest of its kind and an acoustic phenomenon, it could entertain up to 10,000 spectators, nearby are the remains of the famous Library of Pergamon. Visit the Red Basilica. 
Afterward, we will drive to Assos or Ayvalık for the night.  Dinner and overnight stay in Ayvalık . ( Breakfast – Dinner )

Assos is one of the important settlements of Antiquity that was founded in the Bronze Age (B.C. 3000-1200) on the slopes of a volcano, in the Edremit Bay, and across the Lesbos Island. Situated on a hill, the Athena Temple offers a magnificent view with its mystical atmosphere. On the last leg of his third missionary journey, Saint Paul walked from Alexandria Troas to Assos (Acts 20:5-6, 13-14), where he met his companions, who had gone ahead of him by sea. It was about a 32-km journey, and judging from the positions of the cities, he likely entered Assos through its northwest city gate.
Saint Paul and his companions sailed to Mitylene on the island of Lesbos as they traveled to Jerusalem from Assos harbour.
Alexandria Troas located in the city of Çanakkale. It was founded in the late 4th century by Antigonos under the name Antigone.
Alexandria Troas was mentioned several times in the Bible. It is an important site for the history of Christianity, as Saint Paul spent some time in Troas during his second missionary journey where he went to Macedonia (Acts 16.9).  Also, Saint Luke joined Paul in Troas and accompanied him in the rest of his mission. On his third missionary journey, Saint Paul had a long preach at Alexandria Troas (Acts 20:6 - 10). There are other biblical references to Troas in 2 Cor 2:12 and 2 Tim 4:13. Alexandria Troas remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.
We continue on our way to Troy and visit TROYA, the city where the world's first beauty contest was held.
Troy UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the city where the Trojan War, described in Homer's Iliad Epic, took place in its 5000-year history. We will visit the real-life location of the legendary Trojan War described in Homer's Iliad. 
At the end of our tour, we will have lunch in Çanakkale and continue to Bandırma (180 km).

Arrival and overnight stay in Bandırma. ( Breakfast – Dinner )

We depart from Bandirma to Bursa ( 115 Km )  Bursa early to explore the first capital of the Ottoman Empire and the fourth most populous city in Turkey. We will first visit the Old Silk Bazaar (Koza Han)  and the Green Mosque. Afterward, we will head for İznik (90 km).
We will have lunch at a local restaurant on our arrival at İznik. Then, we will discover the ancient city of Nicea, known as İznik today, which was a religious center for Christians. Built-in the 6^th century, İznik Hagia Sophia Church, which was later converted to a mosque, stands in the middle of the city. It is the famous site of the Second Council of Nicaea.

The First Council of Nicea was gathered in 325 AD by Emperor Constantine I to clarify some of the issues discussed in Christianity as an official religion in the Roman Empire. The main subject of the Council of Nicaea was whether or not Jesus was a true God. The Council acknowledged that Jesus Christ is the true God, who has the same essence as the Father of God, who has existed since eternity.
The Second Council of Nicea was the seventh and last ecumenical council, which was convened on September 24, 787 in Hagia Sophia. It was also the last consensus adopted by the Orthodox and Catholics. End of the Iznik tour, departure to Istanbul (approx. 140 km). 
Arrival and accommodationt in Istanbul. ( Breakfast – Dinner )

After breakfast, we will leave our hotel and head towards the Golden Horn at 08:40 am. You will see Istanbul’s Byzantine City Walls built during the 5th century by Emperor Theodosius, stretching 8 km along the Golden Horn.
Kariye Museum (Chora Church) built-in 530 by the Byzantine emperor Justinian. It features mosaics and frescoes that are very well-preserved and of great artistic value as they offer some of the best examples of Late Byzantine period art from the 14th century.
Chora Church was originally built on the site of a small chapel that stood for 500 years. Although it was damaged several times throughout its existence, Chora is still one of the most important monuments in Istanbul today.
Then, we will visit the Saint George's Church and Fener Roman Patriarchal which is the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople bears the title of "Primus inter Pares" that is (First of the Equals) and he is regarded as the representative and religious leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.
Istanbul Fener Greek Patriarchate gained all its current freedoms and rights with the decree of Mehmed the Conqueror in 1453. His Edict regarding the church says: “No one should bully and oppress the Patriarch and the clergy, no one should be attracted to him, no matter who he is, if he and the priests in his entourage are exempt from all kinds of services forever, their churches will not be converted into mosques. Marriage and burial works, other acts and works will be done as before according to the Greek Church and customs.”
Afterward, we will visit St. Stephen Church, also known as the Bulgarian Iron Church. The most metal church of all time was built in the late 19th century. It was neglected and out of use for a long time but was restored by the Turkish Government in 2015 and reopened for worship.
Lunch break at a selected local restaurant. Then, we will be boarding a boat for Bosphorus Cruise
Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise for a short and relaxing trip along the Bosporus Strait, which separates Europe and Asia and connects the Black Sea with the inland Marmara Sea. Some of the important landmarks you’ll see on this trip are the Dolmabahçe Palace, Çırağan Palace, Ortaköy Mosque, Kuleli Military School, Beylerbeyi Palace, Rumeli Fortress, beautiful historic wooden mansions as well as the Maiden Tower on the sea. 
End of the tour, return to your hotel. Dinner, and overnight stay in Istanbul . ( Breakfast )

Topkapı Palace which was home to many Ottoman sultans (15th-19th century AD)  400 years.   

Saint Sophia Museum (Hagia Sofia) which was built by the emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD as a church and was later converted into a mosque. You will see beautiful mosaics and frescos depicting Christian icons and the Byzantine Emperors. Later, we will take a lunch break at a local restaurant.
We will stroll the historical Hippodrome Square, which was used as a meeting place and for chariot races during the Byzantine period. Here, we will see the Serpent Column brought from Delphi, the Egyptian Obelisk, and the German Fountain of Wilhelm ll.

Basilica Cistern, a large underground water reservoir built for the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (527-565). The cistern has a water storage capacity of 100,000 tons and is 140 m long and 70 m wide, and contains 336 columns, each 9 meters high. The two colossal Medusa heads made of marble, used as a support under the two columns of the cistern, were taken from another Roman-era building.

Grand Bazaar, which has more than 4000 shops full of hidden treasures and authentic items.
*Note that the Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays and the Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays. 
End of the tour and return to your hotel. Accommodation in Istanbul. (Breakfast)

Free time in Istanbul until your airport transfer. Our tour concludes with your transfer to the airport for your onward flight to your country. Hope to see you again on another tour. ( Breakfast )