Turkey: Seven Churches of Revelation & Istanbul | 7 Nights
Turkey: Seven Churches of Revelation & Istanbul | 7 Nights
Arrival at Istanbul airport. Meeting and transfer to hotel. Enjoy dinner.
Overnight: Istanbul
Today will be dedicated to visiting this ancient and exciting city. Our tour will include the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Underground Cistern and the Church of St. Sophia with its world famous mosaics and architecture. After lunch at the Topkapi Palace complex, we’ll continue our tour of the palace, one-time residence of the Ottoman emperors and now a world-famous museum housing extraordinary collections of jewelry, armor, and imperial costumes. We’ll complete our tour with a visit to the Grand Bazaar. Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Istanbul
Drive to the airport for a morning flight to Izmir. Arrival and transfer to the hotel. Visit the Church of St. Policarp which is the oldest church in ancient Smyrna. The church symbolized the community of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse. Then visit Alexander the Great’s Velvet Castle overlooking the bay of Izmir. Enjoy dinner.
Overnight: Izmir
Visit the ancient city of Pergamum (modern Bergama), and center of the Attalid dynasty. The oldest part of the city is the acropolis that rises steeply to a height of nearly 1,300 feet above the plain of the Caicus River. The library on the acropolis became in the second century B.C. one of the great centers of learning of the ancient world. Here are also found the famous Temples of Athena, Trajan, the famous Altar of Zeus, as well as the steepest theatre in the ancient world. At the base of the acropolis, we’ll visit the Asklepion, an important center of healing in Asia Minor and dedicated to the god of healing Asklepios. Here the famous physician Galen was not only born but taught medicine early in his career. From Pergamum, we continue our trip southeast for Biblical Thyatira, which is one of the Seven Churches of Revelation St. Paul may have visited on his missionary journeys (Acts 19:10). Drive back to Izmir, check into the hotel and enjoy dinner.
Overnight: Izmir
Drive to Sardes, which is one of the ancient cities of Turkey whose true history cannot be separated from myth. It was the capital of the Lydian Kingdom and known as the richest city of western Asia Minor. Our tour of Sardes includes the famous Temple of Artemis, the Byzantine Church, the Synagogue, and the famous Roman Gymnasium with its beautiful facade. After lunch, continue to Philadelphia, the city of Brotherly Love, and visit the Church of St. John. Walk the streets of Philadelphia, and proceed to Pamukkale. Pamukkale is famous for its medicinal pools and hot mineral springs that overflow so as to cover the rocks beneath with white deposits of lime that give the appearance of a frozen cascade. The city received its namesake because of these formations called Pamukkale in Turkish (Cotton Castle). We’ll explore the ancient city of Hierapolis overlooking the Lycus river valley with its well-preserved
theater and large necropolis. The Martyrium of St. Philip the Apostle is also located here. Dinner in Pamukkale.
Overnight: Pamukkale
Explore the ancient city of Laodicea, one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. From Pamukkale we will journey through the famous Meander River Valley to the seacoast city of Kusadasi. En route we will visit Aphrodisias, dedicated to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Known for its white marble, Aphrodisias was the site of the most sophisticated school of classical sculpture in Asia Minor. Visit a local museum dedicated to the preservation of artifacts from this ancient city, a famous and well-preserved stadium and the Temple of Aphrodite. Afternoon arrival at Kusadasi and dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Kusadasi
Morning tour of Ephesus, one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman cities in Asia Minor. A major
center of Paul’s missionary activity, it was also the home of the Temple and cult of the goddess Artemis. During Paul’s day, the temple was regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient
world. Our tour of Ephesus includes the impressive Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre seating over 25,000 people, the Temple of Hadrian, the Marble Street and a special visit to the elegant Roman villas with their famous mosaics and wall painting. Time permitting, we will also celebrate a liturgy at the site of the ancient Basilica of St. Mary where the Third Ecumenical Council was held. Visit the House of Virgin Mary, where according to tradition she spent her last years. Following lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Museum of Ephesus and the ruins of the Basilica of St. John. Dinner in Kusadasi.
Overnight: Kusadasi
Transfer to Izmir airport for your flight back home.