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| Day 1 |
ISTANBUL
You will be met upon arrival by our airport
representative and transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay. |
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| Day 2 |
ISTANBUL - ADANA
The bejeweled city of Istanbul
sits
between two continents and is home to 3000 mosques. Today's visits
begin with Istanbul's Hippodrome, once a stadium with 100,000 seats,
where chariot races and circuses often degenerated into violence.
Then the famous Blue Mosque, with its six minarets and sparkling
interior. You'll visit the Topkapi Palace, once home to |
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royal Sultans. Inside, you'll see the fabled
jewels of the Treasury, delicate displays of Chinese porcelain in the
Kitchen Quarters. Walk through St. Sophia (Hagia Sophia) which, for 1000
years, was the largest church in Christendom. Built by Justinian (532-537
AD), the church has 107 columns, fossil imbedded white marble floors and
beautiful glass mosaics. Today, it is the Museum of Byzantine Art. |
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Catch a whiff of cinnamon, cloves,
thyme and other exotic spices as you explore the Grand Bazaar. Over
4000 shops sell everything form herbs to gold. This afternoon,
you'll fly to Adana, known as the "biggest village in Turkey" due to
its rural atmosphere. Adana is also home to the 5000 US service men
and women at Incirlik Airbase. Overnight in Adana. |
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| Day 3 |
ANTIOCH (ANTAKYA)
- TARSUS
Ancient Antioch was the center of
Hellenistic civilization in the region and home to a massive temple
and oracle complex dedicated to Apollo. The temple functioned until
the visiting Emperor Justinian threw out the last remaining priest
and ordered the place burned to the ground. Christian roots go deep
into Antioch's soil. It was to Antioch that many Jerusalem
Christians |
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fled after the death of Stephen (Acts 11:
19-21).
St. Paul and St. Barnabas
stayed in Antioch for a year and assembled
with the church and taught many people (Acts 11:22-26). Later, the city
became the center from which St. Paul
performed his missionary labors (Acts
13: 1-5, 14-44; 14: 26-28; 15: 22-41; 18: 22-23). It was in Antioch that the
disciples were first called "Christians", and it was here that the first
non-Jews were accepted into the early church. You will visit one of the oldest churches in
Antioch, Church of St. Peter. Continue to Tarsus
which was the birthplace of
St. Paul
(Acts 22:3) and he visited on his second and third missionary
journeys. Reaching back to the 14th century B.C., Tarsus is a city with a
resplendent history. Back to Adana for an evening flight to Antalya. |
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| Day 4 |
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PERGA - HIERAPOLIS
Perga, a Hellenistic city where
St. Paul
preached (Acts 14:25). The ruins of a large stadium, baths and
tomb give ample evidence of its former greatness.
St. Paul
and St. Barnabas
visited here on their first journey. Hierapolis
is blessed
by hot mineral springs and some of the best preserved Roman ruins
in Asia Minor. Paul mentions Hierapolis in his |
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Letter to the Colossians in saluting
Epaphras, a fellow laborer, for his love of the brethren there (Colossians
4: 13). The ruins cover more than a mile. You'll see the impressive
amphitheatre with seats still in perfect condition. You'll see the City
Gates, column-lined streets and arches which have stood through time and
earthquake. Today, the area is known as Pamukkale, meaning the "Cotton
Castle", named for the limestone-laden hot springs, which cascade from one
white-edged terrace pool to the next. Overnight in Pamukkale. |
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| Day 5 |
COLOSSAE - LAODICEA
You' Famous as the receiver of St. Paul's
Letter to Colossians, the
town of
Colossae
has fallen into obscurity. While you can still see
traces of the theatre, the Necropolis and the Church, the ancient
city is mostly indistinguishable ruins. Not far away is Aphrodisias,
another town whose fame has been obscured by time. This city of
marble |
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thrived as the major center for worship of
the pagan goddess Aphrodite until 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, there are many acres of
ruins to see, including the stadium and columned streets. Overnight in
Kusadasi. |
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| Day 6 |
EPHESUS
Ephesus
is one of the Seven Churches of
Revelation (Rev. 1: 11). In ancient days, Ephesus was a bustling port town
of 250,000, graced with wide, colonnade bordered streets. Today, you will be
impressed with the spectacular excavations of the major streets of ancient
Ephesus. You will view the Library and the huge Agora. The Temple of Artemis
was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today, only a single
column remains to mark the site. |
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You will visit the Basilica of
St. John, traditional site of his grave. From the basilica, enjoy a
commanding view of the area. You will visit the Museum of Ephesus
for an up-close look at artifacts from the ancient city. You will
have time to explore this powerful city on your own and recreate
some of the footsteps of Paul. Overnight in Izmir. |
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| Day 7 |
SMYRNA
- SARDIS - PHILADELPHIA
The third largest city in modern Turkey is
Izmir, long a center for Jewish and Christian communities. In
St. Paul's
day, the town was known as
Smyrna. It was one of the
Seven Churches of
Revelation (Rev. 2: 8-11). You'll see the Agora, the colonnaded commercial
center where Roman statues can still be seen. Continue to Sardis, another of
the Seven |
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Churches of Revelation. Jesus told Sardis,
"I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest, and art
dead"(Rev. 3: 1-6). Coins were minted and the dyeing of wool originated in
Sardis. You will be impressed by the massive scale of the Temple of Artemis,
by the white marble Royal Road, by the gymnasium, and by the synagogue.
Visit the site of Philadelphia also one of
the Seven Churches of Revelation (Rev. 3: 7-13). Christ told those who
overcame that He would write upon them "the name of my God, and the name of
the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem." (Rev.3: 12) Today, not much is
left to mark the spot. You will see an ancient wall and the remains of a
Byzantine basilica. Back to Izmir and overnight. |
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| Day 8 |
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THYATIRA - PERGAMUM
Depart for the visit of
Thyatira;
was once a busy trading center and famous in dyeing of purple
clothes. Thyatira is one of the Seven Churches mentioned in
Revelations tolerated the false prophetess, Jezebel (Rev. 1: 11; 2:
18-29). Continiue to Pergamum
which was another of the seven
churches mentioned in Revelations (Rev. 2: 12). It displeased the
Lord because |
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it tolerated the doctrine of the
Nicolaitanes which Christ hated (Rev. 2:13-17). Towering 1000 feet above the
town and commanding a spectacular panorama is the fabled Acropolis. As you
pass through the Royal Gates, you will enter one of the great centers of
classic Greek culture. You will see the foundations of the Temple of Zeus,
the Temple of Athena, and the ruins of the Library which once held 200,000
parchment volumes. You will see the remains of the Temple of Trajan, the
Grand Theatre, the Gymnasium, and the Health Center (Aesclepion). Overnight
in Ayvalik. |
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| Day 9 |
ASSOS - ALEXANDRIA TROAS
Today you begin your tour with
Assos
where Paul rejoined his companions after walking asross the headland
on his own and visit the ruins of the city. Then drive to Troas,
founded about 300 B.C. by one of the generals of Alexander the
Great. During St. Paul's Second Journey, it was from Troas that he
received the "Macedonian call" to Europe. This is where |
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Luke's account changes from "they" to "we"
(Acts 16:6-12), indicating that he joined St. Paul's team at Troas.
Returning from Macedonia during his third journey, St. Paul was in Troas for
a week, when the young man Eutychus fell from the third loft as St. Paul
preached. Overnight in Canakkale. |
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| Day 10 |
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ISTANBUL
Continue to Istanbul via the
beautiful Dardanelles and you will visit the Church of St. Saviour
in Chora which is located at the city walls and famous for its
mosaics and frescoes. |
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| Day 11 |
DEPARTURE
Transfers to airport for your flight
home. |
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NOTES |
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You may add one day trip to Patmos Island with private boat including the tour
of St. John Monastery, The Museum and The Cave of St. John to above program. |
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