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TOUR ITINERARY:
June 5 Sun Depart San Antonio – Fly Istanbul
June 6 Mon Arrive in Istanbul – Take connection flight to
Cappadocia
Meet and transfer to your hotel for dinner and
overnight. (D)
June 7 Tue Cappadocia
After breakfast you will have a full day of sightseeing
in Cappadocia. You will visit Göreme where you will see
remains of several hundred early churches, with rooms
hollowed out of the cones of volcanic ash. Some of them are
decorated with scratched frescoes depicting scenes from the
Bible. You will drive through the Zelve valley on your way
to Kaymakli, an underground city which was an early
Christian center that extended downward in the earth for at
least eight floors and housed several thousand people in the
eighth and ninth centuries. You’ll continue to Uçhisar,
another of these early Christian communities, before
returning to your hotel. (B,D)
June 8 Wed Cappadocia – Derbe – Lystra - Konya
After breakfast you will have an early departure to
drive to Iconium where Paul and Barnabas used the synagogue
as their forum to address the local people. They angered the
authorities there and were warned in time to escape being
attacked. You will continue to Derbe where Paul visited
twice. The Bible states that Paul and Barnabas spoke in
Derbe and won many converts. You will then visit the area of
ancient Lystra also twice visted by Paul. It was here Paul
healed a lame man and later was raised after being battered
with stones. Here also Paul met Timothy who later
accompanied him on some of his travels. You will visit the
Shrine of Mevlana before going to the hotel in Konya
(ancient Iconium) for dinner and overnight. (B,D)
June 9 Thu Psidian Antioch – Antalya
After breakfast you will depart and drive to Yalvac, ancient
Antioch of Pisidia. Paul visited this town on his first
missionary journey and it is here that he addressed the
congregation in the synagogue on the Sabbath with his first
recorded sermon. You will visit the excavations here and
then continue to Antalya with a very scenic drive through
the lakes and the rocky mountains. Dinner and overnight will
be at the hotel in Antalya. (B,D)
June 10 Fri Antalya
After breakfast you will begin with a visit to Perga, an
ancient city even when Paul visited there. He and Barnabas
went through Perga on their way from and to Antioch on their
first journey. You will visit the Perga Theater, the Agora
Stadium, and the columned streets. You will also visit
Aspendos, one of the best preserved theaters in the world,
and Side where you will see the museum, theater, and temple.
Dinner and overnight will be in the port city of Antalya. (B,D)
June 11 Sat Antalya – Colossae – Laodicea – Pamukkale
After breakfast you will drive to Colosse (Paul’s letter to
the Colossians) on the foothills of Mount Honaz. You will
continue to Laodicea, one of the Seven Churches of
Revelation, and Hierapolis where you will visit the
monuments, thermal baths and the theater with its well
preserved stage and Temple of Apollo. Dinner and overnight
will be in Pamukkale. (B,D)
June 12 Sun Pamukkale – Philadelphia – Sardis – Izmir
After breakfast you will travel to Philadelphia, now called
Alasehir. We’ll see remains of a Byzantine basilica as well
as some eleventh century frescoes. Philadelphia and Smyrna
are two of the Seven Churches about which nothing bad was
said by John. From there we’ll travel to Sardis, one of the
most picturesque areas of any of the Seven Churches. You’ll
see the remains of the Temple of Artemis as well as a small
Byzantine church. Finally, you will proceed to Izmir
(ancient Smyrna), one of the Seven Churches and one of the
oldest continuously inhabited cities of the world. You’ll
check in to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D)
June 13 Mon Izmir – Ephesus – Izmir
After breakfast you will leave Izmir and drive to Ephesus,
the first of the Seven Churches, for a visit. You will see
the amazing ruins of this great city: the theater, the
library, the Temple of Hadrian and the newly excavated Roman
Terrace Houses. You will also visit the Crisler Library.
After your visit in Ephesus you will return to Izmir for
dinner and overnight. (B,D)
June 14 Tue Izmir – Pergamum – Alexander Troas –
Canakkale
After breakfast today you will leave for Bergama which is
the site of ancient Pergama, another of the seven churches
of Revelation. You will visit the acropolis there and see
the impressive theater, the Temple of Athena, and other
ruins of former civilizations. You will continue to Odun
Iskelesi to visit the site and the port of Alexandria- Troas
where Paul raised the boy, Eutychus. Paul visited this area
at least twice. You will then go to Canakkale for dinner and
overnight. (B,D)
June 15 Wed Canakkale - Iznik – Istanbul
After breakfast today you will drive to Iznik. On the way
you will pass through Bursa, the first capital of the
Ottoman Sultans. Iznik is the site of ancient Nicea which is
famous for the two ecumenical church councils held there to
establish points of Christian orthodoxy. After your visit
you will continue to Istanbul for overnight. (B,D)
Juen 16 Thu Istanbul
After breakfast today you will have a full day of
sightseeing in Istanbul. You will visit the Topkapi Palace,
built as a summer palace by Mehmet II and enlarged by Sultan
Suleiman the Magnificent to be used as his primary
residence. Topkapi was also the site of the 1964 film of the
same name with Melina Mercouri and Maximilian Schell. You
will continue to the impressive structure known as Hagia
(Saint) Sophia. It was built as a church, converted to the
principal mosque in Istanbul, and now a museum. From there
you will go to the Blue Mosque, the primary mosque of
Istanbul today and one of the finest creations of Turkish
architecture. You will finish the day at the Grand Bazaar
where you will have time for shopping. You will return to
your hotel. (B,D)
June 17 Fri Istanbul
After breakfast you will visit Suleiman’s Mosque, built by
the Sultan in memory of his father. You’ll stop by the
Church of Chora before continuing with a boat tour on the
Bosporus where you’ll get a completely different perspective
of Istanbul. Return to the hotel for a Farewell Dinner, get
ready for your return trip home. (B,D)
June 18 Sat Fly Back USA
You will depart on your flight to the USA, filled with new
insights and understandings of the land where so much of
early Christian history unfolded.
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