ANCIENT CYPRUS
THE FIRST STAGE OF PAUL’S FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY

"The highlight for Laurel and me is to have visited Salamis and Paphos, which completes our list of New Testament cities associated with the life and mission of Paul from Jerusalem to Rome. I would strongly recommend the Cyprus Tours as an optional extension to an Early Christianity Tour of Turkey and/or Greece. The Cyprus based guides were both excellent and keen to please. They were not all that well informed about the biblical background, but were both very keen to learn. I would recommend that the tour would focus on Salamis and Paphos (the cities mentioned in Acts 13), visiting Salamis first (in the biblical order) on the first full day and Phaphos on the 2nd or 3rd day. The visit to the Castle is certainly an interesting excursion and should be included, but visited the 2nd or 3rd day rather than at the beginning. Students of the Bible would be most interested in the two cities connected with Paul and Barnabas rather than some of the other sites."

W. Ward Gasque,
Author of The History of the Criticism of the Acts of the Apostles and co-founder of Regent College, Vancouver, Canada

Suggested Cyprus itinerary

5 Nights - 6 Days

TOUR ITINERARY:

Day 1
Fly to Northern Cyprus - Kyrenia (Girne)
Arrive Ercan Airport. Meet and transfer to hotel for dinner and overnight.


Day 2
Kyrenia (Girne) & Kythrea Tour - Girne
Visit the castle of Kyrenia which houses a “shipwreck museum” displaying the 2nd oldest commercial shipwreck of the world. After some free time drive to Bellapais Monastery located on a cliff of the east of Kyrenia. Bellapais is a 12th century Gothic Monastery built by the Lusignians (French Crusader who ruled Cyprus for three centuries). Then stop at Hilarion Castle located on one of the peaks of Pentadaktylos Mountains. Ruins of this medieval Castle date back to 7th century AD. It was built around a small monastery established by St Hillarion (a hermit who fled to Cyprus from Holy Land). The castle was first built by Byzantine Christians as a watch towr overlooking to the Norther shores of the island. Return to the hotel in Girne for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

Day 3
Visit Nicosia (Lefkose) – Overnight Girne
After breakfast departure from the hotel by bus. Aprx. 30 minutes drive to Nicosia which is the last divided capital city in the world after Berlin. Our excursion will cover only the Northern (Turkish) part of the city. Sights to see; Old city walls and bastions, historical North Gate (Also known as; Kyrenia Gate) Old city quarter, Selimiye Mosque (formerly St.Sophia Cathedral), The Grand Inn (Buyuk Han) and “Green Line” border zone with Ledra Palace building (U.N. headquarters at the buffer zone). Return drive to the hotel in the afternoon.

Day 4
Tour the ancient city of Salamis – Overnight Girne
Early departure from the hotel. Aprx. 1 hour drive to Famagusta. After a quick visit of the old city of Famagusta (housing ruins of many medieval churches and fortifications) the excursion will continue with another 10 minutes drive to the ancient city of Salamis (where Paul and Barnabas landed ([Acts 13:5]). Some of the Roman bath houses, the gymnasium, some early Christian basilicas, cisterns, mills and houses will be in the program. On the way back to the hotel the bus will stop by the monastery of St. Barnabas. The monastery is an icon museum today.

Day 5
Paphos Tour - Overnight Girne
After breakfast departure from the hotel for a full day excursion to Paphos in South Cyprus. Paphos has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. It was a centre of the cult of Aphrodite, whose templed was erected by the Myceneans in the 12th century BC. It was the scene of Paul’s power encounter with the sorcerer, Bar Jesus, and bold presentation of the Good News to the Roman governor, Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:6-12). The extensive remains of villas, palaces, theatres, fortifications, and tombs bear witness to the city’s importance. The mosaics of Neo Paphos are among the most beautiful in the world. After visting Paphos, we return to Girme for dinner and overnight. (B.D.)

Day 6
Morning departure transfer to airport.
 

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