14 DAYS STEPS OF POUL

Day 1 ARRIVAL ISTANBUL

Upon our arrival we are met by our guide who will accompany us throughout our tour. We are escorted to our private motor coach, which will transfer us to our hotel for the overnight. Dinner is served at a local restaurant.

 

Day 2 ISTANBUL

After breakfast we unfold Istanbul’s rich quilt of cultures, Eastern Orthodoxy and Islam, the main fabrics. We begin at Haghia Sophia, at one time the premier church in Christendom, later a mosque and now a museum. Nearby are the Roman Hippodrome and the Ottoman Blue Mosque. We end our day in the otherworldly underground cistern.

 

Day 3 CAPPADOCIA

After breakfast we transfer to the airport for our morning flight to Cappadocia (Acts 2:9; 1 Pet. 1:1). We follow the track of the ancient travelers including the early Christian missionaries from Antioch and Jerusalem. We will visit the primitive village of Soganli and the churches in the Soganli Valley. We will end our day in the labyrinths of the Underground City where early Christians took refuge during the severe persecutions.

 

Day 4 CAPPADOCIA

Today we will enjoy touring through perhaps the most surreal landscape on earth.

Thousands of years of erosion of the earth have formed the so-called Fairy chimneys. Following the footsteps of Paul, the first Christians came to settle in the natural grottoes where they created rock carved churches and under ground cities, and painted the churches with important narratives from the Bible in luminous colors. Today we explore the Goreme Monastery, Zelve Valley, Uchisar Village, Cavusin Village and Avanos where the Cappadocian fathers formulated their Trinitarian theology.

 

Day 5 KONYA

We follow the route once used by caravans on the Silk Road. We will visit and 13th Century caravanserai in the morning. At noon we will arrive in Konya, known as Iconium in antiquity. Iconium (Acts 13:51; 14:1-6, 19; 2 Tim. 3:11) was a stop on Paul’s first missionary journey, and a “site” of apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla. We visit the Church of Paul and Mevlana Museum, burial site of Rumi, famous Sufi poet and founder of Whirling Dervishes.

 

Day 6 ANTALYA

Our first stop today is Yalvac, ancient Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14-52; 16:2; 2 Tim. 3:11). This is an important city in Paul’s first journey where he gave his first recorded sermon. Pisidian Antioch was a Roman Colony with an Imperial Cult center dedicated Augustus. Crossing the Taurus mountain range, we continue to Antalya by following the route of Paul’s journey. The city of Antalya sits on sheer cliffs above the blue Mediterranean with a green plateau stretching behind the city to magnificent pine forests. Antalya Archeological Museum is our last visit before checking in our hotel.

 

Day 7 ANTALYA

Today we visit Perge, a reconstructed Hellenistic city, with a marvelous city plan, including baths, temples, an agora and a theater; a site of Paul’s preaching (Acts 13:13-14; 14:25). We continue to Aspendos, the site of the best preserved Roman Theater in Asia Minor. We will enjoy our free afternoon by strolling through the streets of the old harbor of Antalya, known in the ancient time as Attalia (Acts 14:25).

 

Day 8 PAMUKKALE

We will drive to the ancient city of Aphrodisias, where the Romans dedicated massive monuments to Aphrodite. In Aphrodisias, archeologists unearthed an inscription which proves the existence of God-fearers mentioned in the Bible. We continue to Laodicaea, one of the seven churches in the Revelation of John (Rev. 3:14-22; Col. 2:1; 4:13-16). We drive to Hierapolis (Col. 4:13) via the Lycos Valley (Letter to the Colossians and Letter to Philemon) and onto to Pamukkale, famous for its wonderful mineral baths.

 

Day 9 IZMIR

We will drive to the town of Selcuk through the valley of the River Maeander. Our focus today is Ephesus (Letter to the Ephesians, Revelation 1:11; 2:1-7; Acts 18:19-28; 19:1-41) the most impressive archeological site in Turkey. Paul spent two years in Ephesus between ca 52 and 54. From Ephesus, he wrote letters to Galatia, Philippi, and Corinth. Our excursion visits the great theatre (Acts 19:29), the site of the scene of the riot from which Paul escaped. A short walk from the theatre we will see the Council Church where they held the Third Ecumenical Council in 431. Plus we see the Temple of Artemis (Roman Diana), one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We also visit the Selcuk Museum, the Basilica of John and the House of Mary. We will drive to Izmir, ancient Smyrna (Rev. 1:11; 2:8-11) in the afternoon.

 

Day 10 AYVALIK

In Sardis (Rev. 3:16) we visit the Temple of Artemis, Roman bath and the biggest Jewish Synagogue of Asia Minor. Passing via Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-29; Acts 16:14), we arrive in Bergama. We visit the acropolis of Pergamum (Rev. 2:12-17) and the altar of Zeus described as “the throne of Satan” in the Book of Revelation. We continue to the Asclepion, the ancient healing sanctuary of Asclepius and Apollo.

 

Day 11 BURSA

We will drive along the Aegean Coast overlooking Lesbos Island. We will visit Assos (Acts 20:13-14) where Aristotle taught for three years before he became the tutor of Alexander. Alexandria Troas (Acts 16:8-11; 20:5-12; 2 Cor. 2:12-13; 2 Tim. 4:13) is our next stop. Paul traveled through this city between Macedonia and Asia Minor and once preached until morning (Acts 2:10). We visit legendary Troy on Dardanelles and continue to Bursa.

 

Day 12 ISTANBUL

In Bursa we visit Ulu Mosque and Kozahan Bazaar from the 14th century, where you can purchase finest silk items in Turkey. We continue along the Iznik Lake to Nicaea. We visit the church of Haghia Sophia in Nicaea where they held the First Ecumenical Council to formulate the Nicaean Creed in 325 and the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787. We take ferry boat from Yalova to Istanbul and cruise on the Sea of Marmara.

 

Day 13 ISTANBUL

We begin with a visit to the Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman sultans and their households. Then we continue to Kariye Museum where the superb mosaics and frescoes decorate the walls of 14th century church just before the fall of the city to Turks. Later we visit the famous covered bazaars to meander among the thousands of shops. It is time to bargain.

 

Day 14 Departure

We transfer to the Istanbul Airport and fly back to home.

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Paul was an Anatolian, born in the Roman city of Tarsus on the eastern Mediterranean coast of what is now Turkey. He traveled extensively in "Asia" (ie, Asia Minor, or Anatolia) spreading Jesus's teachings.

 

 

Paul's First Journey

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About 47-49 AD Paul went on his first journey, traveling from east to west along the Mediterranean coast stopping at Antioch (Antakya), Seleucia (Silifke), Side and Attaleia (Antalya).

From there he climbed into the mountains, to Antioch-in-Pisidia (Yalvaç, near Aksehir), then to Galatia and its capital of Iconium (Konya). Later he wrote to the people of Iconium, and this Letter to the Galatians became the 9th book of the New Testament.

From Iconium he walked 40 km (25 miles) south to Lystra (Hatunsaray) and Derbe before returning to Attaleia, where he boarded a ship for his return voyage to Antioch.

 

 

The Second Journey

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Paul traveled much farther afield on his second trip. After visiting some of the same cities he had seen on his first trip, he went to the region called Mysia to visit Troy (Truva), then, crossing the Dardanelles, he ventured into Macedonia (northern Greece, southwestern Bulgaria).

 

 

The Third Journey

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On his third trip (53-57 AD), Paul revisited some of these cities, and also saw Ancyra (Ankara), Smyrna (Izmir), Adramyttium (Edremit) and Ephesus (Efes, Selçuk), capital of Roman Asia.

In Ephesus his preaching caused trouble. The local silversmiths made their living selling effigies of the Anatolian fertility goddess (Cybele/Artemis/Diana) to pilgrims coming to visit the gigantic marble Temple of Artemis. The more the Ephesians listened to Paul, the less they believed in Artemis--and the fewer effigies they bought.

The silversmiths brought spurious charges against Paul, but after a dramatic 'kangaroo court' in the Great Theater he was released, having committed no crime. He continued his journey, later visitied Miletus.

 

 

The Final Journey

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In 59-60 AD, Paul was arrested in Jerusalem, charged with inciting to riot, and shipped off to Rome for trial. He changed ships at Myra (Demre) and headed for Cnidos, at the tip of the peninsula west of Marmaris, a harbor where ships often waited for favorable winds, but a storm prevented him from landing there.

 

For the record, the Seven Churches of Revelation were the "Seven Churches of Asia" (ie, Asia Minor, Anatolia): Ephesus (Efes), Smyrna (Izmir), Pergamum (Bergama), Sardis (Sart, east of Izmir), Philadelphia (Alasehir), Laodicea (Goncali, between Denizli and Pamukkale) and Thyatira (Akhisar).

The Seven Churches of Revelation, also known as The Seven Churches of the Apocalypse and The Seven Churches of Asia (referring to the province of Asia, not the continent), are seven major churches of early Christianity, as mentioned in the New Testament Book of Revelation. All the sites are in modern-day Turkey and no longer have significant Christian populations since they were emptied of Christians under the Treaty of Lausanne. In Revelation, Jesus Christ instructs his servant John to:

It should be understood that "churches" in this context refers to the community of Christians living in each city, and not merely to the building or buildings in which they gathered for worship.The seven churches are located in:

• Ephesus (Church of Mary)

• Smyrna

• Pergamum

• Thyatira

• Sardis

• Philadelphia

• and Laodicea, near Denizli

 

Seven Churches in Revelation – Literal Locations in Asia MinorThe seven churches in Revelation refer to seven literal churches described in Revelation, Chapters 2 and 3. These early Christian churches were located in Asia Minor during the era of the Roman Empire. Although the actual churches ceased to thrive in the centuries of Muslim control after the Romans, the archaeological remains of all seven locations currently exist in present-day Turkey.

 

Seven Churches in Revelation – Then and NowThe seven churches in Revelation are located in western Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), accessible by way of the Aegean Sea and the ancient trade routes between the West and East. For various reasons, whether trade, military, or pure hedonism, these cities were major cultural hubs throughout history. During the first few centuries after Jesus Christ, these Roman-controlled cities were also important in early Christianity. Here are the seven churches of Revelation as described by the writer John in the late first century AD (click on the name to dig deeper into the archaeology):

1. Ephesus – The desirable church that left its first love (Revelation 2:1-7). Ephesus was the influential capital city of Asia Minor on the Aegean Sea. Ephesus is now known for its huge metropolis of ancient streets, arches and ruins.

2. Smyrna – The persecuted church that suffered poverty and martyrdom (Revelation 2:8-11). Smyrna was located north of Ephesus in a powerful trading position on the Aegean Sea known for its harbors, commerce, and marketplaces. The primary ruins of Smyrna are located in the modern Turkish city of Izmir.

3. Pergamum – The worldly church that mixed doctrines and needed to repent (Rev. 2:12-17). Pergamum is located on the plains and foothills along the Caicus River in Western Turkey. It was considered a major city in Asia Minor since the 3rd century BC, and became a Greek and Roman hub for temple worship.

4. Thyatira – The false church that followed a seductive prophetess (Rev. 2:18-29). Thyatira is located in western Asia Minor about 42 miles inland from the Aegean Sea. The ancient city was known for its textiles and dyeing trade, and is now known as the Turkish city of Akhisar.

5. Sardis – The "dead" church that fell asleep (Revelation 3:1-6). Sardis is located on the banks of the Pactolus River in western Asia Minor, 60 miles inland from Ephesus and Smyrna. Popular ruins include the decadent temples and bath house complexes.

6. Philadelphia – The church of brotherly love that endures patiently (Revelation 3:7-13). Philadelphia is located on the Cogamis River in western Asia Minor, about 80 miles east of Smyrna. Philadelphia was known for its variety of temples and worship centers.

7. Laodicea – The "lukewarm" church with a faith that’s neither hot nor cold (Rev. 3:14-22). Laodicea is located in the Lycus River Valley of western Asia Minor, a primary trade route between the cultures of the West and East. Laodicea was known as a primary hub for the Roman aqueduct system.

 

Seven Churches in Revelation – Their Ultimate Significance

The seven churches in Revelation are literal churches from the first century AD. However, the seven churches in Revelation also have spiritual significance for churches and believers today. Indeed, the primary purpose for John writing his letters to the seven churches was to deliver Christ’s "report card" for the churches of that time. However, a second purpose for John’s inspired writings was to describe seven types of churches (and individual believers) that would surface time and again throughout history. These short letters to the seven churches of Revelation act as quick and poignant reminders to those who call themselves "followers of Christ."