13 Days Tuesday - Sunday

Day 1 Flight Day
Flight day.

Day 2 Kusadasi
Arrival in Izmir Airport. Meet your guide and transfer to Kusadasi. Dinner and overnight in Kismet Hotel. (D)

Day 3 Kusadasi
Full day tour of Ephesus and its environs including the Basilica of St. John, the evangelist, the Museum and the House of Mary. Acts 19:1-7, 23-41 regarding Paul’s experience in this city, and Rev. 2:1-7, the message of Jesus to the church of Ephesus as written by John. The church receives commendation from God for their hard work, patience, perseverance, and rejection of evil. But they are warned, because their love for Christ is no longer as strong as it was. Also Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians to whom he ministered. Dinner in a local restaurant and overnight in Kismet Hotel (B/D)

Day 4 Pergamon

Drive to Izmir, ancient Smyrna and visit the church of St. Polycarp who was one of the earliest martyrs of Christian history. Continue to Pergamon and visit Asclepion and the acropolis of the city. Rev.2:8-11, Smyrna is the church that was poor but rich in spiritual truth and receives the most praise and commendation in the letters to the seven churches of Revelation. They were rewarded with the promise of the crown of life.

Rev. 2:12-17, Pergamon is the church that compromised the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. Just like the Israelites were given manna on their way to the promised land of milk and honey, the true believers are promised to receive hidden manna and a white stone on which their names are inscribed, which shows that they have eternal life. Dinner and overnight in Berksoy Hotel (B/D)

Day 5 Pamukkale
Drive to Pamukkale and visit Thyatira, Sardis and Philadelphia en-route. Rev. 2:18-29, Thyatira is the church that welcomed Jezebel and the city of Lydia, a woman of faith, who met Paul when he was preaching in Philippi. (Acts 16:15) Jesus tells those who are victorious and carry on what God has done till eternity this, “to him I will give power over the nations” and “ I will give him the morning star”.

Rev. 3:1-6, Sardis, is the church that was alive but dead and city of the king Croesus, who had the saying for his name, as rich as King Croesus. The church in Sardis had lost the love it had in the beginning and got stuck in the ways of the world. Those who protect their faith will receive the “white garment” which is the symbol of new life, from the risen God.

Rev. 3:7-13, Philadelphia is the church that had little strength but was faithful and the city of brotherly love. The columns in the houses of the believers in this city could not stand the earthquake but the columns of their faith were. Christ promised them that they would be a pillar in God’s Temple and they would not have to go out from here.

Dinner and overnight in Colossae Hotel (B/D)

Day 6 Pamukkale
Visit Aphrodisias, city of Aphrodite, the goddess of love who was worshipped till 6 C. and Laodicea, Colossae and Hierapolis, the city of Apostle Philip. Rev. 3:14-22 Laodicea is the church of the lukewarm people as the water of the city was. Christ promises that those who die because of the name of Jesus will sit on the throne with Christ and reign for a thousand years. The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians, “to the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.” Dinner and overnight in Collosea Hotel (B/D)

Day 7 Konya
Drive to Konya and visit Pisidian Antioch en-route and Konya Mevlana Museum. From Acts 13:13-41, when Paul on his first missionary journey arrived Antioch from Perge, Pisidian Antioch is addressed the congregation in the synagogue on the Sabbath  with his first recorded sermon, resulting in an overwhelming response: on the next Sabbath “ almost the whole city” came to hear more. We will visit the first and the largest church dedicated to St. Paul, built over an earlier synagogue.

Acts 14:1-7, Konya, Biblical Iconium, where Paul and Barnabas preached after they left Antioch of Pisidia. Acts 13:51 “But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium.” Mevlana Museum, housing the tomb of Mevlana, was the center of a mystical order in Islam which became known as the whirling Dervishes, a name derived from the circular dance which became the hallmark of this movement. Dinner and overnight in Ozkaymak Park Hotel (B/D)

Day 8 Cappadocia
Drive to Urgup and visit Sultanhan Caravanserai, Ihlara Valley and Kaymakli Underground City on the way. Sultanhan Caravanserai, built in the 13 C. by the Seljuk’s, is a public building on the caravan routes, linking west to east for trade and is the early example of the motels. Ihlara Valley is a deep, narrow river gorge cut through the tufa by the Melendiz River. In the canyon there were more than one hundred churches once upon a time. We will visit three churches housing the frescos and walk through the Canyon for one hour. Kaymakli Underground city, the ground scraper having eight stories, is the witness of the human beings’ survival. Dinner and overnight in Alfina Hotel (B/D)

Day 9 Cappadocia
Full day tour in the region by visiting Goreme Open Air Museum, Zelve Valley, Cavusin and Uchisar. Explore the troglodytic environment among the Fairy chimneys and valleys of Cappadocia which was formed by the eruption of the two volcanoes, Mt. Argeus and Mt Hasan some 60 Million years ago. First stop will be Göreme open air museum, which was one of the earliest settlements in the area. The monastic complex with many churches and living quarters bear good examples of 11-13 C Byzantine mural paintings.

Zelve, another valley settlement was known to be the fist place where the monastic seminars were held. After visiting this site, drive to Uchisar the fortress type of settlement hewn into a high outcrop of rock. Optional whirling Dervishes Show in an 13^th C. Caravanserai. Dinner and overnight in Alfina Hotel (B/D)

Day 10 Istanbul
Drive to Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. Visit world famous Museum of the Ancient Civilizations and Mausoleum of Ataturk. The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, restored from an Ottoman Caravanserai, houses the best examples of artifacts from Old Hittite Kingdom, Assyrian Trade Colonies, late Hittite kingdoms, Phrygian, Urartian and other Anatolian Cultures. In the Afternoon flight to Istanbul. Dinner in a local restaurant and overnight in the Ottoman Imperial Hotel (B/D)

Day 11 Istanbul
Full day city tour, visiting Hippodrome, Haghia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. Visit the most important monuments of Byzantine and Ottoman Istanbul in the vicinity. St. Sophia, the largest building of its time, was devoted for Haghia Sophia, the Divine Wisdom was built by Justinian in 537. It had been a source of inspiration for the great Ottoman architect Sinan and his followers. Blue Mosque, which was built by Ahmet I, was a work of one of the apprentices of Sinan. With its style and inner decoration of Iznik tiles, it constitutes on of the best examples of late Classical Ottoman architecture. Topkapi Palace, the second Ottoman palace after the conquest has been used until the 19^th C. Dinner in a local restaurant and overnight in the Ottoman Imperial Hotel (B/D)

Day 12 Istanbul
Visit the Church of St. Savior in Chora (Kariye Museum) housing the best examples of mosaic and frescos in Byzantine Religious Art. Cruise on the Bosphorus in the afternoon. Farewell dinner in a restaurant and overnight in the Ottoman Imperial Hotel (B/D)

Day 13 Departure Day
Transfer to airport for return flight back home. (B)