1st day: HOME
/ ISTANBUL
Arrival at İstanbul Atatürk Airport. Reception and assistance with
airport formalities. Transfer to Hotel. Dinner and overnight.
2nd day: ISTANBUL / ADANA
/ ANTAKYA / SAMANDAĞI / ADANA
In the morning, transfer to the airport for flight to Adana, in
Cylicia. Coach ride from the airport on to Antakya (Antioch on
the Orontes), the city where the disciples were called “Christians”
for the first time (Acts 11:26) and which was the first stop of
St. Paul in every missionary journey. Visit to St. Peter Church,
one of the first four Catholic Churches in the world; and the Mosaic
Museum, one of the worlds finest. Lunch in Antakya. Resumption
of the coach ride for Samandağı (Seleucia Pereira), the port from
where Paul and Barnabas sailed to Cyprus on their first journey
(Acts 13:4). Return to Adana for dinner and overnight.
3rd day: ADANA / TARSUS
/ SİLİFKE
Departure for Tarsus, the birthplace of St.Paul, to visit his house.
Coach-ride for Silifke (Seleucia of Issaura) for lunch. Visit of
the historical sites near Silifke: Kanlıdivane, Heaven and Hell
Caves, Korykoos, Uzuncaburç, Ura, the Temple of Zeus and the Church
named after St. Thecla, a woman who was a good student of St. Paul
and created miracles in healing people, and who is said to have
been buried there. Dinner and overnight in Silifke.
4th day: SİLİFKE / DERBE
/ KONYA / EĞİRDİR
Early in the morning, departure for Derbe, the last Roman city
on the road to the east which St.Paul visited three times. Resumption
of the trip for Konya (Iconium) where Paul and Barnabas were threatened
of being stoned (Acts 14:5). Lunch in Konya and the tour of the
city visiting the St.Paul Church. Coach-ride to Eğirdir for dinner
and overnight.
5TH day: EĞİRDİR / YALVAÇ
/ PESSİNUS / ESKİŞEHİR
In the morning, departure for visiting Yalvaç (Antioch of Pisidia),
a town where Paul stayed for quite a long time and which he used
as a base while spreading Christianity in the region (Acts 13:14-50).
Lunch in Afyon. Drive to Pessinus through where Paul is said to
have passed in order to enter Bithynia on his second journey (Acts
16:6-8). Dinner and overnight in Eskişehir (Dorylaeum), another
possible stops on the route of Paul.
6th day: ESKİŞEHİR / AİZANOİ
/ HİERAPOLİS / PAMUKKALE
Departure in the morning for visiting Aizanoi, a seat of Bishopric
at the time of Christianity in Anatolia where Paul is said to have
stopped by while going through Phrygia. Lunch in Uşak. Resumption
of the trek on the Pamukkale (Hierapolis), the centre of Epaphras’s
work (Colossians 4:13) when Paul was writing to strengthen his
preaching. Free time for bathing in the warm waters of Pamukkale.
Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.
7th day: PAMUKKALE / COLOSSAE / PERGA / ANTALYA
In the morning, visit of Colossae which Paul did not visit but
sent a letter: “ To the saints and faithful brothers of Christ
who were at Collosae: Grace be on you, and peace, from God and
Jesus Christ.” (Colossians 1:2). Resumption of the coach-ride for
Antalya. Lunch on the way Burdur. Visit of Perga, where Paul and
Luke stayed long enough to preach and talk with people on their
return from Antioch (Acts 14:25); and a short tour of Antalya (
Attalia), from where they went back to Antioch to finish the first
journey. Dinner and overnight in Antalya.
8th day: ANTALYA / MYRA
(DEMRE) / PATARA / FETHİYE
Departure for Demre (Myra) where Paul and Luke as prisoners changed
boats on their way to Rome (Acts 27:5-6). Visit to the famous Church
of St. Nicholas and the rock-cut Lykian tombs. Lunch in Kaş. Continuation
of the trek towards Patara, where they took a larger ship to be
able to get back to Jerusalem (Acts 21:12). Dinner and overnight
in Fethiye.
9th day: FETHİYE / KNİDOS
/ MARMARİS
In the morning departure for Marmaris. Lunch in Marmaris. Visit
of Knidos (Cnidus), Paul’s last landfall in Asia Minor on the journey
from Jerusalem to Rome (Acts 27:7). Dinner and overnight in Marmaris.
10th day: MARMARİS / MİLETUS
/ KUŞADASI
Departure for Miletus, to where St.Paul paid a visit at the end
of his third journey when he was hurrying to get to Jerusalem by
Pentecost (Acts 20:15). Lunch on the way before the visits. Drive
to Kusadasi for Dinner and overnight.
11th day: KUŞADASI / EPHESUS
/ ÇEŞME
In the morning, departure for a mass in the Shrine of Virgin Mary;
and then a visit to the Basilica of St. John. Lunch in Selçuk.
Visit of the world famous ancient city of Ephesus, where St. Paul
stayed and taught for two years (Acts 19:10), and where he promised
on his second journey, “I shall come back to you if it is God’s
will.” (Acts 18:21). Drive to Çeşme for Dinner and overnight.
12th day: ÇEŞME / ILDIRI
/ EDREMİT
In the morning, departure for visiting Ildırı (Erytherea), one
of the towns of the Ionian league and to where St. Paul passed
from Chios in the third journey. Lunch in Çeşme. Proceed to Edremit
(Adramyttium), homeport of the ship on the journey to Rome (Acts
27:2). Dinner and overnight in Edremit.
13th day: EDREMİT / ASSOS
/ ALEXANDRIA TROAS / ÇANAKKALE
Departure for visiting Assos to where Paul is said to have walked
from Alexandria Troas on his 3rd journey (Acts 20:13-14). Lunch.
Drive to Alexandria Troas where Paul is said to have visited at
least twice: First when he and Timothy had wanted to go into Bithynia
but were prevented by the Holly Spirit (Acts 16:8) and second time,
on his way to Jerusalem, when he preached for more than twelve
hours without stopping (Acts 20:11). Drive to Çanakkale by the
Strait of Dardanelles for dinner and overnight.
14th day: ÇANAKKALE / NİCEA
(IZNİK) / ISTANBUL
Departure from Çanakkale. Lunch in Bursa. Drive to İznik (Nicea),
the most important city of Bithynia at the time of Paul’s visits
and where the two Church meetings- the first and seventh Ecumenical
Councils- were held; visit of the St. Sophia Church, the place
of the latter meeting; and the St.Trifon Church. Resumption of
the trip to İstanbul and arrival for dinner and overnight.
15th day: İSTANBUL / HOME
Transfer to the airport. Assistance with boarding and customs formalities.
Take-off for home.
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