Exploring Biblical Anatolia and Southeastern Turkey

Oct 4 Depart New York

Oct 5 Arrive Ankara

Arrive at Istanbul airport, transfer to flight to Ankara; overnight Ankara. (D)

Oct 6 Ankara - Hattusas - Yozgat

Our journey begins with a visit to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. After stopping to see the Roman remains of the important Temple of Augustus, we will drive to visit Hattusha, the capital city of Hittite Empire. Overnight in Yozgat.

Oct 7 Cappadocia

On our drive to Cappadocia we will stop for a short visit to the Roman Baths in Sarıkaya. Visit Göreme, where we will see remains of early churches, with rooms hollowed out from the cones of volcanic ash. Some of them are decorated with carved frescoes depicting scenes from the Bible. We will drive through the Zelve Valley on our way to Kaymakli, an underground city which was an early Christian center that extended down in the earth for at least eight floors and housed several thousand people in the eighth and ninth centuries. We will continue to Uçhisar, another of these early Christian  communities. Overnight in Cappadocia. (D,B)

Oct 8 Cappadocia - Tarsus - Adana

Drive south through the strategic Cilician Gates to visit Tarsus, the city of Paul. Visit the archaeological excavations, St. Paul’s well, the Gate of Cleopatra, and the massive Donuktas (a Roman Temple). Overnight in nearby Adana. (D,B)

Oct 9 Adana - Karatepe - Antioch on the Orontes

After visiting the Adana Archaeology Museum and the Roman Bridge, we will drive to Karatepe to visit the archaeological park. Drive to Antakya for overnight at the Museum Hotel. (D,B)

Oct 10 Antioch

Today we will explore Antioch on the Orontes—the third or fourth largest city in the Roman world and the place were Jesus Followers were first called “Christians” (Acts 11:26). During the day we visit the hippodrome, the temple, and two world-class museums—the New Antioch Archaeology Museum that houses one of the richest collections of mosaics in the world, and the mosaics at the Museum Hotel [where we are staying]). In addition we will visit the grotto Church of St. Peter. Overnight Museum Hotel (D,B)

Oct 11 Selucia Pieria - Tel Tayinat - Alalakh

Today we will begin our day by visiting Seleucia Pieria, the port town from which Paul and Barnabas departed and returned to on their first journey (Acts 13:4). There we will see the Titus Tunnel, one of Rome’s engineering wonders. If time allows, we will visit the monastery complex of Simon the Stylite. We will then drive to Tel Tayinat and Alalakh where a temple and palace were found that have close comparisons to Solomon’s Temple and Palace in Jerusalem. We continue on to Gaziantep and will visit the Gaziantep Archaeology Museum (if time permits). Overnight Gaziantep (D,B)

Oct 12 Zeugma Mosaic Museum - Zeugma - Euphrates River

We will begin our day by visiting the new Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep where the extraordinary finds from Roman Zeugma on the Euphrates are on display. We will then travel east to visit the site of Zeugma—on the Euphrates River. If conditions permit we will visit Carchemish (2 Chron 35:20; Isa 10:9; Jer 46:2)—a major east-west crossing point of the Euphrates and which is mentioned numerous times in the ancient texts. Overnight in Şanlıurfa (D,B)

Oct 13 Harran - Göbekli Tepe - Şanlıurfa

After breakfast, drive to Harran (Haran of Abraham; Edessa) to see its wall, mosque, caravanserai (the oldest university of the world), Jacob’s well, and it distinctive beehive houses. Then visit the Göbekli Tepe with its spectacular stone carvings that date from 10,000 BC. In the late afternoon we will visit to the traditional birth Cave of Abraham, and the pool of sacred fish. If time permits we will visit the Urfa Archaeology Museum. Overnight in Şanlıurfa (D,B)

Oct 14 Return to Home Country

Transfer to airport for departure flight.