Turkey

Jun 7 Sun Depart Atlanta on Turkish Airlines TK32 Atlanta (ATL)- Istanbul (IST) 21:35 15:35*

Jun 8 Mon Arrive Istanbul Airport at 15:35
Our representative will meet you after the customs and baggage claim with a “Sharon and Keith PUTT - TUTKU” sign. Meet and transfer to hotel for diner and overnight. (D)

Jun 9 Tue Istanbul – Old City
Our first visit is to the Hagia Sophia (the church of “Holy Wisdom”)— the crowning achievement of the sacred building program of Emperor Justinian, the 6th-century head of the Christian Byzantine Empire. This great domed structure remains one of the most impressive sacred edifices ever constructed to the glory of God. We then visit the Archeological Museum, which houses spectacular finds from all over Turkey, including many items that relate to biblical history. Next we proceed to the nearby Hagia Eirene (“Church of Holy Peace”) built in 324 AD on the site of Aphrodite’s temple and dedicated by Emperor Constantine as the city’s first church and main cathedral until the completion of Hagia Sophia in 360 AD. The second of the Seven Ecumenical Councils was held here in 381 AD. This was one of the more important councils, making ten additions to the Nicene Creed and affirming the deity of the Holy Spirit. Dinner and overnight Istanbul. (B,D)

Jun 10 Wed Istanbul – Daily Life
After breakfast at the hotel, walk from Pera to Taksim Square. See the panoramic Galata Tower, built by the Genoese circa AD 500 and used by the Ottomans as a watch tower. Then, visit the Galata Mevlevi Lodge, a museum including daily life instruments, old Turkish artefacts from the Ottoman period. Our bus will pick us up from Taksim Square and drop us at Eminonu port where we will embark on a private boat for a relaxing Boat Tour along the Bosphorus, visiting both the European and Asian shores of Istanbul. The boat trip is one way to the North. You will see the city’s most expensive villas, old palaces, two intercontinental bridges, minarets and mosques, etc. We will leave the boat in Sariyer where our bus and driver will be waiting for us. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

Jun 11 Thu Istanbul – Fly to Antalya - Perga - Pamukkale
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for morning flight to Antalya. Visit the ancient city of Perga, where Paul landed after sailing from the island of Cyprus during his first missionary journey (Acts 14:13-14). That Perga was a wealthy city is still easily seen today from its 15,000-seat theatre, 12,000- seat stadium, Hellenistic gate with its “Twin Towers,” baths with underfloor heating, colonnaded marketplace, water fountains, and impressive colonnaded street with a flowing water channel in the middle. Then, we will visit the St. Paul Cultural Center, a “coffee shop” run by Christians that more importantly also serves as home to two churches: one Turkish and the other international. At the St. Paul Center we will enjoy a tasty lunch (a modest donation for the lunch will help support the ministry here) and then listen to a Turkish pastor explain what it is like to live as a Christian in a country where 99.9% of its citizens are Muslim. Dinner and overnight Pamukkale. (B,D)

Jun 12 Fri Colossae – Hierapolis – Laodicea - Pamukkale
Our first stop in Colossae will be brief, since this site has not yet been excavated. Nevertheless, it is an important site for Christians to visit, since Paul sent two letters here: one to the church of Colossae and one to the rich Christian slave-owner Philemon, who hosted the Colossian church in his home. Our second stop is Laodicea. Although the excavation work is still in its early stages, Laodicea was a major city in Roman times, as is clear not only from the size of the ancient site but also from its two theatres, a stadium, an aqueduct, and the major street lined with shops. Laodicea is not only the last of the seven churches to whom John directed the book of Revelation (Rev. 3:14- 22), but it also had a close relationship with the nearby churches of Colossae and Hierapolis (Col. 4:13-15) and was the recipient of one of Paul’s now lost letters (Col. 4:16). Our final visit is Hierapolis. With its hot thermal springs well-known already in the ancient world for its medicinal qualities as well as its spectacular white travertine terraces, Hierapolis remains just as popular with travelers today as it was in biblical times. Equally impressive, however, are the remains of the ancient city: the Arch of Domitian, a colonnaded street and marketplace, ancient baths, a 20,000- seat theatre built in 200 BC, the largest ancient graveyard in Anatolia containing over 1,200 tombs, tumuli and sarcophagi, and the Martyrium of St. Philip, a 5th century AD structure on the site where Philip—either the apostle or the evangelist (Acts 6:1-7; 21:8-9; Acts of Philip)—was believed to have been killed in AD 80. Dinner and overnight Pamukkale. (B,D)

Jun 13 Sat Philadelphia, Sardis - Izmir
Our first stop is Philadelphia where much of this ancient city located in an earthquake-prone area has either been destroyed or lies buried under the modern city. John wrote to the church here (Rev. 3:7-13), commending them for their patience endurance in spite of persecution. Our second stop is Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6). Here we see the remains of the magnificent temple of Artemis, the beautifully reconstructed gymnasium and public baths, and the largest known synagogue outside Palestine. We end the day in the port city of Izmir, known in the ancient world as Smyrna and now the third largest city in Turkey. Dinner and overnight Izmir. (B,D)

Jun 14 Sun Pergamum Acropolis, Asklepion, Thyatira - Izmir
We travel north to Pergamum, which is one of the most impressive archaeological sites in all of Turkey. Its attractions are hard to surpass: a 10,000-seat theatre on the side of the acropolis which is the steepest in the ancient world; the magnificently restored temple of Trajan; a library of 200,000 volumes second in size only to that in Alexandria; the base of the Altar of Zeus; the temple of Dionysus; and the medical center of Asclepius with its own theatre, library, underground tunnel and other buildings. We will stop briefly in the ancient city of Thyatira, where, due to the presence of the modern city of Akhisar, few archaeological remains have thus far been uncovered. John warned the church here about its toleration of a woman symbolically called Jezebel who was leading believers astray, causing them “to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols” (Rev. 2:18- 29). We will then return to our hotel in Izmir. Dinner and overnight Izmir. (B,D)

Jun 15 Mon Ephesus – Izmir
Today will likely be the high note of the tour for most people, as we visit the most impressive biblical site of our trip: Ephesus. The former glory of this city can still today be easily appreciated from its well-preserved streets, temples, fountains, public baths, terraced houses and theatres. Ephesus was also the site of the Artemis temple—one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Indeed, there still exists the same theatre where some 24,000 citizens of Ephesus gathered shouting “Great is Artemis!” in a riot started in response to Paul’s ministry there. The apostle visited this city only briefly during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:18-21) but returned during his third missionary journey for a much longer period of two years and three months (Acts 19:1- 20:1). Timothy later served as pastor in this city during which time Paul wrote him two letters (1 & 2 Timothy). Some years later, Ephesus served as the home base for the apostle John’s ministry from where he wrote a number of letters (1, 2, 3 John) and to which he sent the Book of Revelation. In addition to the ancient city, we will also visit the “slope houses” (the wealthiest homes in Ephesus that have been marvelously reconstructed), the Ephesus Museum, which houses several impressive items from this site, and the Basilica of St. John. We will also visit the local Ceramic Store before returning to our hotel. Dinner and overnight Izmir. (B,D)

Jun 16 Tue Priene, Miletus, Didyma, Izmir
A short drive brings us to Miletus which, due to its four harbors and strategic location on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor, became one of the great cities of commerce in the ancient world. Of the surviving buildings, the finest is the 15,000-seat theatre originally built in the Hellenistic period and expanded in Roman times. Other buildings include the council chamber built during the reign of the infamous Antiochus IV (175-164 BC), the Sacred Road leading to the Apollo Temple in nearby Didyma, the gymnasium and the well-preserved Baths of Faustina dating from AD 43. Paul stopped in Miletus on the return leg of his third missionary journey where he summoned the elders from Ephesus to meet with him and hear his poignant farewell speech (Acts 20:17- 35). Before departing Miletus, we will visit briefly its small but informative archaeological museum. Some 10 miles away, connected by the Sacred Road, is Didyma, not a city but religious site devoted to Apollo. The temple here built in his honor was most impressive, consisting of 122 columns six feet in diameter and reaching six stories high. Although only three full columns have survived, the remaining stunted columns demonstrate why this shrine was a notable rival to the famous temple of Apollo at Delphi with its renowned oracle. In the afternoon, we drive back to Izmir for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

Jun 17 Wed Smyrna - Izmir
Morning visit to Izmir’s brand-new Art Factory Archaeological Museum. Walk to nearby active church for a short visit. Free time at the open air Kemeralti Bazaar. Lunch on your own. Then, visit Smyrna Agora from where we have a great view of the modern city of Izmir and its harbor. Here we think about John’s word of commendation for the Christians in Smyrna who were persevering in the faith despite persecution (Rev. 2:8- 11). Farewell dinner at local seafood restaurant. Overnight Izmir. (B,D)

Jun 18 Thu Izmir Airport – Fly back to Atlanta via Istanbul TK31 Istanbul (IST)-Atlanta (ATL) 14:50 /19:50 - End

• Rountrip international air fare between ATLNATA – ISTANBUL
• Istanbul-Antalya domestic flights
• Izmir-Istanbul domestic flight
• 3 Nights at Moevenpick Hotel in Istanbul or similar
• 2 Night at Doga Thermal Hotel in Pamukkale or similar
• 5 Nights at Moevenpick Hotel in Izmir or similar
• Daily breakfasts
• 9 dinners at the hotels
• 1 Farewell Dinner at Seafood Restaurant in Izmir
• Sightseeing as per the itinerary
• Bosphorus Boat Tour
• All airport-hotel-airport transfers
• All transportation by private bus
• All entry fees to the sites and museums
• English Speaking Licensed tour guides in Greece and Turkey
• Service charges and local taxes

• Lunches and drinks
• Tips to tour guide ($50 per person) and driver ($20 per person)
• All personal expenses, travel and health insurances, all kind of insurances