Turkey

Apr 19 Mon Depart USA – OWN FLIGHTS

Apr 20 Tue Arrive Istanbul– Take 14:20/16:05 flight to Antioch
(Hatay Airport) & overnight Antioch Arrive Antioch (Hatay Airport) at 16:05. TUTKU representative will meet you with “DENNIS & DOUG – TUTKU” sign. Meet and transfer to the famous Museum Hotel in Antioch. Dinner and overnight Antioch. (D)

Apr 21 Wed St Peter Cave Church, Archaelogy Museum, Seleucia Pereia, overnight Antioch
Depart to to Samandağ to visit Seleucia Pieria, Antioch’s port city, and Titus Tunnels. Lunch in Samandağ. Return to Antakya to visit the Church of Saint Peter, Antioch Hippodrome, and the Mosaic Museum under our hotel. Dinner and overnight at The Museum Hotel in Antioch. (B,D)

Apr 22 Thu Tarsus - Cappadocia
Drive Tarsus, birth place of Paul. Visit St Paul’s Well, and Cleopatra Gate. Continue to the remarkable region of Cappadocia where the erosion of soft volcanic stone has created bizarre yet beautiful geological formations—rock cones, capped pinnacles, stark ravines and steep precipices. Dinner and overnight Cappadocia. (B,D)

Apr 23 Fri Cappadocia
Optional hot air balloon in the early morning. Visit the Göreme Valley, declared by UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site, contains some 30 or more churches built by carving rooms out of the soft volcanic tufa. These churches date from the 9th century onwards and feature superb Byzantine frescoes of biblical and early Christian scenes. We will also visit the underground city of Kaymalki. This is one of around 40 underground cities whose use dates back to the 5th century BC, which were extensively occupied by Christians during the Byzantine period. Dinner and overnight Cappadocia. (B,D)

Apr 24 Sat Fly Antalya – Perga - Antalya
Drive to Kayseri airport for XQ 7033 09:55/11:15 ASR-AYT flight to Antalya, a popular resort town on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Visit Perge, where Paul landed after sailing from the island of Cyprus during his first missionary journey (Acts 14:13-14). That Perge 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 under-floor heating, colonnaded marketplace, water fountains, and impressive colonnaded street with a flowing water channel in the middle. A little further east is Aspendos, which is impressive for both its magnificent aqueduct and its 20,000-seat theatre which is the best-preserved in the whole of Turkey. We then return to Antalya, which in Paul’s day was known as Atallia and was the place from where the apostle sailed home at the end of his first missionary journey (Acts 14:25-26). In the heart of the old town we will visit 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. Enjoy a tasty lunch (a modest donation for the lunch will help support the ministry here) and then listen to a Turkish pastor about what it is like to live as a Christian in a country where 99.9% of its citizens are Muslim. Afterwards, we will have free time to walk and shop in the quaint restored area of the old harbor, also enjoying the view of the very port from which Paul sailed. Dinner and overnight Antalya. (B,D)

Apr 25 Sun Psidian Antioch, Laodicea, overnight Pamukkale (watch sunset)
We travel next to an even more important city in Paul’s first missionary journey: Antioch of Pisidia (not to be confused with Antioch on the Orontes). Archaeological excavations have uncovered the remains of a thriving city, complete with theater, imperial temple, stadium, baths, water fountains, paved streets and aqueduct. This Antioch included Christians to whom Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians. We visit both the ruins of the ancient city as well as its small museum in Yalvac, which contains the important Sergius Paulus inscription and the famous funerary inscription of Caesar Augustus. 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 from not only the size of the ancient site but also its two theatres, stadium, aqueduct and 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). Overnight in one of the nearby modern resorts of Pamukale whose thermal baths are sure to revive your tired body! (B,D)

Apr 26 Mon Free day - overnight Pamukkale. (B,D)

Apr 27 Tue Hierapolis (take shuttle up to Philip’s Tomb), Aphrodisias - Kusadasi
Start the day by visiting the third of the three key biblical cities in the Lycus Valley: Hierapolis. With its hot thermal springs well-known already in the ancient world for its medicinal qualities as well 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. Our next stop is Aphrodisias, excavated by the New York University. See its theater, well-preserved stadium, and more. Dinner and overnight Kusadasi. (B,D)

Apr 28 Wed Ephesus – Kusadasi
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 seven wonders of the ancient world. There is 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. Dinner and overnight Kusadasi. (B,D)

Apr 29 Thu Pergamum Acropolis, and Red Basilica, Assos, overnight Canakkale
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. John warned the church here that they were living in a place of “Satan’s throne” (Rev. 2:12-17). Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Assos where Paul stopped on his third missionary journey; Acts 20:13-14. (B,D)

Apr 30 Fri Alexander Troas, Troy, brief stop at Gallipoli, overnight Istanbul
Visit Alexander Troas where Paul had a vision to go to Macedonia (Acts 16; 20; etc.) to see the harbor and the new excavation area. Then visit the legendary Troy and see the replica of the Wooden Horse. Cross the new intercontinental bridge from Canakkale to Gallipoli, for a brief stop. Continue to Istanbul for dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B,D)

May 1 Sat Istanbul
We will visit the famous Blue Mosque, with its six minarets and sparkling interior. We will visit the Archaeological Museum and nearby Museum of the Ancient Orient — two world class museums where artifacts from all over the Near East have been collected — including the famous Jerusalem Temple Inscription and the inscription from Hezekiah’s Tunnel (also from Jerusalem). Walk through St. Sophia (Hagia Sophia) that, for 1000 years, was the largest church in Christendom. Built by Justinian (532-537 AD), the church has 107 columns and beautiful glass mosaics. After final visits to Topkapi Palace, and St Irene Church, we will have dinner at the hotel in Istanbul. (B,D)

May 2 Sun Istanbul
We enjoy a beautiful cruise on the Bosphorus Sea. This is a relaxing and excellent vantage point to view Istanbul’s many famous landmarks that dot both its European and Asian shores. Then, we will have a visit to the Grand Bazaar. Free time beginning from noon to the Farewell Dinner at Hamdi Restaurant, overnight Istanbul. (B,D)

May 3 Mon 09:00 am Pick up. Transfer to Istanbul Airport – END

• Istanbul - Antioch flight on April 20 (flight time can be changed)
• Kayseri - Antalya flight on April 24
• 2 Nights at The Museum Hotel in Antioch or similar
• 2 Nights at Yunak Cave House Hotel in Cappadocia or similar
• 2 Nights at Ramada Plaza Hotel in Antalya or similar
• 1 Night at Doga Thermal Hotel in Pamukkale or similar
• 2 Nights at Ilayda Avantgarde Hotel in Kusadasi
• 1 Night at Kolin Hotel in Canakkale or similar
• 3 Nights at Crown Plaza Hotel in Istanbul or similar
• Daily open buffet breakfasts
• 12 Dinners at the hotels
• Farewell Dinner at Hamdi Restaurant
• Transportation by Private Bus throughout the tour
• All airport transfers
• English Speaking Bible-oriented licensed tour guide Mrs.Tulu Gokkadar
• All entry fees to the sites and museums
• Service charges and local taxes
• TUTKU gifts, archaeology map of Turkey, t-shirt, round-ended electric adapter
• Customary tips to tour guide and driver

• Roundtrip air fare between the USA – Istanbul
• Lunches and drinks
• Travel and Health Insurance, any kind of personal expenses
• OPTIONAL Hot air Balloon trip in Cappadocia ($350 per person) between 05:00-07:00 am