Turkey & Greece In The Footsteps Of St.Paul

DAY 4 — ISTANBUL/Izmir/Sardis/Philadelphia/Laodicea/PAMUKKALE

Transfer to the airport where will take the first flight of the day to
Izmir. Upon arrival in Izmir we will start driving East towards Pamukkale.
Our first stop will be at Salihli, ancient Sardis, capital of the ancient
Kingdom of Lydia. From here we will continue on to Alasehir, ancient
Philadelphia, the first of the Seven Churches. Visit Laodicea, a vast Roman
colony, which stood at the junction of two important main roads which then
prospered from trade and banking. Laodicea was one of the Seven Churches
addressed by John in the Revelation.

DAY 5— PAMUKKALE/Hierapolis/Colossae/Miletus/KUSADASI 

Today we visit Pamukkale and the ruins of Hierapolis, which is located right
over the travertine terraces, and which was a fashionable spa centre in
Roman times. From here we drive East to Colossae, the city to which Paul
wrote his letter from Ephesus or Rome, and from which we learn the
Colossians, the inhabitants of this city, learned about the grace of God
from his disciple, Epaphras. Visit Miletus, which in ancient times was a
port situated at the mouth of the Meander River. St. Paul visited Miletus in
spring – possibly in AD 47. We finish our day by driving to Kusadasi, a
well-inhabited touristic port town on the Aegean where we will be spending
the night.

DAY 6 – KUSADASI/Ephesus/IZMIR

Visit Ephesus, which began as a port on the mouth of the Cayster River. It
became one of the leading cities of the world, linking the western end of
trade routes in Anatolia with the rest of the Mediterranean. Paul preached
and taught in Ephesus for over two years. He had to leave Ephesus following
the famous riot agitated by the Silversmith Demetrius who was concerned that
the advent of the new religion would hurt his trade of selling silver
statues of Artemis. Some authorities believe that following the riot, St.
Paul was imprisoned in the so-called “Prison of St Paul” in Ephesus. You
will visit Ephesus archaeological site where you will see the great theatre,
Celsius library and the fabulous Curetes Street. We will also visit the
Basilica of St. John and the Temple of Artemis, and continue on to Izmir,
ancient Smyrna, to which John wrote one of his letters. In Izmir we have a
brief tour of the city including a visit to the Church of St. Polycarp,
which the original building of which was founded as a gift by the stern
French Cardinal Richelieu in 1625.

DAY 7— IZMIR/Thyatira/Pergamon/CANAKKALE

After breakfast we will leave for Thyatira, which is one of the Seven
Churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
Later proceed to Pergamon, modern Bergama. Pergamon was the site of one of
the Seven Churches, which John addresses in the Revelation. See the famous
Altar of Zeus, Trajan’s Temple, the Temple of Isis and Serapis and the
Temple of Athena were located here. The city boasted an outstanding library
that rivalled that of Alexandria in importance and a famous school of
sculpture. We will visit the Acropolis where there is a great Hellenistic
theatre and Trajan’s Temple. Also we will visit Asclepion, which was a
sanctuary and a healing centre built in the name of the god of healing,
Asclepius. After visiting the Homonym Church, which is also known as the
Basilica of St. John, we drive North to Canakkale. Overnight in Canakkale.

DAY 8— CANAKKALE/TROY/ALEXANDROUPOLIS

Arrive in Rhodes early this morning. Leaving the harbor, (optional) we will drive along the picturesque eastern coastline, scattered with white-washed villages, to Lindos, which is guarded by huge medieval walls constructed by the Knights of St. John in the 13th Century. Within, stands the ancient Acropolis of Lindos on the brink of a precipice 400 feet above the sea. From the Acropolis there are breathtaking views of the great expanse of the Aegean Sea and St. Paul’s Bay where the Apostle cast anchor during his historic voyage to Ephesus. We will proceed up the Great Staircase leading from the Hellenistic portico to the Temple of Athena — among the most important temples of the Ancient Greek World. After having visited the Acropolis, return to Rhodes city. Enjoy a panoramic drive in the new part of the city, stop for a view of the walled old town from Mt. Smith and then see the ruins of ancient Rhodes town, the Temple of Apollo and Diagoras Stadium. The return is directly to the port and the ship for lunch. Overnight on board our cruise ship..