Day 01
Arrive Adana
Meet at the airport after clearing passport control
and drive to Antioch. Before dinner, a “Welcome
Briefing” will be presented by your English speaking
guide, who will accompany you throughout the entire
tour.
Day 02
Full day in Antioch
Antioch was the headquarters of St. Paul’s
Missionary Journeys. It was the third largest city
of the Roman Empire, rivaled only by Rome and
Alexandria. St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Barnabas and
St. Timothy
all preached in this place where Jesus’ followers
were first called Christians. Visit the cave church
where St. Peter first celebrated Mass. South of the
church, the Iron Gate was one of the actual
entrances of Biblical Antioch; strolling through the
old part of the city, you cannot help recalling the
saints who walked these old streets, for little has
changed since that
time. After lunch, drive to Seleucia Peria mentioned
in the New Testament as the port from which St. Paul
and St. Barnabas set sail for Anatolia on their
first missionary journey (45-46 AD). Visit the
Temple of Zeus for a bird’s eye view of the harbor,
and then visit the famous Titus water tunnel. Return
to hotel for overnight.
Day 03
Antioch - Tarsus - Cappadocia
Drive to Tarsus; visit the birthplace of St. Paul
(10 AD) and drink from the well of the blessed
water. Continue on to Cappadocia, land of unique
landscapes and the unusual rock formations called
“Fairy Chimneys”. Early inhabitants carved the soft
volcanic rock to create underground dwellings, that
eventually grew to become entire cities where as
many as six thousand Christians hid to escape
persecution. Elaborate churches-by some counts over
a thousand of them-were also carved of the porous
rock, and lavishly decorated with frescoes; many of
these 9th to 11th century art works still remain.
Transfer to hotel for overnight.
Day 04
Cappadocia
Full day exploring Cappadocia. Visit Goreme Open Air
Museum, Avanos, the pottery making town, the natural
Citadel of Uchisar and the monastic Zelve Valley
Day 05
Cappadocia
Visit the Ihlara Valley including painted cave
churches, Güzelyurt (Karballa), the birthplace of
St.Gregory of Nazianzus and the underground city of
Kaymaklı. Return to hotel for overnight.
Day 06
Cappadocia - Konya - Antalya
Early departure to Konya. Visit the Mevlana Museum
and the 13th century Whirling Dervish Monastery.
After lunch, drive to Antalya.
Day 07
Demre - Hierapolis - Pamukkale
Early departure to Demre, one of the six great
cities of the Lycian civilization which was first
settled in the 5th century B.C. The rock tombs,
theater and Church of St.Nicholas commemorate the
life and work of this Fourth Century Bishop. Saint
Nicholas provided the dowries for three poor girls
who would not have been able to marry otherwise, the
beginning of our tradition of Christmas giving.
Continue to Hierapolis, where we will visit the
Martyrium of St.Philip amidst the site’s extensive
ruins. Overnight in Pamukkale.
Day 08
Pamukkale- Hierapolis - Laodicea
Complete the tour of Hierapolis, see the wonderful
formation of stalactites in Pamukkale (Cotton
Castle), the Roman Bath which later became a church,
then visit |
Laodicea, one of the
Seven Churches of the Revelation, continue to
Kuşadası for overnight.
Day 09
Patmos - Kuşadası
Today we’ll travel by private boat to the Greek
Island of Patmos, location of the cave where John
wrote the Book of Revelation, and also spent some time at
St. John’s Monastery. Return to Kuşadası for
overnight.
Day 10
Ephesus - Izmir
Depart for Ephesus, cradle of the early Churches.
Visit the House of the Virgin Mary, ancient Ephesus,
the Archaeological Museum, the Temple of Diana (one
of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), the
grave and Basilica of St. John. Dinner and overnight
in Izmir.
Day 11
Sardis - Philadelphia - Izmir
After Mass at the Church of St. Polycarp, travel to
Sardis, the capital city of the ancient kingdom of
Lydia, and the church which was built on the
foundations of the Temple of Artemis. After
traveling to Philadelphia, return to Izmir. Balance
of the afternoon is free to explore the city and its
ancient bazaar. Overnight in Izmir.
Day 12
Pergamum - Bursa
Depart to Pergamum to see the Asclepion, the ancient
hospital whose approach to medicine was remarkably
modern, the Acropolis, the church at the site of
ancient Serapium, and the Red Court dedicated to St.
John. Continue to Bursa; visit the Green Mosque and
the Green Mausoleum. Overnight in Bursa.
Day 13
Bursa - Nicea- Iznik - Istanbul
Drive to Iznik (ancient Nicaea) via the beautiful
Iznik lake road. Two ecumenical councils were held
here: the First Ecumenical Council of 325 and the
Seventh Ecumenical Council of 787. Visit the ruins
of the St. Sophia Church where the Seventh
Ecumenical Council was held. In the afternoon, drive
to Istanbul, the only city in the world spanning two
continents; transfer to hotel. Evening at leisure.
Day 14
Istanbul
A full day of sight-seeing in Istanbul. Visit the
Blue Mosque with its beautiful blue tiles, the Roman
Hippodrome, and Topkapi Museum, the Imperial
Residential Palace of the Ottoman sultans between
the 16th and 19th centuries and the oldest and
largest of the remaining palaces in the world. Its
displays include priceless world-class collections
of jewelry, porcelain and costumes of the sultans.
In the afternoon, take a boat trip through the
Bosphorus Strait, viewing the mosques, palaces, old
traditional wooden villas and the beauty of the
Asian and European shorelines on each side. Evening
at leisure.
Day 15
Istanbul
In the morning, visit St. Sophia Museum, built by
Constantine the Great and reconstructed by Justinian
in the 6th century, one of the world’s greatest
architectural marvels and a designated World
Heritage site. After lunch, visit St. Chora Church,
with its beautiful mosaics,
Afterward, we`ll have the opportunity to go shopping
at the Grand Bazaar. This evening, we gather for a
farewell dinner.
Day 16
Istanbul - End
After an early breakfast at the hotel, transfer to
the Istanbul Ataturk Airport for your flight home. |
Cappadocia |
