Biblical Sites in Turkey Tour

After breakfast you spend a full day in the historic heart of the city. You begin at the ancient Hippodrome with its Egyptian obelisk and serpentine column, then enter the magnificent Blue Mosque and the great church-mosque of Hagia Sophia, the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. You tour the imperial Topkapi Palace with its treasury and sacred relics, see the early church of Saint Irene, and end at the Chora (Kariye) Museum, celebrated for the finest Byzantine mosaics and frescoes in the world. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast you transfer to the airport for a short domestic flight to Kayseri, the gateway to Cappadocia. On arrival you drive into the extraordinary volcanic landscape of fairy chimneys and rock valleys where the early Christians found refuge. The remainder of the day is at leisure to settle into your cave-style hotel and take in the scenery. Overnight in Cappadocia.

A full day among the rock-cut churches and valleys of Cappadocia. You explore the Goreme Open Air Museum, a cluster of Byzantine cave chapels adorned with biblical frescoes, climb the natural citadel of Uchisar for sweeping views, visit the pottery town of Avanos on the Red River, and wander the monastic rock cones of the Zelve Valley. Overnight in Cappadocia.

Today you walk part of the green Ihlara Valley, a gorge lined with painted cave churches cut into the cliffs, and visit Guzelyurt (ancient Karballa), the birthplace of Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, one of the great Cappadocian Fathers of the early church. You also descend into one of the region's astonishing multi-level underground cities, carved deep into the soft rock as a refuge for early Christian communities. Overnight in Cappadocia.

After breakfast you drive south towards the Mediterranean, stopping in Konya, the ancient Iconium visited by Saint Paul and Barnabas. Here you visit the Mevlana Museum, the tomb of the mystic poet Rumi, and the thirteenth-century lodge of the Whirling Dervishes. Continuing over the Taurus Mountains you descend to the coast at Antalya. Overnight in Antalya.

An early start takes you along the coast to Demre, the ancient Myra, where you visit the fourth-century Church of Saint Nicholas — the bishop who became the original Santa Claus — together with the Lycian rock tombs and theatre. You then travel inland to Hierapolis to see the Martyrium of Saint Philip, built where the apostle is believed to have been martyred, before overnighting beside the white terraces of Pamukkale. Overnight in Pamukkale.

This morning you complete your exploration of Hierapolis and walk barefoot across the dazzling white travertine terraces of Pamukkale, the "Cotton Castle" formed by warm, mineral-rich springs. You see the Roman bath that was later converted into a church, then visit nearby Laodicea, the "lukewarm" church addressed in the Book of Revelation, with its stadiums, theatres and early Christian basilica. Afterwards you drive to the Aegean resort of Kusadasi. Overnight in Kusadasi.

Today is devoted to the sacred sites around Selcuk. You visit the Basilica of Saint John, raised over the tomb of the apostle and evangelist, and the House of the Virgin Mary on Bulbul Mountain, a quiet chapel honoured as the place where Mary spent her final years. You also see the lone surviving column of the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Overnight in Kusadasi.

After breakfast you explore ancient Ephesus, one of the greatest cities of the Roman world and a cradle of early Christianity where Saint Paul preached and wrote his epistle. You walk the marble streets past the Library of Celsus, the great theatre and the terraced houses, and visit the Ephesus Archaeological Museum. You then travel to Izmir, the ancient Smyrna of the Seven Churches. Overnight in Izmir.

Today you visit two more of the Seven Churches of Revelation. At Sardis you see the monumental Temple of Artemis, the restored Roman gymnasium and one of the oldest synagogues of the ancient world; at Philadelphia (modern Alasehir) you walk among the surviving pillars of the Byzantine Church of Saint John. You may also pause at the Church of Saint Polycarp in Izmir, dedicated to the city's martyred bishop, before returning to Izmir for the night. Overnight in Izmir.

You drive north to Pergamum (modern Bergama), another of the Seven Churches, to see the healing sanctuary of the Asclepion, the steep Acropolis with its library and temples, and the Red Basilica — the great brick Serapeum later rededicated to Saint John. In the afternoon you continue to the first Ottoman capital, Bursa, famous for its Grand Mosque and its green setting beneath Mount Uludag. Overnight in Bursa.

& Return to Istanbul (Breakfast) After breakfast you explore Bursa, with its Grand Mosque and historic silk bazaar, then drive to lakeside Iznik, the ancient Nicaea, where the First Ecumenical Council of 325 defined the Nicene Creed. You visit the ruins of the Church of Hagia Sophia, which later hosted the Seventh Ecumenical Council, before returning to Istanbul, where your biblical journey through Turkey comes to a close. End of our services.