Seven Churches of Revelation Tour: 8 Days Biblical Turkey

Highlights of the Seven Churches of Revelation Tour

An eight-day pilgrimage through the biblical lands of western Türkiye, following the seven churches addressed in the Book of Revelation, planned in-house by Inca Tour, a TURSAB-licensed operator, and guided throughout in English. From Istanbul you travel through Iznik (Nicaea) and Ottoman Bursa to the ruins of Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Ephesus, Thyatira and Pergamon, with the white terraces of Pamukkale, the coast at Assos and the legendary mound of Troy along the way.

• Istanbul & the Chora — Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Byzantine Hippodrome, Topkapi Palace and the mosaic-filled Church of St Saviour in Chora.
• Iznik (Nicaea) & Bursa — the council city of Nicaea with its lakeside walls, and the first Ottoman capital with its Grand Mosque, Green Mosque and royal tombs.
• Sardis, Philadelphia & Laodicea — three of the seven churches, with Roman baths, a synagogue and the ruins where the "lukewarm" church of Laodicea once stood.
• Ephesus, Hierapolis & Pamukkale — the Library of Celsus, the House of the Virgin Mary, the Basilica of St John, the martyrdom site of St Philip and the dazzling travertines of Pamukkale.
• Pergamon, Thyatira, Assos & Troy — the acropolis and Red Court of Pergamon, the church of Thyatira, St Paul's harbour at Assos, and the nine layers of ancient Troy with its wooden horse.

The tour begins in Istanbul with a full day among its great monuments — the domed Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Byzantine Hippodrome, Topkapi Palace and the exquisite mosaics of the Church of St Saviour in Chora. Crossing the Sea of Marmara you pause at Iznik, the ancient Nicaea where the first ecumenical council met, then continue to Bursa, the first Ottoman capital, to see the Grand Mosque, the Green Mosque and the royal mausoleum. Turning towards the Aegean you visit Sardis, capital of ancient Lydia, with its Roman baths and great synagogue; Philadelphia (Alasehir) with the pillars of the Church of St John; and Laodicea, the seventh church of Revelation, before the white calcium terraces of Pamukkale.

At Hierapolis, where the Apostle Philip was martyred, you continue to Ephesus, the greatest of the seven churches, to walk Curetes Street past the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and the Great Theatre, then visit the House of the Virgin Mary and the Basilica of St John, built over the apostle's tomb. In the ancient land of Lydia and Mysia you reach Thyatira (Akhisar) and the mighty acropolis of Pergamon with the Red Court (the church of Pergamon), before following the coast to Assos, the harbour where St Paul once sailed. The journey closes at Troy, with its nine settlement layers and the famous wooden horse, before a ferry across the Dardanelles and the return to Istanbul. Prices are per person.