Transportation to and from airport in US
ITINERARY
Wednesday, November 1: USA to Istanbul
Depart USA from LAX and on to JFK for a trans-Atlantic
flight.
Thursday, November 2: Istanbul – Izmir
Arrive in Istanbul
and proceed to a
connecting flight to
Izmir. We will have
time to rest at our hotel
in Izmir before we
enjoy a welcome
dinner there. (D)
Friday, November 3: Izmir – Pergamum – Thyatira – Izmir
Visit Thyatira (Akhisar) known for its guilds of artists in the
time of Saint Paul. “I know your works, your love, faith, service
and endurance, that your last works are greater than the first. Yet
I hold this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel…”
Rev 2:19-20
Then, on to Pergamum, home to the famous
physician Galen. Explore
the remains of the
Asclepion, the theater
built into the steep
hillside and the red court
of Pergamum, (also
known as the red
church). The one with the
sharp two-edged sword
says this: “I know that
you live where Satan’s
throne is , and yet you
hold fast to my name and have not denied your faith in me, not
even in the days of Antipas…..Yet I have a few things against
you…” Rev 2: 13-14
We return to Izmir for the night. (B, D)
Saturday, November 4: Izmir – Sardis – Kusadasi
This morning we leave Izmir and travel to Sardis, the most
picturesque of the Seven Churches of the Revelation. John told
the Christians of Sardis
that their letter in the
Revelation was from “the
One who holds the seven
spirits of God, the seven
stars.”He admonished
them to “wake-up, and
put some strength into
what is left.” We will view
the ruins of the famous
temple of Artemis along
the Pactolus River which
date from the Fourth Century BC. Our day will end in the seaport
city of Kusadasi. (B, D)
Sunday, November 5: Ephesus
What a great place to be
on a Sunday morning, the city
of ancient Ephesus. “There
are no gods made with
hands” are the words said by
Saint Paul. Sit and reflect in
the theater in Ephesus where
Saint Paul preached these
very words. Stroll along the
marble roads past the Library
of Celsius and Hadrian’s Temple. Visit the nearby Basilica of
Saint John and Selcuk Ephesus Museum. “Moreover, you have
endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not
grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love
you had at first.” Rev 2:3-4
Late afternoon we return to Kusadasi for overnight (B, D)
Monday, November 6: Pamukkale – Laodicea – Hierapolis
This morning we drive to the ancient city of Aphrodisias,
which was a center of the cult of the Carian Aphrodite, from
which the town took its name. Pilgrims from all over the Greco-
Roman world visited the Temple of Aphrodite, parts of which still
stand. The Temple was transformed into a church after the
Roman Empire adopted Christianity as the state religion. The
magnificent stadium, built during the early period of the Roman
Empire, is perhaps the best preserved of the ancient world. We
will continue on to Pamukkale, where we will view the cascading
tiers of white limestone
and warm mineral
pools that play a part in
the lukewarm state of
mind. We will also visit
Hierapolis, the home of
Saint Philip the Evangelist,
and explore the
necropolis, churches, theatre, Apollo temple, and baths. After
Hierapolis, we will visit Laodicea, another of the Seven
Churches of the Revelation. ”I know your works: I know that you
are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So,
because you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth…”
Rev 3:15
We will stay overnight in Pamukkale at a hotel that
offers many spa treatments. (B, D)
Tuesday, November 7: Konya
This morning we leave Pamukkale and drive to Konya,
where we will visit the tomb of Celaleddin Rumi, also known as
Mevlana, the great mystic poet and Islamic spiritual leader who
founded the “whirling dervishes”. The tomb, the most famous
and striking monument in Konya with its conical turquoise-tile
fluted dome, is now a museum crammed full of precious works
of art and opulent furnishings. We overnight in this area. (B, D)
Wednesday, November 8: Cappadocia
We drive on to Cappadocia with a
stop at Sultanhani, the largest caravanserai
on the Silk Road in Anatolia. We
will also walk along the Ihlara Gorge
visiting rock-hewn churches. After
dinner at our hotel, we will attend a
whirling dervish demonstration to
better understand this sect that was
founded by Mevlana. (B, D)
Thursday, November 9: Cappadocia
We spend a full day touring in this
amazing area, beginning with the
Avcilar Valley and the Open Air Museum
in Goreme, which includes early Christian churches decorated
with unique frescoes of various scenes from the Bible. We will
also visit the Zelve Open Air Museum, Pasabaglair with its
unique fairy chimneys and Avanos with shopping facilities for its
world-wide famous handicrafts. We will spend the night in
Cappadocia. (B, D)
Friday, November 10: Cappadocia – Kayseri – Istanbul
Today we visit the Kaymakli Underground City, a place early
Christians hid from persecutors. “Peter, an apostle of Jesus
Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia…” I Peter 1:1
Another highlight
of today will be the Soganli Village, a remote community famous
for dolls and housing some more rock churches. After dinner,
we will transfer to the airport in Kayseri and fly to Istanbul. (B, D)
Saturday/Sunday, November 11–12: Istanbul
We have two full
days to enjoy the fascinating
city of Istanbul.
This is a city of contrasts;
it even spans the
continents of Europe and
Asia. Our visit will include
the Saint Sophia,
constructed as a basilica
in 536 by the Emperor
Justinian, and the Blue Mosque, famous for its more than
20,000 blue Iznik tiles and six unique minarets. We will visit the
Hippodrome, scene of Byzantine chariot races, where we will
see the Obelisk from Egypt, the Serpentine Column from
Delphi, and the Fountain of Wilhelm II. We will also visit the
Colossus and the Yerebatan Underground Cistern, and tour
Topkapi Palace, home of the Ottoman Sultans. Of course, no
visit to Istanbul would be complete without shopping in the
Grand Bazaar.
We will also take a
relaxing boat cruise
from the Golden Horn
through the waterway
separating Asia and
Europe. We will see
marble palaces, ancient
wooden villas of
Ottoman architecture,
modern residences, the
Çiragan Palace Hotel,
Dolmabahçe Palace,
Beylerbeyi Palace, and
the Bosphorus and
Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges. We will have lunch in Tarabya or
Sarýyer at the end of our cruise. (B, D)
Monday, November 13: Istanbul to USA
We transfer to the airport for the flight home. (B)
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