Turkey, The Second Holy Land

Paul’s Missionary Journeys

The Seven Churches of Revelation, Sites of the Ecumenical Councils

Led by:

The Rev. Orion Davis

Worldwide Pilgrimage Ministries

April 26 – May 9, 2013

DAY 1: Friday, April 26, 2013 - Depart from JFK Airport, New York City, NY.  Meals on board flights. M

DAY 2: Saturday, April 27, 2013 - Arrive Istanbul, Turkey and transfer to the flight to Kayseri, Turkey’s fourth largest city where we meet our driver and guide, and then drive the short distance to Urgup where we spend three nights.  We will enjoy a “welcome to Turkey” dinner in our hotel this evening.  Overnight Urgup. MD

DAY 3: Sunday, April 28, 2013 - Today will be our first chance for a hot air balloon ride, which is optional.  Then, we have a full day excursion of Cappadocia to view the fairy chimneys which were formed through years of erosion.  We also visit Goreme where the paintings in the ancient churches have a special place in Christian art as the effects of both the East and West are discernable.  We will see a whirling dervish performance and overnight in Urgup. BD

DAY 4: Monday, April 29, 2013 - Today is our second chance for a hot air balloon ride.  We continue our exploration of Cappadocia and visit Selime.  We will see Zelve where the entire village was carved into the rocks as a hiding place during the period of Christianity.  We see Uchisar and the Peribaca Valley and return to Urgup for dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 5: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 - We continue southwest today and visit Agzikarahan where we see the old caravansary built in 1239.  Then we travel on to Ihlara where the Melindiz River has carved a rift into the sheer cliffs.  The cliffs are pierced by thousands of churches, chapels and caves.  We will hike through this valley and have lunch before we continue to Konya where we will visit the tomb of Rumi.  Dinner and overnight Konya. BD

DAY 6: Wednesday, May 1, 2013 - We depart for Antalya, a beautiful port city used by Christian armies en route to the Holy Land during the Crusades.  We travel to the narrow coastal area between the Taurus Mountains and the northern reach of the Mediterranean Sea, a district known as Pamphylia.  We visit Perge where Paul preached when arriving from Cyprus (Acts 13-14) with Barnabas and then Aspendos, location of the best preserved ancient theater in Turkey with its incredible acoustics.  We see the acropolis, a Roman aqueduct, the Agora and the Nymphaeum, a sanctuary to the nymphs built around a fountain decorated with a marble dolphin.  Dinner and overnight in Antalya. BD

DAY 7: Thursday, May 2, 2013 - We begin our day with a visit to the world famous Antalya Museum and continue to Laodicea, one of the Seven Churches of Revelation.  We continue to Pamukkale where you will see the ruins of the Roman baths.  St. Phillip was martyred here in 80 AD.  We will have the possibility of a relaxing soak in the mineral-rich volcanic spring water at Pamukkale.  Dinner and overnight Pamukkale. BD

DAY 8: Friday, May 3, 2013 - Today we travel to Bodrum where we take a relaxing gulet cruise on the beautiful waters of the Aegean and enjoy lunch on the boat before our dinner and overnight in Bodrum. BD

DAY 9: Saturday, May 4, 2013 - We will visit the sites of Bodrum including the castle and museum before departing for Kusadasi where we will have dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 10: Sunday, May 5, 2013 - We visit Selcuk where we see the ruins of the Basilica of St. John which ranked with Hagia Sophia as one of the largest Byzantine churches.  The grave of St. John the Divine is located here.  We visit Mary’s House, thought to be the last home of the Virgin Mary, and Ephesus, the best-preserved ancient city in the world. Once on the sea, Ephesus is now 3 miles inland.  Paul preached at the stadium (Acts 19) and the theater and wrote some of his Epistles here.  We visit the Double Church of Mary and return to our hotel in Kusadasi for dinner and overnight. BD

Day 11: Monday, May 6, 2013 - After breakfast we travel to Bergama, the modern name for the ancient Greek-Roman site of Pergamum, another of the Seven Cities of Revelation and a magnificent architectural and artistic center in its heyday.  We visit the Acropolis, Asklepion, and the ruins of the ancient library which once contained 200,000 books.  We return to Kusadasi for our dinner and overnight. BD

Day 12: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 - We fly from Izmir to Istanbul where we meet our driver and go directly to our waiting boat for a cruise on the Bosporus to the Black Sea where we will have lunch.  We return to Istanbul and visit the Kariye Museum, which occupies what was once the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora.  The 14th century mosaics and frescoes depicting biblical scenes are considered to be among the finest Byzantine works in the world.  We see the massive Constantinian walls which are 10 to 20 feet thick and protected ancient Constantinople from attack.  We will have dinner and overnight in Istanbul. BLD

Day 13: Wednesday, May 8, 2013 - We begin with a visit to Topkapi Palace, located on Seraglio Point where the Bosporus meets the Golden Horn.  The palace was home to the sultans and their harems until 1868.  The museum here contains breathtaking jewels, robes and other riches from the time of the sultans.  We visit the Hippodrome, once a Roman stadium and the Yerebetan Saray (Sunken Palace), part of an underground network of waterways.  We explore the great Blue Mosque, a grand monument to Islam and Hagia Sophia (Church of Holy Wisdom), Christendom’s most important church for 900 years before it was turned into a mosque in 1453.  The mosaics were once covered with plaster and have since been uncovered. There will be a visit to the famous Spice Market for a little shopping before our “farewell to Turkey” dinner and overnight in Istanbul. BD

Day 14: Thursday, May 9, 2013 - We depart from Istanbul for our flight to the USA. BM

Price: $3,399.00 per person.  Air from JFK, New York City

Price is based on double occupancy without airline taxes and fuel surcharges, which will be added to your final invoice.  Taxes and fuel surcharges are currently $391.00 and may change.  Air transportation available from other cities.  Single supplement:  $599.00

Tips for the driver and guide are NOT included.

Deposit of $200.00 per person due with application.

Final payment due February 15, 2013

Cancellation Penalties
◊ Until January 15, 2013: $100.00 plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ January 16 – February 15, 2013: $200.00 plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ After February 16, 2013: NO REFUND

An application for travel insurance will be included with the receipt for your deposit.  We strongly recommend that you seriously consider this coverage.

Meals: B Breakfast, L Lunch, D Dinner, M Meals on Aircraft

The itinerary is subject to change due to local conditions or at the discretion and direction of the leader or guide.