A “Taste of the Second Holy Land”

Youth Pilgrimage to Turkey

Led by:

The Rev. Paris Coffey
St. Christopher's Episcopal Church
Oak Park, IL

July 23 – August 1, 2010

DAY 1, Friday, July 23, 2010 - Depart the Chicago Airport on United Airlines to Munich, Germany to connect to our flight into Izmir, TurkeyDinner on board the aircraft. D

DAY 2: Saturday, July 24, 2010 - Arrive Izmir (ancient Smyrna - Rev. 2:8).  This was the second of the seven churches in Asia Minor to which John wrote (Rev. 1:11).  We meet our guide and driver after obtaining our luggage and a visa for Turkey.  VISAS ARE $20 (SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME) AND MUST BE PAID IN CASH UPON ARRIVAL.  PLEASE HAVE $20 IN US CURRENCY AVAILABLE.  Eager to begin, we board our motor coach and proceed to a point high above the city offering us a grand panoramic overview of Smyrna.  We will visit the “Velvet Castle”, the walls of which may have been partly constructed by the soldiers/builders of Alexander the Great.  We continue to our hotel in Kusadasi for dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 3: Sunday, July 25, 2010 - After breakfast, a short drive to Selcuk for a visit to Ephesus, the best preserved ancient city in the world.  Once on the sea, the city is now about 3 miles inland.  Paul is believed to have written some of his Epistle here and he preached at the Stadium (Acts 19) and the Theater.  We visit the Double Church of St. Mary’s (site of the Ecumenical Council).  After spending most of the day exploring Ephesus, we visit St. John’s Basilica, built by the emperor Justinian over a 2nd century tomb believed by many to have once held the body of St. John the Evangelist and Mary’s House, thought by many to be the last home of the Virgin Mary.  We return to our hotel in Kusadasi for dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 4: Monday, July 26, 2010 - We drive inland through the Turkish countryside to Pamukkale which first appears as a towering white chalky cliff rising from the plains.  Mineral-rich volcanic spring water cascades over basins and natural terraces, crystallizing into white curtains of solidified water.  We visit Hierapolis, founded by the King of Pergamum, where, among the sites, we will see the huge Necropolis with over 1,000 sarcophagi.  St. Philip was martyred here in 80 AD.  We relax and soak in the mineral rich volcanic hot spring water while we watch the sun set. Dinner and overnight Pamukkale. BD

DAY 5: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 - Today we visit Laodicea, where one of the most important seven churches of Christian history used to stand.  We see Philadelphia (Alasehir town), established by King Attalus II Philadelphus.  Philadelphia is the sixth of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation. Now on to Sardis, this ancient city was the capital of Lydia under King Croesus who built many temples, the most famous of which is the Temple of Artemis.  We continue our travels to Bergama, the modern name for the ancient Greek-Roman site of Pergamum.  Dinner and overnight Bergama. BD

DAY 6: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - We explore Pergamum, another of the Seven Cities of Revelation and a magnificent architectural and artistic center in its heyday.  We visit the Acropolis, the Theatre and the ruins of the ancient Library which once contained 200,000 books.  We will also see the Asklepieon, the 1st known whole health center.  We continue on to the legendary Troy, mentioned in Homer’s “lliad” and Odyssey”.  The Trojan wars will come to life as you visit the place of the heroes Agamemnon, Achilles and Ulysses and view a replica of the famous wooden horse.  Our journey continues to Canakkale for overnight. BD

DAY 7: Thursday, July 29, 2010 - Today we will visit Iznik (once known as Nicaea), now little more than a small town but twice in its history one of the most important places in Christendom.  The first great ecumenical council was held at Nicaea in 325 under Constantine the Great.  A second council in 787 marked the splitting of Eastern and Western Christianity.  We visit St. Sophia Church, one of the earliest churches of Christendom and where the Nicene Creed was written.  We tour around Iznik Lake and visit the Gardens.  We continue to our hotel for overnight.  Dinner and overnight Iznik. BD

DAY 8: Friday, July 30, 2010 - After breakfast we will depart for Istanbul.  We board the ferry and cross the Sea of Marmara arriving on the Asia side of Istanbul.  We cross the Bosporus Bridge traveling from the continent of Asia to the continent of Europe.  This afternoon we visit the ancient Hippodrome; the Blue Mosque, a grand monument to Islam; and Hagia Sophia (Church of the Holy Wisdom), Christendom’s most important church for 900 years before it was turned into a mosque in 1453.  This evening we experience a Mevlevi Sema (Dervish Mystic Religious Rite), an elaboration of the whirling done by Mevalana Rumi on the streets of Konya in the 13th century.  The ceremony has seven parts symbolizing the whirling dervish’s love of God, humankind and all creation.  Dinner and overnight Istanbul. BD

DAY 9: Saturday, July 31, 2010 - We begin the day with a visit to 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.  View the Constantinian Walls, built by Theodosius II in 413 AD.  The massive walls are 10 to 20 feet thick and protected ancient Constantinople from attack.  We visit the underground cistern before continuing to the famous Grand Bazaar whose 64 winding streets are covered and crammed with over 4000 shops.  Dinner and overnight Istanbul. BD

DAY 10: Sunday, August 1, 2010 - An early wakeup call, then we board our flight that will take us from Istanbul to Munich before arriving back into Chicago this afternoon.  We return home with an enriched understanding of the journeys of Paul and John and a greater appreciation of this beautiful part of God’s world. B

Price:  $2,899.00.  Price is based on double occupancy without airline taxes and fuel surcharges.  Airline taxes and surcharges will be added to your final payment invoice.  Estimated taxes as of March 10, 2010 $339.00 per person.  Roundtrip air from Chicago's O'Hare Airport.  Air transportation available from other cities.  Single supplement:  $259.00.

*A $20.00 USD Cash Only Payment (Exact amount) due upon arrival into Turkey for your Visa.  *Price for Turkish Visa subject to change without notice.

* The price is not guaranteed and may change due to the fluctuation of the Euro and the US dollar.  We make every effort to avoid any increase and will only do so if the value of the dollar falls against the Euro.  Your pricing was based on the exchange rate of $1.43 to the Euro. *

Final Payment due April 23, 2010

Cancellation Penalties
◊ March 10, 2010 – April 22, 2010:  $100 per person plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ April 23, 2010 – June 7, 2010 :  $200 per person plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ After June 8, 2010:  NO REFUND

Price includes trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance

Meals: B Breakfast, L Lunch, D Dinner, S Snack

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