Seven Churches and Cave of Abraham

Duration : 9 Nights

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Seven Churches and Cave of Abraham

Day 1 ( Welcome to Turkey )

• Arriving at Istanbul International Airport, pick up and transfer to the hotel.
• Overnight stay in Istanbul.

Day 2 ( Full-day sightseeing in Istanbul )

• Pickup time: 08:15 am at the hotel for the tour,
• Places to visit: Haghia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar and Topkapi Palace.
• The tour is scheduled to end around 4:00 pm,
• Back to the hotel and overnight in Istanbul.

Day 3 ( Sanliurfa and Cave of Abraham )

• Fly in the early morning to Sanliurfa.

Since Prophet Abraham is known well by Jews, Christians, and Muslims, the following sites are visited by believers of the three religions.

• Places of interest are;

1. Cave of Abraham where Prophet Abraham was born, hence the city is called “The Prophets’ City”,
2. The legendary Pool of Sacred Fish (Aynzeliha-Halil-ürrahman Lake ) where Abraham was thrown into the fire by Nimrod. The pool is in the courtyard of the mosque of Halil-ur-Rahman.
3. Great Mosque of Urfa built in 1170 on the site of a Christian church which the Arabs called the “Red Church“. Contemporary tradition at the site identifies the well of the mosque as that into which the towel or burial cloth (mendil) of Jesus was thrown.

• Overnigt in Sanliurfa.

Day 4 ( Izmir & Pergamon )

• You will fly to Izmir via Istanbul and then be transported by car to Pergamon for overnight stay.

Day 5 ( Full-day tour in Pergamon and Smyrna )

• Main sites to visit for the day are;

1. The Acropolis: The Great Altar of Pergamon from Acropolis and now in Berlin Pergamon Museum was believed to be dedicated to Zeus and was referred to as “Satan’s Throne” by John of Patmos in his Book of Revelation (Revelation 2:13).
2. Visit the Asclepion, the god of healing, was the ancient medical center for the Roman Empire and the Greeks.
3. Smyrna, was a trade center on the Aegean Sea famous for its harbours, commerce and martket places, and now it’s a modern city called Izmir.

• We will visit St. Polycarp Church before returning to Izmir for overnight stay.

Day 6 ( Churches of Thyatira, Sardis and Philadelphia )

• Driving from Izmir to Manisa Province to visit Churches of Thyatira, Sardis and Philadelphia.

The Turkish name of Thyatira is Akhisar (white castle) which is a modern city known for its textile and dyeing trades. Thyatira was home to a significant Christian church, mentioned as one of the Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation. It was also criticized because of its tolerance of an immoral woman, Jezebel, who called herself a prophetess (Rev. 2:18-29). The next stop is Sardis, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, located on the banks of the Pactolus River in Manisa province. The Church of Sardis appeared to be alive but was spiritually lifeless.

G.R. Beasley-Murray says: “The appearance of the Church of Sardis is that of a beautifully adorned corpse in a funeral parlour, and the Lord is not deceived” (Revelation, p. 95). The church needed to stir up the living Spirit of God in order to come to life. The last visit of the day is Philadelphia , the city perhaps best known as the site of one of the seven churches of Asia, “The church of brotherly love that endures patiently” in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 3:7-13). Alaşehir, the Turkish name of Philadelphia, is famous for its many temples and worship centers.

• Overnight stay in Pamukkale.

Day 7 ( Hierapolis & Laodicea & Kusadasi)

• Leave the hotel in the morning and set out to visit Hierapolis, located in Turkey’s Denizli Province, is an ancient city on hot springs, and to see the adjacent modern Pamukkale (cotton castle) which is famous for its travertine terraces.

• After lunch we will see Laodicea, situated in the Lycus River Valley and benefiting from its advantageous position on a trade route, was one of the most important and flourishing commercial cities of Asia Minor.

A quote in the Book of Revelation described its status in Christianity : The ‘ lukewarm’ church with a faith that is neither hot nor cold (Rev. 3:14-22).

• Overnight stay in Kusadasi.

Day 8 ( Ephesus and its surroundings)

• A full-day tour includes visits to the House of Virgin Mary, accepted by the Vatican as a pilgrmage destination, is believed to be where she lived out her final days after the death of Christ.

• Ephesus, the most influential capital city of Asia Minor in the Aegean Sea in Roman Period, is where you will explore one of the best preserved Great Theater, the Celsus Library, Terrace Houses as well as fountains and temples in Asia Minor.

• Ephesus Museum

• Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

• The Basilica of St. John, a great church outside Ephesus city, is believed to be built over the burial site of St John the baptist.

• Back to the hotel in Kusadasi for overnight stay.

Day 9 ( Back to Istanbul )

• Pickup and transfer to airport for the domestic flight back to Istanbul is scheduled 2 hours before the departure time.

• Overnight stay in Istanbul.

Day 10 ( Farewell )

• The pickup and transfer to airport for your international flight is scheduled 3 hours before the departure time.
• Have a safe and pleasant journey home.

Price Chart

View Our Large Group Rates

( 4 pax and more )

Inclusions

• 9 nights hotel accommodation (4* & Boutique Hotels).
• Services of professionally licensed guides on local tours.
• 16 Meals (9 Breakfasts + 7 Lunch)
• All domestic flights mentioned in the itinerary.
• Transportation in a fully air-conditioned, non-smoking coaches on local tours and transfers.
• English speaking guided tours mentioned in the itinerary.
• Inbound and outbound airport transfers to/from your hotel.
• All taxes, entrance & museum fees, baggage handling.

Exclusions

• International airfares.
• VISA needed for Turkey
• Tips to guide, driver, hotel staff etc.
• Items of a personal nature
• Harem and Treasure room entrance fees in Topkapi Palace
• Drinks with meals (except the drinks served with breakfast)
• Travel Insurance and medical services