Turkey

12 Days / 11 Nights 7 CHURCHES OF REVELATION

On the Lord’s Day, I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said:

“Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the 7 Churches:

to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

Rev. 1: 10 – 11

DAY 01 KLIA

Assemble at KLIA to Istanbul

DAY 02 ISTANBUL /ANTIOCH (Meals on Board/L/D)

Arrive in Istanbul at 06.20 am. Freshen up and rest. Continue to Domestic Airport to take the flight to Antioch (Hatay) at 1010. Arrive into Antioch at 1205 transfer for lunch. Begin our tour of Antioch by visiting St Peter’s Church, where Christ’s followers were first called ‘Christians’. Visit the city center of Antioch. Dinner and overnight at Antioch.

DAY 03 ANTIOCH / TARSUS / CAPPADOCIA (B /L/D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Check out of the hotel and drive to Tarsus. Visit the birthplace of St Paul, St Paul’s House and Well. Later view Cleopatra’s Gate, the old Roman Street, and River Cydnus with the old bridge. Lunch and drive on to Cappadocia. Arrive into Cappadocia, check into the hotel, and overnight.

DAY 04 CAPPADOCIA (B/L/D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Cappadocia is unique for its underground cities. The first Christians who escaped from the persecution of the Roman Empire in the 2nd century came to Cappadocia to live in the underground cities. We start the day by visiting the Goreme Open Air Museum, which is on the Unesco World Heritage list since 1984. Lunch at local restaurant Uchisar. Next, we visit Kaymakli underground city which is believed to be from the Bronze Age and used mostly during the Byzantine period. We move on to see the natural rock citadel of Uchisar, which is the tallest point in Cappadocia and visible from a great distance. Return to hotel and overnight at Hotel.

DAY 05 KONYA / PAMUKKALE (B/L/D)

Very early breakfast at the hotel. Check out and depart for Pamukkale via Konya. On the way, visit Yalvac Psidian where St Paul preached in a synagogue. Visit an old road from the time of St Paul. Lunch en-route and visit Caravansarai. Caravansarai was a caravan stop on the ancient silk trade routes which carried the riches of Persia and China to the markets of Europe and China. We then drive on to Pamukkale. Pamukkale is Turkey's foremost mineral-bath spa because of its natural beauty: hot calcium-laden waters spring from the earth and which cascades over a cliff. Visit the site of the Roman city of Hierapolis. Overnight at Pamukkale.

DAY 06 LAODECIA/SARDIS/PHILADELPHIA/THYATIRA (B/L/D)

Rev. 3:14 “And to the angel of the church in LAODICEA write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s Creation...

Rev. 3:7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of Him who is holy and true, Who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.”

Rev. 3:1 “And to the angel of the church in SARDIS write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars; I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”

Rev. 2: 18“And unto the angel of the church in THYATIRA write:
‘These are the words of the Son of God whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze...

Breakfast at the hotel. Then drive to Philadelphia, the Sixth Church, the least distinguished cities of the Seven churches with very few ruins visible now. Visit a Byzantine basilica built of bricks with high arches and frescoes. After lunch, we visit Sardis, the Fifth Church, which is one of the most picturesque areas of the fifth of the Seven Churches. It is set upon a steep hill surrounded by a citadel where once there was a famous temple of Artemis dating back to 400 BC. Drive to Izmir for dinner and overnight at Hotel.

DAY 07 IZMIR / SMYRNA / EPHESUS (B/L/D)

Rev. 2:8 “And unto the angel of the church in SMYRNA write: These things saith the First and the Last, which was dead and is alive;”

Rev. 2:1 'To the angel of the church of EPHESUS write: 'These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands; ...”

After breakfast, visit St Polycarp Church in Izmir, the 3rd largest city in Turkey. It is built on the site of the ancient Greek town of Smyrna which is the Second Church. Next, drive to Ephesus, First of the Seven Churches. See the most impressive archeological site in Turkey. It was center of worship for the Greek goddess, Artemis. View the remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. After lunch visits the House of the Virgin Mary, St John’s Basilica, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, and a large theatre. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 08 KUSADASI /ASSOS/ PERGAMUM (B/L/D)

Rev. 2: 12 'And to the angel of the church in PERGAMUM write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword””

Breakfast at the hotel. Today, we visit the ancient Acropolis of Pergamum. The Acropolis of Pergamum (Pergamon) is certainly dramatic, perched atop a high, steep-sided hill at the eastern reaches of the modern city. Drive on Kusadasi city. Overnight at hotel.

DAY 09 PATMOS – (subject to weather conditions) (B/L/D)

After breakfast take the boat to Patmos. Today is a full day of Patmos. On Patmos, you can see the Apocalypse of St John and the cave where he wrote the books. Later visit the Monastery of Ionanni built around the year 1088. Lunch. After the tour, return to Kusadasi and overnight.

DAY 10 IZNIK / ISTANBUL (B/L/D)

After your Quiet Time, have breakfast and depart from the hotel. We drive back to Istanbul via Bursa stopping over to Nicea. See the ruins of St Sophia Cathedral, the seat of the First Ecumenical Council of 325. Lunch at a local restaurant. Drive to Istanbul

DAY 11 ISTANBUL (B/L/D)

Visit the Sultan Ahmed Mosque – Blue Mosque, Hagia Sopha Church, Hippodrome, and Water Cistern. Dinner and overnight at the hotel

DAY 12 ISTANBUL (B/L/D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Check out of the hotel. We start the day by visiting the Topkapi Palace and Chora Church. After Lunch takes a breathtaking cruise along the Bosporus, the beautiful strait that divides Europe and Asia.. Then its time for shopping at the Grand Bazaar and the Egypt Bazaar. Transfer to airport for flight to Kuala Lumpur

DAY 13 ISTANBUL / KLIA (Meals onboard)

Board flight for Kuala Lumpur. Arrive in KUL with many happy memories of your visit to Turkey and the 7 Churches.