ISTANBUL, CAPPADOCIA AND THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF THE APOCALYPSE

DAY 1 ARRIVAL IN ISTANBUL Night: Istanbul +

BREAKFAST Not included

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Not included

• Welcome to Istanbul, the ancient Constantinople, one of the most important cities in the history of Christianity and former capital of the Byzantine Empire.
• Reception at Istanbul International Airport by our English-speaking representative and transfer to the hotel. Depending on the arrival time, free time to begin discovering this fascinating city located between Europe and Asia.
• Accommodation in Istanbul.

DAY 2 HISTORIC ISTANBUL, CRADLE OF BYZANTINE CHRISTIANITY Night: Istanbul +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• After breakfast we will begin our tour of Istanbul, ancient Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire for over a thousand years and one of the main centers of world Christianity. From here, much of the Eastern Christian world was governed and important ecumenical councils were held that defined the doctrine of the Church.
• We will visit Hagia Sophia, built by Emperor Justinian in 537 AD. For nearly a millennium it was the largest cathedral in Christendom and a symbol of the Orthodox Church. Inside, we will reflect on the splendor of the Byzantine Empire and the role of Constantinople as a bridge between East and West.
• We will continue to the Blue Mosque and the Roman Hippodrome, where much of the political and religious life of the Byzantine Empire unfolded.
• We will conclude our tour at the Grand Bazaar, recalling how Istanbul was for centuries an important meeting point for pilgrims, merchants and cultures from Europe, Asia and the Holy Land.
• Dinner and accommodation in Istanbul.

DAY 3 ISTANBUL – ANKARA – CAPPADOCIA Night: Cappadocia +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Breakfast.
• Early departure by road to Ankara, the capital of Turkey. During the journey we will stop to visit the Mausoleum of Atatürk (Anıtkabir), one of the most iconic monuments in the country.
• We will continue our journey to Cappadocia, a region where thousands of Christians found refuge during the Roman persecutions. Here numerous Christian communities, monasteries and rock-hewn churches emerged that played a fundamental role in the expansion of Christianity.
• Dinner and accommodation in Cappadocia.

DAY 4 CAPPADOCIA, THE GREAT REFUGE OF THE FIRST CHRISTIANS Night: Cappadocia +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Breakfast.
• We will visit the Göreme Open-Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its rock-hewn churches decorated with Byzantine frescoes. We will continue to the Pasabag Valley, Uchisar, and one of the impressive underground cities, built by the first Christians as a refuge during the persecutions.
• Throughout the tour we will learn how the first Christian communities lived and the important role that Cappadocia played in the history of the Church.
• Dinner and accommodation in Cappadocia.

DAY 5 CAPPADOCIA – LAODICEA – HIERAPOLIS – PAMUKKALE Night: Pamukkale +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Breakfast.
• Departure to Laodicea, one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse, known for the message delivered by Saint John: "Because you are neither cold nor hot..." (Revelation 3:14-22).
• We will then visit Hierapolis, where according to tradition Saint Philip was martyred. We will walk through the Roman theater, the Martyrion of Saint Philip and the famous white terraces of Pamukkale, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Dinner and accommodation in Pamukkale.

DAY 6 PAMUKKALE – PHILADELPHIA – SARDIS – THYATIRA – SMYRNA Night: Smyrna +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Breakfast.
• Our pilgrimage will continue to Philadelphia (Alaşehir), one of the two churches praised in the Book of Revelation for its faithfulness.
• We will continue to Sardis, the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Lydia and another of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse, where we will visit the Roman gymnasium, the synagogue and the main archaeological remains.
• We will continue to Thyatira (Akhisar), a city associated with Lydia, the purple cloth merchant converted by Saint Paul.
• Arrival in Smyrna, a city closely linked to Saint Polycarp, disciple of Saint John the Evangelist.
• Dinner and accommodation in Smyrna.

DAY 7 SMYRNA – EPHESUS – HOUSE OF THE VIRGIN MARY – BASILICA OF ST. JOHN – SMYRNA Night: Smyrna +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Breakfast.
• We will visit Ephesus, one of the most important cities of Christianity and one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse. We will walk through the Library of Celsus, the Great Theater where Saint Paul preached, and the main monumental streets of the ancient city.
• We will continue to the House of the Virgin Mary, a sanctuary recognized by the Catholic Church as the place where the Virgin spent her last years with Saint John the Evangelist.
• We will conclude the day visiting the Basilica of Saint John, built over the tomb of the apostle who authored the fourth Gospel and the Book of Revelation.
• Return to Smyrna.
• Dinner and accommodation in Smyrna.

DAY 8 SMYRNA – PERGAMON – ISTANBUL Night: Istanbul +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Breakfast.
• Departure to Pergamon (Bergama), one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse and one of the great cultural centers of the ancient world.
• We will visit the Acropolis, the Temple of Trajan, the impressive Hellenistic Theater and the Red Basilica (Kızıl Avlu), considered by many scholars as the location of the Christian community of Pergamon, where the testimony of Saint Antipas, the first martyr of this Church, is remembered.
• After the visits, transfer to the airport to take the flight to Istanbul.
• Arrival, transfer to the hotel.
• Dinner and accommodation in Istanbul.

DAY 9 DEPARTURE FROM ISTANBUL Night: End of services +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Not included

• Breakfast.
• At the indicated time, transfer to Istanbul International Airport to take the return flight.
• End of this unforgettable Biblical Pilgrimage through Turkey, visiting Cappadocia, the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse, Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and the main places where Saint Paul and Saint John the Evangelist preached, discovering the roots of Christianity in Asia Minor.