BIBLICAL PILGRIMAGE: THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF THE APOCALYPSE – 4 DAYS

DAY 1 ARRIVAL IN SMYRNA, THE CHURCH OF SAINT POLYCARP Night: Smyrna +

BREAKFAST Not included

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Not included

• Arrival at Smyrna International Airport, where our English-speaking representative will welcome you and accompany you to the hotel.
• Begins an unforgettable biblical pilgrimage through Turkey, visiting the places where some of the first Christian communities were born. The ancient Smyrna was one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse mentioned by the Apostle Saint John.
• In Revelation 2:8-11, Jesus Christ addresses this community a message of hope and strength, encouraging its faithful to remain steadfast amid persecutions and promising them the Crown of Life. Smyrna was also the city of Bishop Saint Polycarp, a direct disciple of the Apostle Saint John and one of the most venerated martyrs of the early Church.
• Depending on the arrival time, free time to rest or take a first walk through the city.
• Dinner and accommodation in Smyrna.

DAY 2 SMYRNA – PERGAMON – THYATIRA – SMYRNA Night: Smyrna +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• After breakfast we will begin our Route of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse visiting the historic Agora of Smyrna, where we will recall the testimony of a Christian community that remained faithful even during the persecutions of the Roman Empire.
• We will continue to Pergamon, one of the most important religious, political and cultural centers of the ancient world. In Revelation 2:12-17, Christ encourages the believers of Pergamon to remain firm in a city where imperial worship and pagan religions predominated. Here we will see the impressive Acropolis, the Hellenistic Theater, the Temple of Trajan, the Asclepion and the location where the famous Altar of Zeus once stood, associated by many scholars with the biblical expression "the throne of Satan". We will also remember the martyrdom of Saint Antipas, considered the first Christian martyr of Asia Minor.
• In the afternoon we will continue to Thyatira (Akhisar), a city known for its guilds of craftsmen and merchants. In Revelation 2:18-29, Christ praises the love, faith and service of this community, exhorting it to remain faithful to true doctrine. Thyatira is also closely linked to Saint Paul, as Lydia, the purple cloth merchant converted by the Apostle during his second missionary journey and considered the first Christian in Europe, was originally from here. After the visits, return to Smyrna.
• Dinner and accommodation in Smyrna.

DAY 3 SARDIS – PHILADELPHIA – LAODICEA – HIERAPOLIS AND PAMUKKALE Night: Pamukkale +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• After breakfast we will depart to Sardis, the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Lydia and one of the wealthiest cities of Antiquity. In Revelation 3:1-6, Christ addresses a serious warning to this Church, calling it to awaken spiritually and strengthen its faith. During the visit we will see the Roman Gymnasium, the impressive Synagogue, one of the largest in the ancient world, and the Temple of Artemis, a reflection of the religious importance of the city before the expansion of Christianity.
• We will continue to Philadelphia (Alaşehir), one of the only two Churches that receive no rebuke in the Book of Revelation. In Revelation 3:7-13, Christ promises to open a door that no one will be able to close for those who remain faithful to His Word, making Philadelphia a symbol of perseverance and hope.
• Our next stop will be Laodicea, one of the most prosperous cities of Asia Minor thanks to its commercial wealth, textile industry and prestigious medical school. It is precisely that prosperity that serves as the context for the famous message of Revelation 3:14-22, where Christ rebukes the community for its spiritual lukewarmness with the well-known words: «Because you are neither cold nor hot… Behold, I stand at the door and knock». After touring the magnificent archaeological city, we will continue to Hierapolis, where tradition places the martyrdom of the Apostle Saint Philip, and we will admire the spectacular white terraces of Pamukkale, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Accommodation and dinner in Pamukkale.

DAY 4 EPHESUS – HOUSE OF THE VIRGIN MARY – BASILICA OF ST. JOHN – TRANSFER TO SMYRNA AIRPORT Night: End of services +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Not included

• Breakfast.
• The last day of our pilgrimage will be dedicated to Ephesus, considered one of the most important cities of Christianity and one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse (Revelation 2:1-7).
• We will tour the magnificent ancient city visiting the Library of Celsus, the Marble Street, the Great Theater where Saint Paul preached to the Ephesians, the Agora and the main avenues of this extraordinary Roman metropolis.
• We will then head to the House of the Virgin Mary, a sanctuary recognized by the Catholic Church as the place where, according to Christian tradition, the Virgin Mary spent the last years of her life under the care of Saint John the Evangelist. This place has been visited by several Popes and continues to be one of the main Marian pilgrimage destinations in the world.
• The pilgrimage will conclude with a visit to the Basilica of Saint John, built over the tomb of the apostle who wrote the fourth Gospel and the Book of Revelation, one of the most sacred places for the early Christians.
• At the indicated time, transfer to Smyrna International Airport (ADB) to take the return flight.
• End of our services.