ISTANBUL AND THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF THE APOCALYPSE

DAY 1 ARRIVAL IN ISTANBUL, THE ANCIENT CONSTANTINOPLE Night: Istanbul +

BREAKFAST Not included

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Not included

• Welcome to Turkey, a land where East and West meet and where the history of Christianity has left an indelible mark.
• Reception at Istanbul International Airport by our English-speaking representative and transfer to the hotel.
• Depending on the arrival time, you will be able to enjoy a first contact with ancient Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire for over a thousand years and one of the most important centers of Eastern Christianity.
• Accommodation in Istanbul.

DAY 2 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 – PERGAMON – SMYRNA Night: Smyrna +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Breakfast.
• Early departure by road to Pergamon (Bergama), one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse (Revelation 2:12-17) and one of the great cultural and religious centers of the ancient world.
• We will visit the impressive Acropolis of Pergamon, which features the Temple of Trajan, the spectacular theater carved into the mountainside, and the remains of the famous Library of Pergamon, considered one of the most important in Antiquity.
• We will then visit the monumental Red Basilica (Kızıl Avlu), identified by numerous scholars as the location of the Christian community of Pergamon. Here we will recall the message directed to this Church and the testimony of Saint Antipas, considered the first martyr of Pergamon.
• After the visit, we will continue to Smyrna, one of the most faithful Christian communities of Asia Minor and a city closely linked to Saint Polycarp, disciple of Saint John the Evangelist.
• Dinner and accommodation in Smyrna.

DAY 4 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.
• Today we will visit Ephesus, one of the most important cities of early Christianity and one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse (Revelation 2:1-7).
• We will tour the magnificent Roman city admiring the Library of Celsus, the Marble Street, the Agora and the imposing Great Theater, where Saint Paul preached the Gospel during his missionary journeys.
• We will continue to the House of the Virgin Mary, a sanctuary recognized by the Catholic Church as the place where the Virgin Mary spent her last years with Saint John the Evangelist. This place of deep spirituality has been visited by several Popes and continues to be one of the main Marian pilgrimage destinations in the world.
• Our day 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.
• Return to Smyrna. Dinner and accommodation in Smyrna (İzmir).

DAY 5 SMYRNA – SARDIS – PHILADELPHIA – LAODICEA – PAMUKKALE Night: Pamukkale +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Breakfast.
• Departure to Sardis, ancient capital of the Kingdom of Lydia and one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse (Revelation 3:1-6). We will visit its Roman gymnasium, the synagogue and the main archaeological remains that recall the importance of this city in antiquity.
• We will continue to Philadelphia (Alaşehir), one of the two churches that received only words of praise in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 3:7-13), a symbol of faithfulness and perseverance in faith.
• Our pilgrimage will continue to Laodicea, a city known for the famous message: "Because you are neither cold nor hot..." (Revelation 3:14-22). We will visit its recent archaeological excavations, which have recovered churches, monumental streets, theaters and public buildings of great historical value.
• Arrival in Pamukkale.
• Dinner and accommodation in Pamukkale

DAY 6 PAMUKKALE – COLOSSAE – THYATIRA – ISTANBUL Night: Istanbul +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Breakfast.
• In the morning we will visit Hierapolis, the city where, according to Christian tradition, the Apostle Saint Philip was martyred. We will walk through the Roman theater, the great necropolis and admire the famous white travertine terraces of Pamukkale, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• We will then head to ancient Colossae, a city mentioned in Saint Paul's Letter to the Colossians and one of the first Christian communities founded in Asia Minor. Although few archaeological remains survive today, Colossae holds a fundamental place in the history of Christianity and in the expansion of the apostolic message.
• We will continue to Thyatira (Akhisar), one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse (Revelation 2:18-29). Here we will recall the message directed to this community and learn about the story of Lydia, the purple cloth merchant converted by Saint Paul during his second missionary journey.
• After the visits, return by road to Istanbul.
• Dinner and accommodation in Istanbul.

DAY 7 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 the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse, the places where Saint Paul and Saint John the Evangelist preached, the House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus, Colossae, and the main settings where early Christianity was born and consolidated. End of our services.