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In January 2003, New Testament Professor David
Trobisch led a second trip to Turkey. Following in the "footsteps of Paul",
students, faculty, and BTS graduates spent 15 days exploring the history,
culture, sites, and sounds of modern day Turkey.
For more information visit the trip
home page
http://www.bts.edu/trobisch/Turkey2003/itinerary.htm
Itinerary
Today we gather at either Bangor [BTS parking lot at
9:45, you can leave your cars there] or
Boston Logan Airport [check in, go through security, meet us at the gate] for our flight to
New York with a connecting flight to Istanbul.
Welcome to Turkey! After arrival in Istanbul you will be met by your tour assistant and will connect onto a flight to
Adana. Upon arrival in Adana we continue to Antakya. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in
Antakya.
After breakfast this morning, drive East to Antioch-on-the-Orontes
(Antakya), Daphne and Seleucia Pieria.
Antioch is thought to have been founded in 300 BC. Among all the cities in the world
of the first century AD, Antioch offered the most ferric ground for new ideas, philosophies and religions.
First to preach here was St. Peter followed by St. Paul and Barnabas. Their extensive efforts proved fruitful for Christianity. The
actual word, Christians, was first coined in Antioch. The strong and wealthy community of
Antioch contributed financially to the Christian community of Jerusalem. Highlights include the museum which houses a superb collection of mosaics
from Antioch, Daphne and Seleucia Pieria and St. Peter's Grotto, the cave church came to
be known as the meeting place of the early Christians. According to the
legend, ancient Daphne was the sacred grove where Apollo tried to rape a
nymph named Daphne. Eros struck her with an arrow making her incapable of
loving neither a god nor a mortal. Apart from being dedicated to Apollo,
Daphne was considered a place of carnal pleasures and any soldier caught in
the area was dismissed from service. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in
Antakya.
Enjoy breakfast this morning before proceeding to
ancient Cilicia. Drive to Tarsus, the birthplace of St. Paul. During
St. Paul's time, Tarsus was a University City surpassing Athens and Alexandria.
Cicero was governor here in 51- 50 BC. The famous romantic meeting between
Cleopatra and Mark Anthony took place in Tarsus. Highlights here will be St. Paul's well, antique road and Cleopatra's Gate. Drive onto
Cappadocia. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia.
This morning after breakfast, begin your drive to
Kaymakli. This fascinating underground city, carved into soft rocks,
resembles a huge labyrinth of tunnels, rooms, kitchens, wine cellars and
passageways. A huge chimney ventilates this 8-levelled dwelling used by
Christians hiding from there Roman and Byzantine persecutors. The colorful
frescoes remain as vibrant as when they were first made. You will feel as if you have been transported to a village out of Grimm’s
Fairy Tales. You will see what Turks commonly call "Fairy
Chimneys" - jutting pieces of volcanic rocks that have been beaten and
shaped by the wind and rain. Highlights will be The Apple Church, Church of
the Snake and The Churches of Shod in Göreme. Dinner at hotel and overnight
in Cappadocia.
After breakfast, begin your drive to Konya or ancient Iconium - an important
Christian City after St. Paul preached there. A Phyrigia legend says that Konya
was the first city to be founded after the flood. St. Paul and Barnabas came here in 47 A.D. and their preaching were accompanied by
many miracles. St. Paul made two more stops here on his second and third journeys. Today's
Konya is quite new but the center of the city is very old. On the way to Konya, stop by Seljuk Caravanserai and visit
Catal Hoyuk. Drive to Konya to visit the Mevlana Museum. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Konya.
After an early breakfast, depart from the hotel.
Drive to Hierapolis stopping at Laodicea and Colossae. Visit two Theaters, a large Stadium, a Water Tower and an Odeon. The
city is supposed to have been named by Antiochus II in honor of his wife, Laodicea. Here,
St. Paul wrote a letter to the church (Acts 4:16). Arrive in Hierapolis, founded by the Pergamon king Telephos and named after his wife Hiera. It
is believed that the very large Jewish element in this city was an important
factor in the rapid expansion of Christianity. During the Byzantine period,
the city became the seat of diocese with a large Christian Church dedicated
to St. Philip who was martyred there in 80 A.D. Highlights include
Necropolis, the Temple of Apollo and the Theater. Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight at Pamukkale.
Breakfast is at your leisure this morning. A full
free day to enjoy the thermal pool in Pamukkale. Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight in Pamukkale.
Before and
After
Pamukkale Legend: The story of the Woodcutter's daughter has been
told for ages. Many years ago there was a poor woodcutter family who were
living on the slopes of Cokelez Mountain. They had a daughter who was so
ugly that the mothers who had sons turned away if they saw her. She didn't
care so much about her poverty, but her ugliness made her very upset. One
day she fell off the top of the hill into a cavity. She had fallen into the
travertine pool that was full of thermal water and mud. She lied in the
thermal water unconscious for a long time. During that time the water made
her very beautiful. The son of the Denizli Governor saw this beautiful girl
lying hurt in the water. He decided to take her to his house by horse. He
loved her and they got married. Women began to come to the hot spring to
become more beautiful after that time.
After an early breakfast, we depart for Kusadasi with
stops along the way. Hierapolis is the beautiful ancient site of Aphrodisias. This ancient city of learning,
fine arts and sculpture has provided us with exquisite pieces of work that
are displayed at the site. Its Stadium is among the best preserved in the
world. The "Bishops Palace", Odeon and the Theater will be the highlights visited. Next on our
itinerary is Priene with its well-planned streets and graceful buildings and
temples. Highlights will be the Agora, the Ecclesiasterium and the Temple
of Athena Polias. Continue to Miletus where the Philosopher Thales was born. He coined the phrase "Know
Thyself". We will inspect the Delphinion, Baths of Faustina and the
Council Chamber. Continue to Kusadasi for dinner at the hotel and overnight.
After breakfast, begin the drive to Izmir to visit the famous city of Ephesus. Our tour will begin with the Basilica of St. John "the
Evangelist" who came here with the Virgin Mary and wrote his Gospel in Ephesus. The
Temple
of Artemis, considered as on the Seven Wonders of the World, was located here.
Ephesus is the most well preserved ancient city in the world. This ancient
city was a wealthy cultural and commercial center in the ancient world. St. Paul's preaching resulted in the uproar of the Guild of Silversmiths and
eventually, the whole population of Ephesus. Highlights include the Library of
Celcius, the Temple of Hadrian, the Fountain of Trajan, the Brothel and the Theater. We will also stop by
the House of Virgin Mary where she is reputed to have spent her last years
and died. You will be able to collect some holy water from the Sacred
Spring. Dinner at the hotel and overnight in Izmir.
This morning after breakfast, drive to Sardis whose history dates back to l2th cent. B.C.
Sardis
felt the influence of Christianity very early and was included in the Seven
Churches of the Apocalypse. During the Byzantine times, it was the seat of a
bishopric. Highlights to be visited are a Synagogue, Gymnasium,
Byzantine
Church
and the
Temple
of
Artemis. Proceed to Thyateria or Akhisar, another town where Christianity spread
quickly and the site for one of the Churches of Revelation. Continue onto
hauntingly beautiful Pergamon, which rises high on a hill as one, nears the
city of
Bergama. Being one of the richest and most powerful of kingdoms of the ancient
world, you will see that it still retains its past grandeur even in its
shattered yet dignified present state. Highlights will include the Altar of
Zeus,
Temple
of
Trojan
and the Theater. Coming down the mountain, stop by Asclepion, a leading
health center of the ancient world where methods of treatment included music
therapy and barefoot walking. Dinner at the hotel and overnight in Pergamon.
After breakfast depart from the hotel and proceed to
Assos and
Troas
before heading towards
Troy. Assos perched high on a cliff overlooking the
Aegean
and the
Island
of
Lesbos
is breathtaking. Its Acropolis carries the impressive
Temple
of
Athena. Arriving at Assos on foot from
Troas,
St. Paul
preached here and climbed down to the little port on the shore to board the
boat on his return journey to Jerusalem Troas was a busy port situated on
the northwest coast of
Asia Minor. Recent excavations revealed a dozen different cities covering 3000 years
of civilization. During his stay in
Troas
,
St. Paul
had a dream in which he saw a vision of a man asking him to "Come over
to
Macedonia
and help us". After this dream, he decided to go to
Europe. All in all, he stopped and preached here 3 times. Dinner at the hotel and
overnight in Canakkale.
After breakfast, begin the drive to Istanbul. In the afternoon, visit the Hippodrome and the Blue Mosque, know for the
impressive blue tiles lining its walls. The rest of the day will be spent in
the Grand Bazaar before check-in at the hotel. Dinner at the hotel and
overnight in
Istanbul.
After breakfast, we drive and to visit the spectacular
Topkapi
Palace
, built on one of the seven hills of
Istanbul. This huge complex commands views of the
Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the
Golden Horn
and was the seat of government for the
Ottoman Empire
for many centuries (1453-1852). Visit the extravagant Treasury and the
priceless Chinese porcelain. Continue onto St. Sophia, the Church of the
Divine Wisdom (excluding Gallery-2nd floor). It is one of the world’s
greatest architectural and spiritual masterpieces and was originally the
largest church in the Christian world. Following this stop, we will go onto
the Underground Cistern built by Justinian in 535.Returning to your hotel
for dinner and overnight in Istanbul.
After breakfast, you will be met and transferred to the
airport for your return flight
home.
Arrive in Boston 6:55 PM (DL6178 from New York JFK).
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