Sunday - Day 1 - Istanbul
As we say in Turkey, HOS GELDINIZ! Welcome to Turkey. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. After a short briefing about your tour you will have the afternoon free to rest and explore Istanbul on your own. Overnight in ISTANBUL.

Monday - Day 2 - (B/L) Istanbul
This will be a full day of exploring the historical sites of Istanbul.
Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar), Mystical smells of different aromas of various spices. Shops selling fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish etc.
Bosporus Cruise, thorough the waterway separating the two continents, Europe and Asia, with a possibility to take photographs of marble palaces, ancient wooden villas of Ottoman architecture besides modern residential of luxurious apartments.
After lunch we will continue on the tour and will visit
Topkapi Palace--The residence and leadership center of the Sultans during the Ottoman Empire. It was built in 1459-1465 shortly after the conquest of Constantinople. You will see the Treasury that includes the Topkapi Dagger, the 86 carat Spoon Maker’s Diamond, and the jewel encased bones of St. John the Baptist’s skull and arm bone.
Grand Bazaar and the Suleymaniye Mosque will be visited during the tour
After the tour we will return to your hotel. Overnight stay in Istanbul.

Tuesday - Day 3 - (B/L) Istanbul
This will be a full day of exploring the historical sites of Istanbul.
Sites you’ll see today
Hagia Sophia was, for nearly a thousand years, the largest enclosed space in the world, and still seen as one of the world's most important architectural monuments. It is one of Turkey's most popular attractions, drawn by the sheer spectacle of its size, architecture, mosaics and art. Built in the 6th century by Byzantine Emperor Justinian.
Blue Mosque : This mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet I during 1609-1616 in the town carrying his name in Istanbul. It is the only mosque in Turkey with six minarets. Due to its magnificent hand-dyed blue, green and white tiles it has been named the "Blue Mosque" by Europeans. The central dome is 43 m in height and is 33.4 m in diameter. 260 windows surround the mosque
Hippodrome: The ancient Hippodrome, scene of chariot races and the centre of Byzantine civic life. Of the ornaments which once decorated it, only three remain: The Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine.
Theodosius Obelisk is originally an Egyptian piece of art erected in 1547 BC and originally 60m tall. German fountain is also within the hippodrome area, constructed in Germany to mark German Emperor Wilhelm II's second visit to Istanbul, it was imported and officially opened on January 1 1901. The fountain's three domes are decorated with gold mosaics.
After the tour we will leave you at the grand Bazaar and give you free time to explore and some souvenier shopping. Overnight stay in Istanbul
>>>>>>Christianity Significance for today: The Hippodrome area, with Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace at it’s edges, was once the center of the Byzantine Empire, ruled by Constantine. Constantine was of great significance to the Christian world because he declared Christianity the official state religion of the Byzantine Empire. With Christianity declared officially for the Byzantine Empire, the construction of big churches began everywhere in Byzantium. Socrates, who chronicled the church history of the 300’s AD, wrote that Constantine erected Haghia Sophia .

Wednesday - Day 4 - (B/L/D) - Istanbul to Canakkale
In the early morning we will drive west, heading towards the Aegean Sea. We will visit Gallipoli on the way
*Gallipoli and The Dardanelles -- After our lunch we will stop to visit Gallipoli, a place of fierce World War 1 fighting between Allied forces and the Turks. At ANZAC Cove thousands lost their lives in one fateful dawn morning. We will also see other famous battle sites of World War 1 in this area, such as Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair. From here we go to a ferry and cross the Dardanelles. For World War 1 buffs, you will know the Dardanelle Straits were a strategic crossing point for the allied armies to cross from Europe to Asia Minor.
*Canakkale will be our final destination for today and where we will spend the evening. After dinner, you might want to stroll the harbor walk and experience the local culture.
Overnight in CANAKKALE. www.hotelakol.com

Thursday - Day 5 - (B/L/D) _Canakkale to Kusadasi
We continue our scenic drive along the Aegean, stopping for photo opportunities and perhaps to indulge the taste buds at one of the many farmer road side stands that sell olives, figs, seasonal fruit and pistachios. We then will head east towards our first site of the day.
Sites you’ll see today
*Troy --is the ancient site written about by Homer in the Iliad. It dates back as far as 3000 BC and has been the site of nine different cities through the thousands of years it has existed. As you enter the site a large wooden Trojan horse dominates your view. You will definitely want to climb up and get your picture taken!
After lunch you will depart from Canakkale, driving along the Aegean Sea down to Kusadasi, evening arrival in Kusadasi, Check in the hotel, Overnight stay. http://www.onderotel.com/

Friday - Day 6 - (B/L/D) Kusadasi to Pamukkale
We will visit Turkey’s most impressive Roman and Biblical site today, in what may well be one of your most memorable days in Turkey. We will also visit other significant sites of the area.
Sites you’ll see today
*Ephesus is one of the best preserved cities from Roman times. At the time St. Paul lived in Ephesus in the 60’s AD, it was at it’s Roman heyday with a population around 250,000. Ephesus was a great ancient city and much of it has been preserved for you to see. More than any other site, you can walk the streets, stand in the great theatre, wander in the library, see the ancient Roman toilets and baths, and feel that you are walking back into ancient history.
* Temple of Artemis Artemis was a Greek goddess, the virginal huntress and twin of Apollo, who supplanted the Titan Selene as goddess of the Moon
*The House of The Virgin Mary is where it is believed St. Mary came to live with St. John in the last years of her life.
* Church of St. John was erected by Emperor Justinian in memorial to St. John whose tomb is within it’s walls. St. John came here towards the end of his life with the Virgin Mary whom he cared for. He wrote the gospel of St. John and his other letters during the last years of his life here.
After the tour we will depart from Ephesus to Pamukkale, and after arrival we will check into our hotel and have a free day to relax and enjoy a nice dinner before we get a good night sleep. Overnight stay in Pamukkale.
>>>>>>Scriptural Significance for today: Book of Ephesians; Revelations 2:4; Acts 18: 18-20:1, 17-38 Among many things St. Paul taught in Ephesus, he made a stand against idolatry. This made all of the Ephesian street peddlers and craftsmen extremely upset, as their livelihood depended on making and selling idols of fertility. After St. Paul’s speech, a slump in idol sales made one silversmith, Demetrius, so upset that he led a group that made claims St. Paul was disrespecting the goddess Artemis, a local cult religion. At one point St. Paul was banished to a nearby hill prison. The Ephesians gathered to protest St,. Paul at the great theatre and all chanted "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" St. Paul of course wanted to address this protest, but was persuaded not to by his disciples, who feared for his safety in such a riled up mob. Soon after this uproar, St. Paul left for Macedonia and later wrote a letter back to the Christians in Ephesus that would become Ephesians, one of the most read and loved books of the New Testament.

Saturday - Day 7 - (B/L/D) Pamukkale
After breakfast we will depart from Kusadasi to Pamukkale, as soon as we arrive we will continue onto guided tour of Pamukkale and Hiarapolis.
*Pammukale means cotton castle in Turkish. It is the result of limestone formations built over thousands of years. Warm calcium rich mineral water flowed over the cliffs and as it cooled it deposited the calcium into the formations that are seen today. Pammukale is now a world heritage site.
*Hierapolis was founded as a healing care centre in 190 BC, taking advantage of the mineral
waters in the area. It was one of the most important intellectual, artistic, religious and commercial centers of the Roman Empire. After the tour you will spend the night in Pamukkale
>>>>>>Scriptural Significance for today: Revelations 3:14-22 It is interesting to note how St. John wrote to this church with references to local customs. He reproved the church saying that spiritually it was neither hot nor cold but rather lukewarm. This reference would have significance to the people because archeological findings show that it’s water may have been literally lukewarm. Surviving pipes are choked with lime deposits and it is quite possible the water came from hot springs in the south and cooled to lukewarm by the time it reached Laodicea. Furthermore, St. John writes that it was rich and in need of nothing and that it didn’t know that it was poor, blind and naked. He said it should buy gold of the risen Christ refined by fire, white garments and salve for the blind eyes. Again, these references bear local allusions because it was rich and famous for garments made of it’s famous black wool. Another allusion points to the need for them to buy salve for their eyes. This area was also famous for it’s Phrygian powder which was used for diseases of the eyes. The book of Colossians was a letter written to the Christians of Colossae while Paul was either in Ephesus or Rome. Paul says that the Colossians learned their faith from the messenger Epaphras who was a Colossian (Col 1:7; 4:12 Philemon 23). He also took the Good News to the cities of Hierapolis and Laodicea. (Col 4:12-13) It is interesting to note that the kind of heresy that was mentioned in Paul’s letter is confirmed by an inscription on the theatre wall of Miletus, a nearby ancient city that we will visit tomorrow.

Sunday - Day 8 - (B/L) Pamukkale to izmir
After breakfast you will visit
*Laodicea is one of the Seven Churches of Revelation written about by St. John.
*Colossae was the church that St. Paul wrote to in the book of Colossians. This site will be a good experience of seeing what a ruin site is like before much excavation is done. We will be able to see an ancient church and other remnants of the once teeming city.
*Philadelphia is another of the seven Revelation churches. It was once called ‘Little Athens" during the Roman period. Today we will see remnants of the surrounding wall that once encircled the entire city, and the Church of St. John.
*Sardis is the place that historians believe coinage was invented. It was a rich Lydian city that was known for it’s gold. Today, we will look at the remains of several churches that St. John wrote to, as well as an ancient synagogue. Known as Sepharad in Aramaic, this site dates back to mention of it in the Old Testament book of Obadiah
Evening Arrival in Izmir, check in the hotel & Overnight stay.
>>>>>>Biblical Significance for today: Revelations 2:8-11 The Christians of Smyrna lived in one of the Roman cities where they were killed by being thrown to wild animals or were burned alive. They would have taken comfort with the words of St. John that said "Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer....Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." ; Sardis is mentioned in Obadiah 20 and also in Revelations 3:1-6 St. John said that the Sardis Christians had quite a few problems. "I know your works, that you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.....I have not found your works complete in the sight of God." A few faithful did live and St. John praises them..."you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy." To the church of Philadelphia, St. John said that they had kept the word even though they had limited strength. St. John further told them that because they had kept their endurance that they would be kept safe in the times of trial that was coming. Except Smyrna, Philadelphia is the only church among the seven that he did not say words of condemnation to. Revelations 3:7-13
>>>>>>Christianity Significance for today: If the tour members would like, we will provide the supplies for a communion service to be held this evening at a fitting outside sight. This could be a nice time for members to come together and share their feelings and what they have learned during their stay in Turkey. It would also be a wonderful time to pray for the salvation of Turkish hearts that do not know Jesus. This nation is one that is 98% Muslim.

Monday - Day 9 - (B/L) Izmir to Istanbul
After breakfast you will visit ;
*Smyrna, known today as Izmir, once was a place where more Christians and Jews lived than Muslims. Thousands of foreign diplomats, traders, merchants and sailors were based here. We will see the ancient agora and the Church of St. Polycarp. St. Polycarp was Smyrna’s first bishop who served the city for over 50 years. When the Roman proconsul ordered St. Polycarp to renounce his faith, he refused and was burned at the stake.
*Thyateria is another of the seven churches of Revelation.
*Pergamum is one of the seven churches of Revelation. At the time that Christianity traveled along the Asian Minor caravan routes and trade ships, it was one of the largest cities of the area. It was rivaled only
by Ephesus in its wealth, temples, and beauty. The ancient acropolis dominates the view from all around. Most memorable to you will probably be Pergamum’s ancient theatre. Carved straight out of the high hill-side, it is one of the steepest ancient theatres in the world--and the view is amazing. Sites in Pergamum to see include the acropolis, asclepion, and red basilica.
After Pergamum we will provide a transfer to Izmir Airport and put you on a 1 hour flight back to Istanbul.
After arrival we will provide a transfer to your hotel in Istanbul. Overnight stay in Istanbul.
>>>>>>Biblical Significance for today: Acts 16:11-5; Revelations 2:12-29 The Christians of Pergamum were praised for not having given up their faith although St. John said they lived where Satan’s throne was. As you walk around the ancient city and see the temples built to worship the local cults, you will understand what St. John meant. Even some of the Christians were being tempted into practicing the heresy of Balaam in Pergamum, and St. John gives a direct warning to them. In Thyateria, St. John warned the Christians of their tolerance of the prophetess Jezebel, who was probably a priestess of the Sibylline oracle of the city. To those oblivious to this woman, he praises their works, love, faith, service and endurance. One specially noted woman that came from Thyateria was Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. Lydia met Paul and was instructed by him while in Philippi.

Tuesday - Day 10 - (B) Istanbul to Home
Gule, Gule! It is time to go home. We will transfer you to the airport and wish you well, asking that you keep Turkey and all of us in your hearts, and hoping that our paths cross again in this life!

Total cost: 1095 Euro per person in a double room & 1545 Euro in a single room.

Price includes
* All of the hotels ( Each of them individually chosen )
* All of the land transfers with comfortable vehicles
* All of the meal mentioned in the itinerary ( B-breakfast, L-lunch & D-dinner )
* Professional English speaking tour guides
* Domestic flight tickets from Izmir to Istanbul
* All of the TAX and service charges

Excludes
* International flight tickets to Istanbul
* Drinks with meals