Istanbul Trip Overview
The letters to the Seven Churches are found in chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Revelation. In the vision of apostle John, Jesus dictates letters to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor that are relevant to the Church in any age. There are different ways to understand the letters to the Seven Churches. They can be interpreted as relating to the church in universal terms or for the life of the church at different points during its long history. The apostle John is very interested in the number 7; he is instructed by Jesus to write seven letters to the seven churches. The letters follow identical formats, and each letter has 7 sections.
According to Revelation 1:11, on the Greek island of Patmos, Jesus Christ instructs John of Patmos to: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
For now, we will discover …
Additional Info
Duration: 7 days
Starts: Istanbul, Turkey
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Istanbul Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Istanbul, Turkey, Turkey
The letters to the Seven Churches are found in chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Revelation. In the vision of apostle John, Jesus dictates letters to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor that are relevant to the Church in any age. There are different ways to understand the letters to the Seven Churches. They can be interpreted as relating to the church in universal terms or for the life of the church at different points during its long history. The apostle John is very interested in the number 7; he is instructed by Jesus to write seven letters to the seven churches. The letters follow identical formats, and each letter has 7 sections.
According to Revelation 1:11, on the Greek island of Patmos, Jesus Christ instructs John of Patmos to: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
For now, we will discover …
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul
Pass By: Istanbul, Istanbul
Upon arrival in Istanbul, meet and greet local guides and then proceed to a restaurant for dinner and afterward proceed to the hotel.
Overnight in Istanbul.
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at Istanbul Hotel
Day 2: Istanbul
Stop At: Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Mah At Meydani Cad No 7, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
First, we will visit the Blue Mosque, famous for its blue Iznik (modern name: Nicaea) tiles and unique with 6 minarets.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Hagia Sophia Mosque, Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya MeydanI No:1, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
From the Hippodrome, we will walk to Hagia Sophia, which is right across from the Blue Mosque. Built as the church of divine wisdom, it is still one of the greatest marvels of architecture in the World. The Byzantine Emperor Justinian constructed it as a basilica in the 6th century. Hagia Irini (Eirene) Church will be our next visit (in the Topkapi Palace Garden). It was built as a church dedicated to divine peace on the former site of a temple of Aphrodite. Constantine the Great had it built in 324 AD
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Topkapi Palace, Cankurtaran Mahallesi Gulhane Park, Near Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
In the afternoon, we will continue with a tour of the Topkapi Palace Museum, which was the imperial residence of Ottoman Sultans. Today in the rooms of this palace, there are exhibits of the imperial treasury, Chinese porcelain, weapons, and Holy Relics (the Sword of King David, the staff of Moses, the Turban of Joseph, Relics of St. John the Baptist).
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Grand Bazaar, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
We will end the day after a visit to the Grand Bazaar. It is the biggest oriental bazaar (market) in the World with around 4,000 shops, which sell antiques, jewelry, gold, carpets, leather, etc.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight at Istanbul Hotel
Day 3: Istanbul / Pergamum / Thyatira / Izmir
Stop At: Pergamon Theatre, Kurtulus Mah. Akrapol Yolu No:2 Bergama Merkez, Bergama, Bergama Turkey
After breakfast, we drive to Istanbul airport for our domestic flight to Izmir. Following our arrival in Izmir, we will start our tour with visit to the Pergamum. Pergamum is a most memorable experience will be Pergamum, with its acropolis and Great Theatre, the steepest of the ancient world. Revelation 2:12-16 describes the city as “where Satan’s seat is”, a reference to the altar of Zeus, where we pause for reflection on the fulfilment of Scripture.
Duration: 7 hours
Stop At: Red Basilica (Kizil Avlu), Adjacent to the second otogar, Bergama Turkey
Nearby, visit the Red Basilica; once a pagan temple, it later converted into a Christian church.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Akhisar, Akhisar, Manisa Province
Then proceed to Thyatira. Thyatira is one of the Seven Churches mentioned in Revelations tolerated the false prophetess, Jezebel (Rev. 1: 11; 2: 18-29). It was once a busy trading center and famous in dyeing of purple clothes. Thyatira is one of the Seven Churches mentioned in Revelations tolerated the false prophetess, Jezebel (Rev. 1: 11; 2: 18-29).
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Izmir Hotel
Day 4: Izmir / Sardis / Philadelphia / Pamukkale
Stop At: Sardis (Sardes), Belediye Cd. No:124 Sart, Salihli 45300 Turkey
After breakfast at hotel we will visit Smyrna. (St. Policarp Church or Agora of Smyrna). Smyrna was poor and persecuted, the church at Smyrna suffered amidst prosperity for its refusal to worship the Roman Emperor. This proved to be the last stronghold of Christianity in Asia Minor. Home of the great second century Bishop Polycarp who was burned alive at the age of eighty-six. After Thyatira, we will proceed to Sardis… Jesus told Sardis, “I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest, and art dead”(Rev. 3: 1-6). Coins were minted and the dyeing of wool originated in Sardis. Today’s last church will be Philadelphia one of the Seven Churches of Revelation (Rev. 3: 7-13). Christ told those who overcame that He would write upon them “the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem.” (Rev.3: 12) Today, there is not much left to mark the spot. You will only see an ancient wall and the remains of a Byzantine basilica.
Duration: 7 hours
Stop At: Alasehir, Alasehir, Manisa Province
Although several ancient cities bore the name of Philadelphia, this is generally agreed to be the one listed among the seven churches written to by John in the Book of Revelation. Philadelphia is listed as the sixth church of the seven. A letter specifically addressed to the Philadelphian church is recorded in Revelation 3:7–13 (Revelation 3:9). The city’s history of earthquakes may lie behind the reference to making her church “a pillar in the temple” (Revelation 3:12).
Aside from the peculiar fact that Smyrna was warned of temptation lasting “ten days” while Philadelphia was promised a total exemption, or preservation, from temptation, Philadelphia shares with Smyrna the distinction of receiving nothing but praise from Christ. This explains why modern Protestant churches sometimes use “Philadelphia” as a component in the local church’s name as a way of emphasizing its faithfulness.
Duration: 30 minutes
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Pamukkale Hotel
Day 5: Pamukkale / Laodicea / Kusadasi
Stop At: Laodicea, Just off Denizli – Pamukkale, Denizli Turkey
You can enjoy the wonderful view of Cotton Castle & Hierapolis, where Calcareous hot springs descending over cliffs have created fascinating travertine in the form of white terrace and basins.Hierapolis or “holy city” was evangelized by Paul and Epaphras. The Apostle Philip lived and is said to be buried here. Col. 4:12-13.Later we will visit The Christians of Laodicea, one of the Seven Churches, (Rev. 3: 14-22) were chastised for being lukewarm, “You are neither cold nor hot” (Rev. 3: 15), and for being too comfortable incorporating pagan and Christian beliefs. In the famous scripture from Revelation (3: 20-21), Jesus says to the Laodicean church: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…”.
Duration: 7 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Kusadasi Hotel
Day 6: Kusadasi / Ephesus / Istanbul
Stop At: Ephesus Museum, Selcuk Turkey
Today we will visit the last church; one of the biggest ancient cities and a UNESCO World Heritage – Ephesus. It is one of the Seven Churches of Revelation (Rev. 1: 11). In ancient days, Ephesus was a bustling port town of 250,000, graced with wide, colonnade bordered streets. The St. Paul’s first visit to Ephesus was brief- during his second missionary tour (Acts 18:19-21). His second visit lasted about three years- during his third missionary tour (Acts 19:1 to 20:31). Luke’s account of the worship of Diana appears in Acts 19:34-35.The Great Theatre (stadium) mentioned in Acts 19:29-31 could seat 25,000 people. Walk the marble-paved street with grooves made by chariot wheels. See the Fountain of Trajan, the Library of Celsus, and the Great Theatre with a capacity of 24.000 spectators. Visit the Chapel of the Virgin Mary (Double Church), where the Third Ancient Council convened.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Meryemana (The Virgin Mary’s House), Sultaniye Mahallesi, Selcuk 35100 Turkey
And our last stop will be The House of Virgin Mary. It is the place where Mary may have spent her last days. Indeed, she may have come in the area together with Saint John, who spent several years in the area to spread Christianity. Mary preferred this remote place rather than living in crowded place. Paul VI was the first pope to visit this place in the 1960’s. Later, in the 1980’s, during his visit, Pope John-Paul II declared the Shrine of Virgin Mary has a pilgrimage place for Christians. It is also visited by Muslims who recognize Mary as the mother of one of their prophets. Every year, on August 15th a ceremony is organized to commemorate Mary’s Assumption.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: The Basilica of Saint John, Isa Bey Mahallesi, 2013. Sk. No:1, Selcuk 35920 Turkey
Continue to visit the Basilica of St. John; early tradition associated John, the disciple of Jesus, the author of the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation with the city of Ephesus. As early as the 4th or 5th century a Christian church was built over a simple grave, supposedly the grave of St. John. In the 6th century Emperor Justinian had an impressive domed basilica built to replace the earlier church. The end of tour, we drive to Izmir airport for our departure flight back Istanbul.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight at Istanbul Hotel
Day 7: Istanbul / Fly back home
Pass By: Istanbul, Istanbul
After breakfast, we drive to Istanbul airport for our departure fight back home.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.
