ST PAUL AND THE EARLY CHURCH
A tour of the ancient sites of Western Turkey
Led by The Revd Rob Marshall
As the Gospel of Jesus Christ began to spread, St Paul took the Word to Asia Minor, modern day Turkey.
The scenery has changed little over the past two thousand years, and to visit the sites of Paul’s ministry is to experience the ambience of those heady days of the beginning of Christianity.
Testimony of the importance of Asia Minor in the history of the Early Church is the fact that here the first Christian state arose, the Byzantine Empire. It was to was to keep the light of Christianity alive for over a thousand years after Rome had been overrun by barbarians. There are powerful echoes of these ecclesiastical pioneers in the many early Roman and Byzantine remains which can still be found around these shores.
Rob Marshall Brochure. Booking Form.
Day 1 Monday 6 June
LONDON - ISTANBUL - KUSADASI
The group will meet at London Heathrow to take the Turkish Airlines scheduled flight TK1980 to Istanbul leaving at 1125. From there we take the internal flight TK2336 leaving at 1900 to Kusadasi where, at 2005 a coach will take us to the Richmond Hotel in time for an early night to prepare for the next day's sightseeing. Kusadasi is our base for the next few days.
Day 2 Tuesday 7 June
APHRODISIAS & MAGNESIA
On our first day we jump into the Hellenistic world at the deep end, visiting the impressive site of Aphrodisias, inland from the coast. Aphrodisias in the Roman period had its own school of sculptors which accounts for the rich collection in the local museum and for the wonderful decoration of its public buildings. The stadium is still almost intact and is a marvel in itself. Returning to Kusadasi, if time allows we call at the ancient city of Magnesia on the Meander.
Day 3 Wednesday 8 June
EPHESUS
A full day visiting ancient Ephesus, the most important city of the Roman Province of Asia. Built almost entirely of marble, it was St. Paul’s headquarters for some time. Apart from the extensive Hellenistic remains, there is the church in which the Council of Ephesus was held in AD 431. After lunch there will be time to visit Asayaluk Hill where the emperor Constantine built a huge church dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. John lived in that region and had jurisdiction over the Seven Churches of Asia mentioned in the Apocalypse. We return to our hotel in Kusadasi in time for dinner.
Day 4 Thursday 9 June
DIDYMA, MILETUS & PRIENE
From Kusadasi it is possible to visit many places of interest which are quite close together. This morning will be taken up seeing the sanctuary of Apollo at Dydime, a temple on a grand scale. Next is Miletus, half submerged by silt, with its 15,000 seat theatre and a romantically-ruined C15 AD mosque close by, used now by storks as a nesting site. Then on to the Hellenistic city of Priene, overlooked by Mount Mykale, in another beautiful setting, where the League of Ionian Cities held its congresses and festivals c.200 BC.
Day 5 Friday 10 June
ISTANBUL/CONSTANTINOPOLIS/BYZANTIUM
An early drive to Kusadasi Airport to board Turkish Airlines flight TK2311, leaving at 0900 to arrive in Istanbul at 1005. We visit Saint Saviour in Chora, a small church containing some of the most stunning Byzantine mosaics in existence. There is a marvellous side chapel decorated with early frescoes, the most remarkable being on the theme of death, resurrection and eternal life.
Day 6 Saturday 11 June
THE BOSPHORUS & THE BLACK SEA
By this time we will have earned a little respite from sightseeing, so today we are taking a full day boat cruise on the Bosphorus, following the European and Asian shores, which afford the opportunity to see Istanbul from the sea. The villas and palaces lining the shores are extremely attractive. Lunch will be taken at a fish restaurant on the Black Sea.
Day 7 Sunday 12 June
CONSTANTINOPOLIS/BYZANTIUM
A full day guided coach tour of the fascinating city of Istanbul, ancient Constantinople, still more ancient Byzantium, and meeting point of east and west. During the morning we will visit the astonishing Hagia Sophia, the emperor Justinian’s 6th Century church, the first church of the Byzantine Empire and a marvel of enclosed liturgical space. Later we call at the Sulimaniyeh Mosque, one of the greatest in the Islamic world, built in 1557 by Sinan, architect of Suleiman the Magnificent. On then to the colonnaded Underground Palace, in reality a huge Justinian water cistern constructed to supply his great city with water. Finally we stand in the Roman hippodrome completed in AD 330 by Constantine, with its carved column showing court life at that time.
Day 8 Monday 13 June
ISTANBUL
Today is a free day to enable you to shop in the many bazaars of this great city. Some will want to visit the Topkapi Palace where you can see the Harem, Treasury and china and jewellery collections and the National Archaeological museum.
Day 9 Tuesday 14 June
ISTANBUL TO LONDON
After an early breakfast we transfer to Istanbul Airport to take the Turkish Airlines scheduled flight TK1985, which leaves at 1315 to arrive in London Heathrow at 1515. The reasonable arrival time enables us to get to our homes not too late.
