Seven Churches of Revelation and Aegean Region

On arrival in Izmir Airport on your flight from the UK you will be met by your tour guide and transferred to your hotel in Izmir. Evening dinner and overnight in Izmir.

After breakfast you will drive 1.5-2 hours northwards from Izmir to Pergamum. Pergamum is the 3rd of the 7 Churches. First to see is the Acropolis, with access to the steep hilltop by cable car. Among the monuments of note are the Temple of Trajan, the Library, the steep amphitheatre and the foundations of the Altar of Zeus (thought to be the seat of Satan, mentioned in Rev. 2: 13), whose magnificent marble reliefs were removed to Berlin in the 19th century (now displayed at the Berlin Pergamon Museum). Next you visit the Asclepieion, on the other side of the town. Here an ancient healing centre for the practice of medicine and psychotherapy is located, alongside a temple to Asclepius, (the god of healing) as well as other notable structures. Driving in a SE direction for about an hour you will next Visit Thyatira. This was the 4th of the 7 Churches, and the modern town of Akhisar now stands in its place. In NT times it was a significant trading place, Lydia of Acts 16:14 was from there. Today, only scant remains from the Greco Roman era are still to be seen, namely some column bases, capitals and inscriptions. Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight here.

Smyrna, the 2nd of the 7 Churches is modern-day Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city. The day starts with a visit to the historic Agora, one of the best preserved in Anatolia, with stoas and colonnades. From there you proceed to the Velvet Castle (Kadifekale), which sits on the hill-top of Mt. Pagus “crowning” the city. The foundations of this date back to the time of Alexander the Great. From here a superb panoramic view of the modern city and the Gulf of Izmir are obtained as well as a view over the Hellenistic era Agora below. Not far from this site is where the martyrdom of St. Polycarp took place In AD 156. Driving eastwards for about 1.5 hours you next visit Sardis. This was the 5th of the 7 Churches and was the capital of the ancient Lydian kingdom. There was a significant Jewish community here dating back to the 6th century BC. It was on the western periphery of the Persian empire, linked to the capital Susa by the Royal Road. After Jews were saved through the action of Esther, thousands of Jewish families were relocated here from Mesopotamia by Antiochus III, so it is no surprise that the largest ancient synagogue of the Diaspora is to be found here. Other notable remains are the Gymnasium and baths. At a short distance from the main site is the Temple of Artemis, dating from the 4th Century BC. It is well preserved and in one corner of it is a small Byzantine church from the 4th Century AD. Dinner and overnight in nearby Salihli.

Driving eastwards you come to Philadelphia, The 6th of the 7 Churches. As with Thyatira, very little of the ancient town remains to be seen today but for completion we include it in the itinerary. Modern Alasehir is built over the site, obscuring most of its antiquities. Some sections of the Byzantine city walls can be seen as can the arches of a 6th Century Byzantine church, which, of course, post-dates the NT era. Continuing eastwards you come to Laodicea, the 7th of the 7 Churches. It has substantial remains of theatre, stadium and gymnasium. Further excavations, ongoing since 2003, have added vastly to the interest and significance of the site. A large Jewish community was settled there by the Seleucids and in St. Paul’s time there was a significant number of Christians as we know from his letter to the Colossians. The Council of Laodicea met here in AD363. The imagery of hot and cold in Rev. 3:15-16 may well be derived from the city sitting between the thermal waters of Pamukkale on one side and the snow-covered mountain of Mount Salbakos (Babadag) on the other. Dinner and overnight at a thermal hotel in Pamukkale.

Hierapolis is the Roman era site beside the thermal pools and white travertine terraces of Pamukkale. It is mentioned by Paul in his epistle to the Colossians and the Apostle Philip is thought to have been martyred there. It is an excellent archeological site and structures of note include the Roman amphitheater, baths, temples, martyrium, necropolis and the ruins of a basilica church. The travertines are a unique geological formation, and you will have the chance to see them close up and feel the lukewarm water. Next, we are visiting Aphrodisias one of the most beautiful Greco-Romans cities in Turkey, situated in an unspoiled valley far from any urban development. Excavated mainly from 1962 onwards its outstanding monuments are in pristine condition, and it is now a UNESCO site. It is not mentioned in the Bible but is completely contemporary with the NT. A pillar was found there containing a long inscription of donors with Jewish names, to a soup kitchen, attesting to the presence of a Jewish community. You then drive to the coast for your overnight stay in Kusadasi.

Sites Ephesus is the most extensive archaeological site in Turkey, and the best-preserved classical city in the eastern Mediterranean. It is the 1st of the 7 Churches and was a site of great significance to the early church. In it are the remains of an entire city in which a population of about 100,000 people lived during the time of Paul. As well as links with Paul, Timothy and John, the 3rd Church Council of AD 431 was held there. Of particular note are the Library of Celsus, the amphitheatre seating 25,000 people, where the riot of Acts 19:29-41 took place, the Odeon and the Agora. The magnificently restored Terrace Villas (Slope Houses) can be visited on an optional basis (separate entrance fee). These are where wealthy citizens lived in the 1st and 2nd centuries. Next visit the House of the Virgin Mary, a shrine visited by both Catholic and Muslim pilgrims based on belief that St. John brought Mary here later in the 1st century. Next visit St. John’s Basilica in nearby Selcuk. This huge, 5th century Byzantine basilica was built over what was thought to be the tomb of the Apostle John as he is believed to have lived close to Ephesus at the end of his life after returning from exile on the nearby island of Patmos. Finally, visit the Museum in Selcuk. This displays artifacts recovered from the site of Ephesus. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi.

Driving south you come to Miletus, (Acts 20). A flourishing port in the time of Paul (but now some distance inland). This was an important city of great grandeur in antiquity. Home to the Greek alphabet and birthplace of several philosophers such as Thales. Among its many excellent ruins are a theatre, marketplaces, temple and baths. This is where Paul summoned the Ephesian church leaders to meet him when on his way to Jerusalem for the last time, related in Acts 20; the emotional parting and farewell is described by Luke.

Check out from our hotel and transfer by coach to the airport for our flight home.