Istanbul Trip Overview
The Seven Churches of Revelations or the Churches of Apocalypse that are in the book of John refer to seven major cities through Western Turkey: Thyatira-Sardis-Laodicea-Philadelphia-Hierapolis-Aphrodisias. All these places provided a relatively safe haven for the Early Christians. For those looking to make a spiritual journey, Turkey cannot be overlooked. For a more in-depth discovery of Biblical Turkey, join our tours where you can choose to do a small group tour or a private tour.
Drive to the healing city of Hierapolis and Pamukkale, which is a white cotton fortress where hot mineral water bursts from the ground and cascades over cliffs forming pools, channels, and stalactites.
You will venture to the UNESCO-listed Ephesus where you will see one of the world’s best-preserved ancient sites and see where the Virgin Mary spent her final days at the House of the Virgin Mary. Get to experience the Temple of Artemis one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
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 Seven Churches of Revelations or the Churches of Apocalypse that are in the book of John refer to seven major cities through Western Turkey: Thyatira-Sardis-Laodicea-Philadelphia-Hierapolis-Aphrodisias. All these places provided a relatively safe haven for the Early Christians. For those looking to make a spiritual journey, Turkey cannot be overlooked. For a more in-depth discovery of Biblical Turkey, join our tours where you can choose to do a small group tour or a private tour.
Drive to the healing city of Hierapolis and Pamukkale, which is a white cotton fortress where hot mineral water bursts from the ground and cascades over cliffs forming pools, channels, and stalactites.
You will venture to the UNESCO-listed Ephesus where you will see one of the world’s best-preserved ancient sites and see where the Virgin Mary spent her final days at the House of the Virgin Mary. Get to experience the Temple of Artemis one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Day – Visit The Legendary Troy
Stop At: Canakkale, Canakkale, Canakkale Province, Turkish Aegean Coast
Here are your journey starts. After arriving in Istanbul, You will be welcomed by your tour guide. During the trip from Istanbul to Canakkale, enjoy the magnificent views of North-West Turkey, stop for a lunch in the local restaurant and wait impatiently to meet the mesmerizing Troy.
Duration: 5 hours
Stop At: Troy (Truva), Tevfikiye Koyu, Intepe, Canakkale Turkey
Troy is an ancient city located in the heart of nature in province Çanakkale, northwestern Turkey. Troy is one of the richest cities of ancient times. It was made famous in Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad. According to Homer’s Iliad, this is where the legendary Trojan War took place. Today, Troy is an archaeological site that is popular with travelers from all over the world. In addition to it being a Turkish national park, it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: A 4-star hotel in Canakkale.
Day 2: Canakkale – Kusadasi: Visit Pergamon, Acropolis, The St. John’s Basilica
Stop At: Pergamon Antik Kenti, Bergama Turkey
On the way to Kusadasi visit Pergamon (Rev,2:12-17). There is The Red Basilica which is thought to have been built by the Romans as a temple to the Egyptian gods Serapis and Isis in the 2nd century AD.
Originally, this must have been an awe-inspiring place. In his Book of Revelation, St John the Divine wrote that this was one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse, singling it out as the ‘throne of the devil’. In fact, the building is so big that the early Christians didn’t convert it into a church, but in the 5th century AD built a basilica inside it instead.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: The Acropolis, Bergama Turkey
The Acropolis, which means Upper Town “ has the most important remains of Pergamon. The acropolis has been largely founded on a hill is one of the unique masterpieces of the old settlements as a cut-mountain town due to the lack of the natural plateau. The places, where the temples, palaces, library, theatre, and other necessary edifices have been built, on the big terraces from the beginning of the first settlement.
In order to visit Acropolis ancient city, people needs take a Cable Car from the station located on the east side of the Hill. A cable car ride takes approximately 15 Minutes with the nice scenery of Bergama.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: The Basilica of Saint John, Isa Bey Mahallesi, 2013. Sk. No:1, Selcuk 35920 Turkey
St John is believed to have spent the last years of his life in Ephesus writing his version of the Gospel. Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD) believed that a tomb dating from the 300s was John’s, so he built a great church above it in the 500s.
In later centuries the ruined church was pillaged for building materials, but restoration allows you to see its extent and to imagine its beauties.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: A 4-star hotel in Kusadasi.
Day 3: Kusadasi – Pamukkale: Visit Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary and Hierapolis
Stop At: Ancient City of Ephesus, Selcuk 35920 Turkey
Ephesus (Rev,2:1-7) was an important coastal city for Pagans and Christians, for religious and secular reasons, including being the place Romans landed when about to take over the province of Asia. Its ancient population was about a quarter of a million. The temple of Artemis at Ephesus was sponsored by the Lydian king Croesus, designed by the Greek architect Chersiphron, and decorated with bronze statues sculpted by the renowned Pheidias, Polycleitus, Kresilas, and Phradmon.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Meryemana (The Virgin Mary’s House), Sultaniye Mahallesi, Selcuk 35100 Turkey
Entrusted one to the other by Jesus himself, John and Mary would certainly respect the last wishes of their beloved Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is entirely plausible to believe that since Mary’s safety would be of paramount importance to John, he took Mary with him to the safety of Ephesus.
The people of “Kirkince” (now Sirince), a village about 17 km from Meryem Ana Evi, traditionally believed that there had been a house on Bulbul Dagi (Nightingale Hill) where Mary had lived. Every year on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption, they made a pilgrimage to Meryem Ana Evi. They believed that Mary was Assumed into heaven from this place.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Hierapolis & Pamukkale, Pamukkale 20280 Turkey
Hierapolis is listed in the New Testament along with Laodicea as the center of Epaphras’s work (Colossians 4:13). This was at the time Paul was writing to strengthen the message Epaphras was preaching and to condemn the “people who go in for self-mortification and angel-worship” (Colossians 2:18). Another less well-known resident of Hierapolis was Papias, a disciple of St. John and the author of the lost book called the Sayings of Jesus.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Pamukkale Thermal Pools, Pamukkale Turkey
Pamukkale, located in the province of Denizli this natural wonder is comprised of terraces and travertine formed by hot springs and streams depositing carbonate minerals. Pamukkale has gained eminence for its waters believed to have curative powers and been used as a thermal bath for centuries.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: A 4-star hotel in Pamukkale.
Day 4: Pamukkale – Izmir: Visit Leodicea, Philadelphia, Sardes and Smyrna
Stop At: Laodikeia Antik Kenti, Pamukkale Bulvari, Oren Caddesi Goncali Mahallesi, Denizli Turkey
The ancient city of Laodicea (Rev,3:14-22), also known as Laodicea on the Lycus, is the first institutional and the largest archaeological site in Denizli.
Laodicea had one of the seven churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation. The seventh one is the Laodicea Church.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Philadelphia Siesean Kilisesi, Soguksu Mahallesi, Ismet Pasa Cd. No: 114, Alasehir Turkey
Philadelphia (modern Alashehir) (Rev, 3:7-13) was founded in the 3rd century BC by one of the Pergamenian kings and named after Attalus II (159–138 B.C.) who, in spite of Roman pressure, maintained loyalty and love for his brother, Eumenes II (197–159 B.C.)— thus the name “Philadelphia” (brotherly love).
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Sardis (Sardes), Belediye Cd. No:124 Sart, Salihli 45300 Turkey
One of the most picturesque areas of any of the Seven Churches is the site of Sardis (Rev,3:1-6).
Sardis is an ancient city that was located near the village of Sart, in the Salihli district of Manisa, and was the capital of Lydia state. It was founded in 1300 BC and was destroyed in 1200 AD. Sardes is the place where the money was first printed according to known history. It is also the beginning of the famous King’s Road in history.
The spur of Mt. Tmolus (Boz Dağ) protrudes from the base of the mountain like the prow of a ship and constitutes the nigh impregnable citadel of the once famous city. Down through the ages wind and water have carved the sandstone and conglomerate of that spur and the surrounding country into distinctive sharp hills.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Old Smyrna, Ord. Prof. Dr. Ekrem Akurgal Cad. No: 95, Izmir Turkey
The area of Old Smyrna (Rev,2:8-11) near Bayraklı across the bay from the present Izmir was inhabited during the first half of the third millennium B.C.
Smyrna was the second city to receive a letter from the apostle John in the book of Revelation. Acts 19:10 suggests that the church there was founded during Paul’s third missionary journey. Due to the fact that the port city of Izmir houses the second largest population in Turkey today, the site of ancient Smyrna has been little excavated. Excepting the agora, theater, and sections of the Roman aqueduct, little remains of the ancient city.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: A 4-star hotel in Izmir.
Day 5: Izmir – Bursa: Visit Church of St. Polycarp, Thyatira
Stop At: Saint Polycarp Church, Pasaport Iskelesi 75B Akdeniz Mahallesi, Izmir 35210 Turkey
The Saint Polycarp Church is the oldest church in Izmir and represents ancient Smyrna’s role as one of the Seven Churches of Revelation.
Saint Polycarp was converted by John the Apostle and became Bishop of Smyrna. He was martyred by the Romans at age 86 in 155 AD at Kadifkale, which was atop the hill near modern-day Izmir. According to tradition, when they tried to burn Polycarp at the stake, the flames wouldn’t touch him. They finally stabbed him to death.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Thyateira Hill Tombs, Hürriyet, 45200 Akhisar/Manisa, Turkey
Akhisar, the site of ancient Thyatira (Rev,2:18-29), is a thriving modern city, but with almost no remains of its old self to be seen except the ruins of an ancient temple, possibly to Apollo, a colonnaded road, and a large church. The city was home to a Christian community from the apostolic period. The community continued until 1922 when the Orthodox Christian population was deported. In the first sentence of the letter in Revelation to the angel of the church in Thyatira, there is a reference to “the Son of God, whose eyes flame like fire and whose feet gleam like burnished brass” (Rev. 2:18).
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Bursa, Bursa
Drive to Bursa and check-in at the hotel overnight.
Duration: 4 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: A 4-star hotel in Bursa.
Day 6: Bursa – Istanbul: Visit Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome
Stop At: Hagia Sophia Mosque, Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya MeydanI No:1, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
Church of the Holy Wisdom “, known as Hagia Sophia (Άγια Σοφία) in Greek, Sancta Sophia in Latin, and Aya Sofya in Turkish, is a former Byzantine church and former Ottoman mosque in Istanbul.
Hagia Sophia was rebuilt in her present form between 532 and 537 under the personal supervision of Emperor Justinian I. For over 900 years the Hagia Sophia was the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople and a principal setting for church councils and imperial ceremonies. n 1934, under Turkish president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Hagia Sofia was secularized and turned into the Ayasofya Museum. On 17 July 2020 – following a surprising decision taken by the Turkish government – Hagia Sophia Museum was converted back to a mosque after 85 years.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Sultanahmet Meydani, Atmeydani Cd No: 17-31, Istanbul 34110 Turkey
Hippodrome is a great place to start learning about Istanbul.
Sultanahmet Square is a historical square located in the Binbirdirek neighborhood of Fatih district of Istanbul. During the Byzantine Empire, it was called Hippodrome in Constantinople.
It was an arena used for chariot racing throughout the Byzantine period. First built during the reign of Roman emperor Septimius Severus in the early 3rd century CE, the structure was made more grandiose by emperor Constantine I in the 4th century CE. The Hippodrome was also used for other public events such as parades, public executions, and the public shaming of enemies of the emperor. Following the Fourth Crusade in the early 13th century CE, the Hippodrome fell out of use and its spectacular monuments and artworks were looted.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: A 4-star hotel in Istanbul.
Day 7: Istanbul/Home: Visit Topkapi Palace
Stop At: Topkapi Palace, Cankurtaran Mahallesi Gulhane Park, Near Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
The most valuable treasure collection in the world may be seen in Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.
A visit to the Topkapi Palace enables you to visualize how life was lived in an Ottoman Palace, with its fabulous Treasury, Porcelain Pavillion, and the recently restored Harem quarters.The Topkapi Palace Museum ; Sultan Mehmet II. called Fatih the Conqueror, after conquering Istanbul in 1453, built his first royal palace in the Forum of Theodosius, on what are now the grounds of Istanbul University, in the district of Beyazit.Later, impressed by the situation of the Byzantine Acropolis at today’s Saray Point, dominating the confluence of the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn, and the Sea of Marmara, Fatih gave orders for the construction (1475 – 1478) of the palace which is known as the Topkapi Palace.
Duration: 1 hour
Pass By: Istanbul, Istanbul
End of the service. Your guide and driver will drop you at the Istanbul International Airport, or Sabiha Gokchen Airport. Or, if you wish to continue your Turkey journey, they will take you to your Istanbul hotel.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.
