Turkey: in the footsteps of St. Paul, St. John and the Pilgrim Church

November 4-17, 2013

Led by Fr. Ralph Recker, OSB, and LaVern Hayworth, associate oblate director.

Itinerary synopsis

ISTANBUL - former Constantinople, the ancient capital of Byzantium

Includes: Church of the St. Sophia (6th century Hagia Sophia), Chora Museum (church of St. Saviour in Chora), Theodosian City Walls, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent, the 15th century covered Bazaar with 4,000 shops, the exotic spice bazaar, greek Vatican (Greek Orthodox Patriachate).

ANCIENT ANTIOCHA, TARSUS, CAPPADOCIA and KONYA

UNESCO World heritage site - early Christian underground cities, Goreme and Pasabag, from the time of St. Basil of Caseria. Konya, birthplace of Rumi and the whirling dervishes.

WHITE TRAVERTINE CASCADES OF PAMUKKALE

SEVEN CHURCHES OF THE REVELATION:

Smyrna, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Thyatira, Pergamon, Ephesus are all from St. John's Book of Revelation

ANCIENT NICEA

Site of the first Ecumenical Councils 325 AD and 787 AD