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Day 01
Wednesday
ISTANBUL
Meet at the
lobby at 05.00 PM
Visit the Blue Mosque - A 17th Century monument
built to immortalize Sultan Ahmet.
Dinner at the roof top of a renevated 18th
Century Ottoman house. Make sure you have your
camera with you for the stunning view of Aya
Sophia and blue Mosque, the Sea of Marmara nad
Asia
Overnight at Hotel Ayasofya
Day 02
Thursday
ISTANBUL
(OPTIONAL TRIP TO EPHESUS -not
included in the tour price)
Leave the hotel at 08:45
Walk to the
Byzantine Hippodrome.Visit the Basilica Cistern
and Aya
Sophia, After lunch visit Dolma Bahce Palace,
the palace which stands as a symbol f
"Westernization" of the Ottoman Empire in mis
19th Century.
Dinner at a fish restaurant. Overnight at Hotel
Ayasofya.
Day 03 Friday
ISTANBUL
Today we will
experience the Byzantine History living in
Istanbul. We will start the day with a visit to
the
Rum
patriarchate. After Lunch , visit Kariye cami (
Chora Church)
Istanbul as
Constantinople was where the Byzantines accepted
Christianity as the state religion 1700 years
ago. The imperial recognition of Christianity
can best be seen at the breathtaking mosaics of Chora Church. Enjoy the earliest interpretations of Nativity, Dormission,
Resurrection and Jesus the Creator.
For the royalty, the entrance to the city of
Constantine was the Golden Gate at the
Seven Towers. We will visit the site to see how
Byzantines and the Ottomans had made different
use of this site.
Dinner at the Bosphorous. Overnight at Hotel
Ayasofya
Day 04 Saturday
CAPPADOCIA
We will take an early morning flight to
Cappadocia. We will
arrive at Kayseri
( Ceaseria) (The city of St. Basil of Caesarea 329
– 379 AD) at 0900 and drive to
Cappadocia.
( 1hour 15 minutes) We will be in the region
where Gregory of Nyssa was born.
Cappadocia
where cliff dwellings and several hundred churches are hollowed out of the of
the cones which are eroded remnants of volcanic land. Frescoes depicting scenes
from the Bible or the Apocrypha are amazingly well preserved.
Enjoy
Rural Byzantine art
Dinner & Overnight at Museum Hotel in Uc Hisar
Day 5
CAPADOCIA
Immerse into
the depths of Cappadocia to understand how the early Christians
lived and worshiped in the land where the seeds of Christianity
were planted by St. Paul. Visit the locals in their houses. Witness
the local craft at potters wheel and at carpet makers looms.
Opportunity to buy the best Turkish carpets.
Dinner
& Overnight at Museum Hotel in Uc Hisar
Day 6 GUZELYURT
Visit the
underground city of Kaymakli
Visit the churches scattered in the Ihlara valley and the churches
(385 AD) of Gregory
of Nazianzus,Aya Anargiros and Gregorios Teologos
Dinner and Overnight at Hotel Karballa
Day 7 ANTIOCH- ANTAKYA
Visit
the most stunning monastery of GUMUSKESEN where there is a
fabulous fresco of smiling Virgin Mary . Drive
through the Cilician Gates, just like Paul and his disciples
did. Continue to Antakya (Antioch on the Orentes) This is
where the followers of Jesus were first called Christians (Acts
11:26) It was from the Church in Antioch that Paul and Barnabas
started their first journey and to which Paul returned from both
his first and second journeys. Dinner at Anadolu Restaurant
 , fameous with their local dishes.
Overnight at Antakya, HOTEL ANTIK BEYAZIT, ANTAKYA
Day 8
ANTIOCH- ANTAKYA
Visit St.
Peter's church and the fabulous Mosaic Museum which clearly
displays the glamour of Antioch of St. Paul's time. After lunch
drive to the Monastary
of St Simon
Dinner at Daphne Overnight at Hotel Antik Beyazit
Day 9
MERSIN
After visiting the
city, TARSUS, where Paul was born
. Visit
Toprak Kale Sis, Tarsus Armenian Church
Dinner and overnight at Mersin Hilton Hotel
Day 10 SILIFKE
To day we will visit grand ancient cities: Sabastiapolis and
Kanli Divane
Overnight at in Silifke
Lades Hotel
Day 11 SILIFKE
Trip
to ala Klise in Mut
Aya Tekla’s monastery
Overnigt in Silifke
This will be the
best Day of the tour!!
Incredible huge churches of the Earliest Byzantine Era all in
superb condition!!
Baptismal
fonts of the 6th Century!!!
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