DAY 01, ….. / ISTANBUL-ADANAAfternoon flight to , one of the major cities in . With its rural atmosphere, also hosts the 5000 service men and women at Incirlik Airbase. Dinner and overnight in .DAY 02, ADANA-ANTIOCH (ANTAKYA)-A full day bus trip to Ancient Antioch which was the center of Hellenistic civilization in this region and home to a massive temple and oracle complex dedicated to Apollo. The temple functioned until the visit of Emperor Justinian throughout the last remaining priest and ordered the place burned to the ground. Christianity have a deep root into 's soil. It was to that many Jerusalem Christians fled after the death of Stephen. and St. Barnabas stayed in for a year and assembled with the church and taught many people. Later, the city became the center from which performed his missionary labors. It was in that the disciples of this religion were first named as "Christians", and it was also in here the first non-Jews were accepted into the church. Return to . Dinner and overnight in .DAY 03, ANTAKYA-TARSUS-SIDEProceed to which was the birthplace of . Besides he visited this city on his second and third missionary journeys. Reaching back to the 14th century B.C., is a city with a resplendent history. A beautiful coastal drive to Side with visits of the ruins of the Byzantine period in Side, including the theater and the baths. Dinner and overnight in Side.DAY 04, SIDE-ASPENDOS-PERGE-HIERAPOLIS-PAMUKKALEAspendos amphitheatre, famous for its extraordinary acoustics, which is also extremely well preserved and still in use today for special events. Proceed to Perge, a Hellenistic city where preached (Acts 14:25). The ruins of a large stadium, baths and tomb give ample evidence of its former greatness. and St. Barnabas visited here on their first journey. After visits, depart for which is blessed by hot mineral springs and some of the best preserved Roman ruins in . Paul mentions in his Letter to the Colossians in saluting Epaphras, a fellow laborer, for his love of the brethren there (Colossians 4:13). The ruins cover more than a mile. Visits to the impressive amphitheatre with seats still in perfect condition, the City Gates, column-lined streets and arches which have stood through time and earthquake. Today, the area is known as Pamukkale, meaning the " ", named for the limestone-laden , which cascade from one white-edged terrace pool to the next. Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.DAY 05, PAMUKKALE-COLOSSAE-APHRODISIAS-LAODICEA-PAMUKKALEA full day trip to which is famous as the receiver of 's Letter. The town of has fallen into the hands of time but one can still see traces of the theatre, the Necropolis and the Church, the ancient city is mostly indistinguishable ruins. Aphrodisias, is another town close by whose fame has been obscured by time. This city of marble thrived as the major center for worship of the pagan goddess Aphrodite until 500 years after Christ. The Christians of Laodicea, one of the Seven Churches, were chastised for being lukewarm, "You are neither cold nor hot" (Rev. 3:15), and for being too comfortable incorporating pagan and Christian beliefs. In the famous scripture from Revelation, Jesus says to the Laodicean church: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock...". Today, there are many acres of ruins to see, including the stadium and columned streets. Drive back to Pamukkale. Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.DAY 06, PAMUKKALE-EPHESUS-IZMIRDepart for , which is one of the well known and preserved biggest cities of the history, was a bustling port town of 250,000, graced with wide, colonnade bordered streets. Today, everyone is impressed with the spectacular excavations of the major streets of ancient . Visits to the Library and the huge Agora. of was declared as one of the . Today, only a single column remains to mark the site. Visits to the Basilica of St. John, traditional site of his grave and visit the for an up-close look at artifacts from the ancient city. What made fa
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