Day 9 - Perge, Side, Aspendos, and More

Acts 13:13 "From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem."
Acts 14:25 "and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia."

The ancient harbor of Antalya (Attalia in the Bible) was the closest port for a town just a few miles inland, Perga (the Turks call it Perge, PEHR-geh). Perga was a very prosperous Greco–Roman city with a theater, a stadium, magnificent gates, main street that had a water canal, a forum, a nymphaeum, Roman baths, and more. The remains left today are impressive.

In Perga, Paul had a falling out with John Mark that would create divisions in Paul’s next journey (Acts 15). There is also some evidence that Paul fell ill in Perga and that illness persisted for years (some suggest malaria).


Before we visit Perge, we’ll stop at a rural section of Antalya were Presbyterians had been reaching out in the past years. Kepez is a less advantaged area on the edge of the city. In the past years, Presbyterian mission teams have come here to work with neighborhood kids and run summer programs.

At Perga, we visit the impressive ruins and walk in the footsteps of Paul and Barnabas.

Next, we’ll head south and visit the well preserved Roman era theater of Aspendos. While there is no Biblical connection, Aspendos’s theater is reputed to be the best preserved first century Roman theater in existence and is a wonderful site to visit.
Finally, we’ll head to the sea side ruins of Side (SEE-deh) to view an impressive theater and other ruins along beautiful beach.
We’ll head back to Antalya for dinner and overnight (and possibly a hamam visit).

Thanks to Dr Carl Rasmussen (www.HolyLandPhotos.org) for some of the images in this post.

Day 10 - Fly to Istanbul

Today we rise early and bid farewell to the Mediterranean coast. We head to the Antalya airport and fly back to Istanbul for three days in this amazing city. The city literally sits at the crossroads of continents. The main portion of Istanbul is in Europe. Cross the Bosporus into her eastern suburbs and you’re in Asia.

Inhabited as early was 300BC, the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great moved his capital to this city in 324, and it soon became known as Constantinopolis, or Constantinople. Here he built a magnificent new capital city for the eastern empire. For a thousand years after Rome was sacked by barbarians and fell into ruin, Constantinople continued as the successor of Roman rule, but with the Greek language and culture as the norm.

The attribute that made the city so desirable, its incomparable location for trade and transport between three continents, was also its nemesis. For the next thousand years barbarians, Persians, Arabs, nomadic tribes, and even Venetians of the Fourth Crusade (who were the first to breech the city walls and governed the city for a time) attacked Constantinople. The city was strongly fortified with great walls, but finally fell to the Ottoman Turks on May 29, 1453.

It then became the capital of the Ottoman Turks, who rebuilt many parts of the city. The great ruler Suleiman the Magnificent (1520–1566) built the Topkapi palace on the same site was the Byzantine palace and the Ottomans ruled their far-flung empire from within its walls. Its name was changed to “Istanbul.”

Today, we’ll visit wonders from both Byzantine Constantinople and Ottoman Istanbul. From the airport we’ll travel the coast road to our hotel in the Sultanahmet area – the heart of this ancient city. Sites in this area are so compact that the rest of the day will be a walking tour.
We’ll start in the Byzantine Hippodrome – a race track and stadium for sporting events that were the favorites of both emperors and common people. We’ll see an Egyptian obelisk moved to the site from Egypt and other historic remains.
We’ll walk across the street and see one of the Islamic wonder of the city, Sultanahmet Camii, popularly knows as the Blue Mosque. The mosque became known in the west as the Blue Mosque because of the predominantly blue tiles of the interior.

The architect of the mosque, Sedefhar Mehmet Aga, was given a mandate to spare no expense in creating a magnificent and beautiful place of Islamic worship. The basic structure of the mosque is a near-cube, measuring 53 by 51 meters. As is the case with all mosques, it is aligned so that when worshipers perform their prayers, they are facing Mecca, with the mihrab or prayer niche in front of them.
Here we will need to remove our shoes. Women will need to have their shoulders and upper arms covered. Slacks, caprice, or knee length skirts. A headscarf to cover your hair is helpful. Men should not wear tank tops or shorts.
A Turkish boy visiting the Blue Mosque to celebrate his sünnet. We'll explain later.

After the mosque, we’ll walk across a beautiful garden to see one of the great sites of all time, the Holy Wisdom Church – the Hagia Sophia.

“The Church of the Divine Wisdom (Hagia Sophia in Greek) is one of the most impressive and important buildings ever constructed.” It is called by several names: Hagia Sophia in Greek, Ayasofya in Turkish.

It was built on the site of Byzantium's acropolis by Emperor Justinian in 537 AD, Hagia Sophia was the greatest and largest church in Christendom until St. Peter's Basilica was re-built in Rome a thousand years later.

During Ottoman times, it was converted to a mosque. In the early Turkish Republic, the progressive leader Mustafa Kemal “Atatürk” wanted the site to be enjoyed by all and converted it to a museum.

The 30 million gold mosaic tiles which cover the church's interior are now being restored and this means the interior will be filled with scaffolding. You will still find it perhaps the most amazing site you have ever visited.

After our visit, we hope to stop for lunch at a Istanbul institution, “Meshur Sultanahmet Köftecisi”, a small restaurant that specialized in Turkish Kofte.

After lunch, we’ll cross the street and visit a Byzantine cistern, called Yerebatan Saray Sarniçi, or the Basilica Cistern. It covers 2.4 acres and has a capacity of over 21 million US gallons, and is held in place by 336 marble columns. You’ve seen this in the film “From Russia With Love”.
Finally, we visit the ornate Ottoman Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years. Topkapi means "Palace of the Cannon Gate” and this place is filled with beautiful tiled courtyards and treasures gathered from all over the empire.
As an option, you may choose to visit the Istanbul Archaeological Museum with Al instead. It houses many items of interest and importance to Biblical history from all over the vast Ottoman empire.
We’ll walk back to our hotel and you’ll be ready to get off your feet and enjoy an evening in this amazing city.

Day 11 - Istanbul Day Two:Worship and Asia

Today, we’ll travel with the locals as we visit sites across the Golden Horn and the Bosporus.

We plan to jump on the Besiktas tram and travel down the hill and across the Galata bridge.

Exiting on the Karakoy side, we take a underground tram, called the “Tunel” up the hill and come out on Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Ave) in the area called Beyoglu. This is more modern district of Istanbul built during the 19th century and is the most “European” section of the city.

We wander up the street and attend Sunday worship at Union Church of Istanbul.
After worship, we’ll have lunch at a local “lokanta”. If weather is good, we might visit the Galenta Tower.
After lunch, we’ll descend the “Tunel” and take a scenic ferry across the Straits of Bosporus to Kadikoy, the Asian side of Istanbul and leave most of the tourists behind. Don’t miss the historic Maiden's Tower (Kız Kulesi) along the way.
Once past the ferry terminals, the cobbled streets are lined with bookstores, art galleries, jewelers, cake shops, clothes stores, and cafes. Here, we will walk the narrow lanes and visit a historic Greek Orthodox Church, remembering the “Council of Chalcedon” which was held here in 451AD.

We’ll cross back over when we’re done, arriving at the Eminönü ferry terminal and taking the tram back up the hill.

In the evening, we hope to meet with PCUSA mission partners in Istanbul at our hotel.

Day 12 - Istanbul Final Day

This will be our last day in Istanbul. We’ll start by heading to a the Kariye Museum, really the “Church of the Holy Savior in Chora”, or simply “Chora Church”. “Chora” means “”in the country”. This name started because when this church was first built in the 4th century it was outside the original city walls.

The walls were later extended to include this church, which was extensively rebuilt and repaired for several centuries, beginning in the 11th century. A part of that renovation was to cover the walls with beautiful frescos (paintings on fresh plaster) and magnificent mosaics.
In the Ottoman period, the church was converted into a mosque, which created a dilemma. Moslems are forbidden to make images of humans, especially in their places of worship. However, these were images of people Islam considered as holy prophets - Jesus and Mary. Destroying them would be sacrilege. The solution was to cover them with plaster and that covering protected them until it was removed in the 20th century. They are amazing.

After Chora, we’ll try to make a few brief stops at some additional Byzantine sites. A part of the ancient city walls that remains in good shape and possibly the Church of the Saints Sergius and Bacchus (if it open…it has been in renovation).

Next, we’ll travel to the largest mosque in Istanbul, the Mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, built in 1557.

Designed by the Ottoman Empire's greatest architect, Sinan, the Suleiman mosque dominates views of the city from afar. The mosque is actually a series of buildings and tombs that are now tightly packed into urban Istanbul.
Next, we’ll head to the Egyptian Spice Market. Sitting at the docks of the Golden Horn, ships from Egypt brought spices and other luxuries to this waiting marketplace. This site has been a market since the early Byzantine times. In addition to the shops inside the covered mall, be sure to look for the shops outside that cater to the needs of average Turks. Don’t miss the Turkish coffee roaster…just follow your nose.

After lunch we will head to the Grand Bazaar, one of the greatest shopping experiences in the world. Centuries before people shopped at the “Mall of America”, people came to this marketplace that boasts over 4000 shops. Be prepared for serious bargaining and a lot of “Hello, my friend. Where are you from? I have a brother that lives there. Please come into my shop…”
After a short introduction to the Bazaar, you’ll have a choice. You can return immediately by our bus to our hotel or you will be able to stay and shop till you drop. The hotel is only a few minutes taxi ride away and we’ll be sure you have directions for a taxi driver (and information on what you should pay…many Istanbul cabbies are very creative in their accounting).
For those who have not had a chance to experience a Turkish Bath, you may wish to come back to the hotel and we will direct you to the (overpriced) Cagaloglu Hamam bath. This bath is over 300 years old and is in a class all its own. They are use to tourists who know nothing about bathing at a Turkish bath and will help you through each step. There are separate sections for men and women. You will leave cleaner than you have even been in your life, but it is not an experience for those who are extremely modest.

Tonight at the hotel we will have a farewell dinner and communion, as we try to find ways to pack all the things we bought into our suitcases for an early morning departure to the airport.

Cappadocia Extension

Today, we board an early morning bus headed back to the airport. Those leaving today will board the British Air flight headed to London, then change planes and fly back to Chicago. We’ll miss you, but you will carry with you memories of an experience you’ll never forget.

Others of us will spend two more days in Turkey visiting an truly amazing place: Cappadocia.
Central Turkey was know in the Old Testament as the land of the Hittites. Cappadocia is specifically mentioned in Acts and 1 Peter. It is an ancient land that has hosted many empires and cultures.

Its original name of Kapatukya derives from Persian and means "country of beautiful horses". Cappadocia came under Hittite, Phrygian, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman rule. It is renowned for its "fairy chimneys".
During volcanic activity millions of years ago, a layer of ash and lava accumulated on the plateau which was then in part covered by a layer of basalt. Pounded by rain and wind, the basalt took the shape of cones while the exposed ash and lava were eroded and created valleys.

During the Christian Byzantine era, Cappadocia was on the edge of a fraying empire and the first place Persians, Arabs, Mongols, and others would attack as they moved towards the Mediterranean. With little hope of quick help during these swift attacks, the Cappadocia’s crafted a unique defense – they created underground cities that they could flee to in times of invasion.

During the Byzantine period some 360 churches and monasteries were built by excavating these earth pillars, and their walls were decorated with religious paintings. In this amazing region, we will see houses, churches, and – literally – whole cities carved into the volcanic ash hillsides.
We will board an early morning flight to Kaysari and bus to our hotel Yunak Evleri. Yunak Evleri is a combination of six cave houses with a total of 30 private cave rooms dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries and crowned with a 19th century Greek Mansion. You’ve NEVER stayed in a place like this.

We spend two days exploring this rich region of unbelievable sights. We will probably fly back to Istanbul late on Wednesday, so we will be ready for our flight home. You won’t want to miss this unique and exciting extension of our tour.

Special thanks to my friend Todd Bolen of www.bibleplaces.com for some of the pictures in this post. Todd is the photographer of some of the finest photographs of Biblical sites available.

Sign-Up Information

Warning...Boring Fine Print Alert

Seriously, you do need to know this stuff if you plan to sign up. Read it carefully and PLEASE ask us if you have any questions. Thanks!


Tour Conditions:
The PRICE INCLUDES non-refundable airfare from Chicago; domestic flights, boat and air-conditioned bus transportation in Turkey; a minimum of two meals per day, 12 nights in 4 or 5-star quality hotels, group airport transfers, guides, tips, tolls, entrance fees and taxes.

THIS PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE travel insurance, passports, the $20 each USA participant will need to purchase Turkey visa, extra beverages, laundry, and any other personal services.

DEPOSITS: Your signed and dated registration form, along with your $500 deposit (only $250 of the deposit is refundable) is due by Friday, June 15st. Late registrations will be received until Friday, July 13th, but an additional fee of $50 will apply.

FINAL PAYMENTS must be paid by check or money order to First Presbyterian Church,Ellensburg WA by Wednesday, July 17th. Late final payments will be received after that date until August 5th but an additional fee of $100 will apply. If final payment is not received by August 5th, the reservation will be cancelled and the deposit forfeited.

CANCELLATIONS: ALL CANCELLATIONS must be submitted in writing to Ben King either by e-mail: kingsinturkey@yahoo.com or by Phone: (206) 965-9499. No later than July 15th or Rev Allan Sandalow (509) 925-3149 After this date, only the amount of payment not required by the Tour Agency to cover Tour reservation costs will be refunded unless someone is found to fill the cancelled reservation and seat.

OTHER CONDITIONS: The daily itinerary may be changed to to unforseen circumstances or sea conditions. Requests for deviation from the tour schedule, namely a delayed date of return from Turkey to the United States may be accommodated subject to the agreement of the tour agency and the airline carrier. These changes must be submitted to Ben King no later than July 5th, and these changes would be subject to airline availability. The “TURKEY TOUR” recommends tht each participant purchase travel insurance to cover any personal injuries, damages, or loss due to any reason whatsoever. The ‘TURKEY TOUR” under the leadership of the co-hosts acts only as a broker agent for tour participants and cannot be held responsible for injuries, damages, or losses that occur outside of their direct control. Note: In order to keep the price of the international travel as low as possible, and because Tour Participants will be located in many different USA cities, EACH TOUR PARTICIPANT is responsible for arranging his/her flight plans (and costs) from their originating city to meet the departing British Airlines flight in Chicago on September 27, 2007.

Link to the below Application:
http://webpages.charter.net/sandalow/Tour%20Application.doc

Name: ______________________________________

Address____________________________________________________________________________________________

Email ___________________________

Phone ___________________________

I understand that the Basic Tour cost is $­­2995, with both the single-room supplement and CAPPADOCIA extension as additional costs. Name of Roommate desired: _________________________
My deposit of $500 is enclosed.
Make checks payable to:
First Presbyterian Church,
1307 East Third Ave.
Ellensberg, WA. 98926-3528
Clearly designated on memo line of check: Turkey Tour 2007
• completed payment of $2495 required by July 20th, 2007
• $350 additional cost for single-room supplement required by July 20th, 2007 Yes_______­­­­­
• CAPPADOCIA supplement fee of $650 required by July 20th, 2007 Yes_______
Late payments add $50 and accepted only until August 1, 2007

Additional Information

Are you one of those people who just likes all sorts of extra information?

This post is for you!

Is this the trip for you?
This will be a wonderful trip. You will see a very different part of the world and stand on some of the most important places of the New Testament church. However, there are a few considerations.

This is not a vacation. Turkey is a big country and to cover as many sites as we will see, we’ll spend a lot of time on a bus and change hotels almost every night. You’ll be tired then we’re done. If you don’t like a trip where you are on the move, this – and most other trips of this kind – are not for you.

Finally, when we arrive at sites there is a fair amount of walking. Many of the sites we visit are excavations of ruins that are 1500 to 2500 years old and they are usually not handicapped accessible. If you would have trouble walking around for up to 1-2 hours at a time and keeping up with a tour group, this might not be the trip for you.


What's Included in the Price?
It’s almost easier to say what’s not included.

-You will need to get to and from Chicago O’Hare airport.

-Each day you will buy your lunch. Depending on where we eat as a group, the cost normally ranges from $5-10.

-$20 for a Turkish tourist Visa.

-While you will read that tips are included in the total, it’s still customary to collect tips for the guide and bus drivers at the end of the trip. A standard tip would be $1-2 a day for the guide and $1 for each driver (in Turkey, there are sometimes two drivers per bus). Of course, this is purely optional.

-One additional fee may be a “single supplement”. That is the extra cost if you are not sharing a room and it is $350. You may choose to have a private room, if you wish. If you are not traveling with a partner, we may be able to pair you up with someone else on the trip looking for a roommate. BUT, this is not guaranteed.

-It’s possible that we might stop at some site not listed in the tour and it might cost an additional $5-10 dollars to visit the site. That will not be common.

-Finally – Turkish bathrooms. You’ll be happy to know that along most well traveled routes, gas stations and other stores maintain fairly nice rest rooms. However, they do charge for use – on average about 50 cents. If you’ve traveled around much, that’s a small price for a clean and stocked rest room.

-Drinks: A British friend of mine called America “The land of free drink refills.” Turkey is like most other countries; drinks at hotel meals are small and pricey. At meals you are usually served water (usually bottled) and hot tea, which is served in abundance in small glasses (there is a trick to holding them without burning your hand). If you want coffee or a soft drink with a meal, it will cost $1-$2 per serving!

I drink a lot of tea when I am there and bought bottled water at take on the bus. You can also take instant coffee and make your own coffee from hot water.

Cash
I don’t recommend you carry large amounts of cash. I do recommend you take about 50 one dollar bills with you. They are often accepted and are good for quick tips. Traveler’s checks are getting harder to use. Most shops and hotels and most tourist oriented shops accept dollars and credit cards. You can get cash at ATMs. Be sure your PIN number has only four digits. Call your bank BEFORE you leave and tell them you’ll be in Turkey.

Souvenirs
Of course, you will want to buy some souvenirs. Turkey has some great buys on special items and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is in a class all its own. You should leave some room in your suitcase for stuff you’ll bring back. HOWEVER, I highly recommend you NOT buy items of great expense, unless you are qualified to know, with certainty, the value of an item. Do not rely on a salesman’s promise!

One item you will find in Turkey are hand woven Persian style rugs. They are beautiful and the rugs from Turkey are a good buy. But, they are still expensive and if you are tempted to try to find a rug on this trip, plan on doing a little research before you go, so you will know what you want and what you are willing to spend.

Trip Insurance
I recommend that you buy the insurance for this trip. Look in the fine print and you’ll see that if you get sick just before the trip and cannot go, you may lose 100% of the fee. The main reason for this is that airlines, hotel, and in country tour companies give discounts to people who book and pay in advance. But just like those cheap airline tickets, they are non-refundable once you pass certain dates. If something happens to you or a travel partner that prevents you from going, with insurance all your trip costs are refunded. It does not cover you if you just change your mind.

Be fair warned that if you don’t buy insurance and do get sick just before the trip, there will be little we can do to help you recover what you have paid.

Passports
You will absolutely need a current USA passport. No exceptions, no excuses. It can take three months to get a passport by mail, so if you need one ,start early. Make a photo copy of your passport and take it with you just in case you lose the original. It makes it easier to get a replacement.

Food
We will eat breakfast and dinners in our hotel. Typically, we will stop for lunch as a group at a restaurant. Breakfasts are usually light buffets with a mix of Middle Eastern and western foods. Dinners usually include a meat main course and fresh vegetables. Turkish food is tasty, but not heavily spiced or hot. Be sure you try the lentil soup, manti, and my favorite, Donar kabob. Seek out a bakery for mouth watering baklava. This is a fun part of the trip.

Luggage and Laundry
You are limited to one checked suitcase, no more than 51 pounds. British Air will charge you more for extra weight. You may also bring a carry on bag. You should not bring more bags that you can carry/pull yourself at one time. Laundries are hard to find and there is little time on the trip for them. Some hotels offer laundry service, but just like the US, it’s very expensive. Bring wash and wear clothes and some laundry soap and do a little wash in your hotel sinks. Never pack in checked luggage anything you can’t live without.

What you can take on board is a moving target these days. Please check this site for the latest information:
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bagcabin/public/en_us

Medication
You should bring a full supply of any medication you need in their original containers and a copy of your prescription. Carry your medication on your person, not in checked luggage. You may wish to bring simple items like aspirin, anti-histamine, and an anti-diarrhea medication with you.

Photographic Supplies
Film is available overseas for most cameras; however, it is double or triple the cost, so we recommend you purchase an adequate supply before leaving. Try the camera and flash before leaving so you know everything is working. Remove your film rolls from the box and put them a clear zip lock bag. Hand check them at every x-ray machine.

If you'd like to search for additional information on Turkey, one of the best websites available is:
www.turkeytravelplanner.com,
run by my friend Tom Brosnahan. It has a wealth of information.

Odds and Ends

When I say “Byzantine” are you completely lost?

Do you find Byzantine history...well, Byzantine? It will help to know a little bit about this Christian empire that composed most of the eastern half of the Roman Empire for over a 1000 years and I have a fairly painless way to do it

Lars Brownworth has recorded a series of short lectures on 12 Byzantine rulers and placed them on the web. They can be downloaded to your computer and listened to on an IPod, MP3 player, or your computer. I’ve been listening to them in my car.

Mr. Brownworth teaches History at The Stony Brook School on Long Island, New York. His “The History of The Byzantine Empire” can be found at:

http://www.anders.com/lectures/lars_brownworth/12_byzantine_rulers/


Hamam – Turkish Bath

One of the customs the Turks inherited from the Byzantines were the hot water baths that the Romans were so fond of. Going to a bath wasn’t just a place to get clean, it was a social event, a place to relax, and an opportunity to be at bit pampered in the process.

If our schedule allows, we hope to provide an opportunity for tour participants to experience a “Hamam” – a Turkish bath. Since hours at these baths change and most offer different times for men and women, we will have to play this by ear.

But, if you’d like a wonderful description of what a Turkish bath is like, read this informative web page:
http://www.artemisguesthouse.com/selcuk-ephesus/turkish-bath.asp