Among the places where the oldest churches and monasteries of Christianity are located, of course, the meeting point of monotheistic religions is Turkey and Anatolia. The first 7 churches of Christianity, the House of Virgin Mary in Ephesus, the underground cities where the first Christian monk communities settled, rock monasteries, and churches in Cappadocia are important places for Christianity.
In addition, the Saint Pierre Church in Antakya, which was declared a place of pilgrimage by the Holy Father in 1963, is one of the points that attract the attention of Christian pilgrims in Turkey. So you can make pilgrim tours in Turkey.
Christian tours in Turkey
Many important events in the history of Christianity have taken place in Turkey. That's why in recent years, the interest in Christian tours in Turkey has increased. For example, Antakya is home to the first Christian community established by Saint Paul. The word "Christian" was first uttered in Antakya and Christianity spread from there to the whole world. This place was declared a pilgrimage by the Vatican in 1963 and is considered the first cathedral in the world.
Located on the Aegean shores, the Church of the Seven Revelations is where Saint Paul preached and built the first church. This is one of the most interesting tours under Christian tours in Turkey. This tour is also known as 7 Churches tours in Turkey. The Vatican recognizes the Virgin Mary's house, located on the hills near Ephesus, as a shrine. St. Nicholas was born in Patara and lived in Demre (Myra), on the Mediterranean coast. A church dedicated to the original Father Christmas still stands.
In Cappadocia, you can explore more than 200 carved rock churches decorated with frescoes and a seven-story underground city where Christians took shelter from the oppressors.
The Virgin Mary Monastery in Trabzon was built in the 4th century. Built on the side of a 1200-meter cliff and only accessible by foot, this church was home to the greatest thinkers of the Orthodox Church.
Istanbul became the center of Christianity in 330 AD, and the Hagia Sophia, or Church of Divine Wisdom, which was Christianity's largest church at the time, was dedicated to Christianity in 536 AD by Emperor Justinian.
Biblical tours in Turkey are carried out in the lands that are important for Christianity, where all these important developments are experienced. As Tours on Turkey, we would like to welcome you to the lands where Christianity was established. You can get information about Christian tours in Turkey, Biblical tours, 7 church tours in Turkey, pilgrim tours in Turkey, or Bible land tours by checking our website now.
7 Churches tour Turkey
Anatolian geography is known for hosting numerous civilizations. The Seven Churches, also known as the "Seven Churches of the Apocalypse" or the "Seven Churches of Asia", are also mentioned in Early Christian texts, as mentioned in the New Testament Book of Revelation. The Seven Churches, as mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible, are located in the Aegean region of Turkey.
Why are 7 churches important to the history of religions? According to the early Christian belief, it is believed that the Day of Judgment was written in the Seven Churches, so each one of them is of great importance for the history of world religions.
Although the integrity of some churches has been broken, today, there are 7 Churches among the first places that come to mind when religious tourism is mentioned in Turkey. Named after the cities they were in during the reign of the Roman Empire, the Seven Churches are among the must-visit places for both local and foreign tourists who want to explore the unique historical heritage of the Aegean geography.
7 Churches in Turkey
Ephesos, Smyrna, Pergamum, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Thyatira were 7 churches that existed in Asia Minor (Turkey) in the 1st century AD. Named for their geographical location, the churches were strategically located along the roads of the Roman Empire.
Here are the churches that have been visited as part of 7 church tours in Turkey and hosted essential events related to Christian history;
Ephesus, which is the gateway to Asia Minor, that is, Anatolia, is located in a large port on the Aegean Sea. It houses one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (the temple of Artemis). Founded by St. Paul, the temple was the most important church in Anatolia. After the crucifixion of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and other apostles, who settled in Anatolia with St. John, formed the first Christian community, away from the eyes. Virgin Mary Church in Ephesus is also considered an important pilgrimage center for Christians.
Izmir, which is still one of the important port cities of the Aegean Region and known as Smyrna in the Roman period, is the city where Homer's house and Athena temple are located. With the cities of Bergama and Ephesus, it is one of the largest cities in the ancient world. Today, you can see the ancient city of Smyrna, which is called “Asia's first city”, at the Izmir Agora Open Air Museum. Moreover, many historical ruins found in the Ancient City of Smyrna are in the İzmir Archeology Museum.
According to the Christian narrative, a group of ill-wishers in Bergama martyred Saint Antipas by burning him alive in 92 AD. This event is known as the first martyrdom in Christian history. Pergamum, the site of the provincial capital of Rome, was an important cultural center, home to a library that rivaled the famous library of Alexandria. This ancient city, home to many different civilizations, including the Ancient Greek, Hellenistic and Roman periods, has great importance among the ruins in Turkey.
Serdes, which was once the capital of the Lydian Kingdom before the Roman Empire, is located in the Salihli district of Manisa today. The ancient city, also known as the first place where money was printed in the world, is located near the Sart Village on the Izmir-Ankara road and hosts the Bin Tepeler, known as the world's largest tumulus (hill-shaped tombs).
Philadelphia is known as the Gate to Nature. During the Roman Empire, the Jewish population in the city was the majority. According to the verses in the Bible, the Jews living in this city persecuted the Christians in the city, so did the Prophet. Jesus praised the city for their faithfulness and faith and said positive things. The name of the city of Philadelphia in the United States of America is also based on this ancient city.
Laodicea, the old capital of Phrygia, was an ancient city with a deep-rooted and ancient past and had enriched its wealth through commerce and banking. Located in the Çürüksu Valley during the Roman period, Laodikeia had a dense Jewish population just like the Ancient City of Philadelphia. The church in Laodikeia is thought by historians to be older than the Christian consuls in Iznik and Istanbul.
Founded under the rule of Alexander the Great, Thyatira; was a popular town for its trade, especially for its purple dye, which was rare at the time. Akhisar district; It was founded in the ancient city of Thyateira, which has existed since 3000 BC, extending to According to the Bible, a female priest named Jezebel seduced Christians in the city of Thyateira and caused them to sin, upon which St. Paul sent a letter to the church, warning them to take the right path.
