When someone says, “I’m going to the Holy Land” what region of the world pops into your mind? Most think of the countries of Israel, Jordan, Egypt, etc. But not Turkey!
What the majority of Christians do not know is that Turkey is “the other holy land.”
Faith Tourism: Turkey, led by Dr. David Cathey, invites you to go to the place where the Gospel was first proclaimed by the Apostle Paul. He invites you to come and study the scriptures in the very place where many of the books were written.
Travel down the hall of history through Bithynia, Cappadocia, Galatia, Pontus, Pisidia, Phrygia, Mysia, Pamphylia, Lydia, and Thrace as you learn about these ancient regions from New Testament times.
You will live and learn among the local people. See and experience the Bible in its historical roots.
Will you begin your journey of faith? Come to Colossae and study the book of Colossians. Study the book of Ephesians in the city of Ephesus. Read Galatians as you travel through Galatia.
Walk the streets where the people of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor from the book of Revelation walked. Pray
Read More Turkey, The Other Holy Land
Did you know that Turkey…
is known as the Cradle of Civilization
borders three major seas (Black, Aegean, Mediterranean)
was known as Asia Minor (Anatolia)
is where the first Human Rights Declaration was stated in1463
is where Alexander the Great cut the Gordian knot
is the birthplace of King Midas
has 70% of the population under 35
is where the train the Orient Express was destined
was the center of two empires (Byzantine and Ottoman)
provides the world with 70% of it’s hazelnuts
has a 650 year old shopping mall with 65 streets and 3500 shops
is the birthplace of Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus)
became a modern republic in 1923
is where Noah’s Ark landed
witnessed the first international treaty in 1284 B.C.
is where the world famous Iznik tiles originated
had two of the Seven Wonders of the World
has historical relics pertaining to three of the world’s major religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
has the world’s most valuable silk carpet
provided water to the Garden of Eden from the Euphrates and Tigris
is the birthplace of the Apostle Paul
is where the Jews found refuge during the Inquisition in Europe
is the location of Troy where the Trojan wars were fought
had the world’s first Supreme Court woman judge
is a member of the UN since 1945
is one of few places where you can
Read More Facts About Turkey
If the Old and New Testaments were not enough, look at the earliest Apostolic Fathers and you will see they were primarily in the Anatolian region of modern Turkey. Many of the ancient texts relating to the earliest churches were discovered or written by men from these old areas.
The Didache was found by a Bishop from Nicomedia, who lived in the area of ancient Bithynia. Written in the 1st century the oldest text of the Letter of Barnabas was found in an old church in Istanbul.
Early Church Father and martyr, Ignatius of Antioch, wrote letters to the earliest Christian communities in Anatolia at Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Philadelphia, Smyrna. He also penned a personal letter to Polycarp of Smyrna which added to our understanding of early Christian beliefs and practices.
Polycarp, who heard the Apostle John speak, wrote a theological letter/epistle while in Smyrna and became famous since his martyrdom was one of the early churches’ oldest recorded scandalous events.
Papias of Hierapolis (Laodecia) possibly heard the Apostle John and was a friend of Polycarp.
Many others wrote from the Asia Minor region (Euphrates, Phrygia, Patara ( Mediterranean
Read More Early Church History