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Athens, Greek Isle Cruise and Turkey Tour 12 – Day Tour

Day 1–Depart US for Athens, Greece

Day 2–Athens City y Acropolis y Mars Hill Arrive early in Athens, one of the world's greatest civilizations. Visit the ruins of Acropolis including Propylaea, the Porch of Maidens of Erecbtheum. Visit Mars Hill and the Parthenon, where Paul was brought before council. We Day 5 – Rhodes, Greece will drive through Today we visit Rhodes, a city visited by the the city of Athens apostle Paul on his third missionary journey. and see the Rhodes was inhabited at the Neolithic era and in National Library, 322BC was joined with the empire of Alexander University, the the Great. The beautiful beaches and crystal Academy, the Presidential Palace, the Stadium, clear seas make Rhodes a popular tourist Temple of Zeus and Hadrian's Arch. Overnight attraction even for local Greeks. in Athens Day 6 – Patmos, Greece y Izmir, Turkey Day 3–Corinth y Acrocorinth Our journey today takes us to Patmos where Today we tour Corinth. Drive through Daphni John wrote the and Eleusis, cross the Corinthian Canal, which Revelation. Patmos is connects the Aegean and Ionian Seas, and then sometimes called "The arrive in ancient Corinth. Visit the ruins where Jerusalem of the Paul worked with Aquila and Priscilla. See first Aegean". The Monastery century shops, the Agora, Temple of Apollo and of St. Johns towers the Bema Seat. Then drive up to Acrocorinth, above the capital, Chora, the site of the great Temple of Aphrodite in and the whole island breathes of faith and Paul's time. Overnight in Athens devotion. The island has probably been inhabited since prehistoric times. The Romans Day 4–Greek Isle Cruise y Mykonos used Patmos as a place for exiles, and that's how Transfer to Piraeus Port for 11:00 a.m. sailing to the Apostle John ended up here. He was begin your Greek ostracized from Miletus by the Roman governor Island Cruise. for preaching the Christian faith in AD95, and Today we visit stayed here for two years. Disembark embark in Mykonos, Greece, Kusadasi where you will be met by our Turkish the most popular of representative. Overnight in Kusadasi the Greek Islands Day 7–Pergamum y with beautiful sandy beaches, crystal-clear Thyatira y Kusadasi waters, picturesque whitewashed houses and Today our first stop is blue domed churches. According to the Thyatira, where the mythology, Hercules, in one of his twelve Christians were tasks, killed the Giants and threw them into admonished to “hold the sea where they petrified and turned into fast to what you huge rocks, forming the island of Mykonos. have…” Then we travel to Pergamum, where Paul advised to be Day 10–Kusadasi faithful under persecution. Impressive temples, After breakfast explore Ephesus, the crown library, and medical facilities made jewel, where Paul warned against the evil men. Pergamum a renowned cultural and political Ephesus is one of the center. Return to Kusadasi for overnight. most impressive archaeological sites in Day 8–Sardis yPhiladelphia y Pamukkale the world and was Today we visit Philadelphia where John praised famous throughout the the church for “keeping the word.” Next we see ancient world for its Sardis which was part of the Roman province of Temple of Artemis. Asia in New Testament times. The church at See the Celsius Sardis was encouraged to “be watchful and Library, the best strengthen what is left.” Ancient Sardis had a preserved structure of very large and prosperous Jewish community, its kind. Explore which produced the largest ancient synagogue terrace houses, a beautiful example of Roman outside of Israel. Then we explore ancient domestic architecture, and Odeon, the marble Smyrna, the second city of the Seven Churches street where Paul held daily discussions. In the of Revelation to receive the message from the late afternoon you will have free time for leisure Apostle John. The ruins are located in Izmir, the and to explore the beautiful port city of Kusadasi 2nd largest city in modern Turkey which on the Aegean Sea. continues to be an important commercial port city. You will visit the Church of St. Polycarp, Day 11– Kusadasi y Istanbul the oldest church in Smyrna and a memorial to We depart Kusadasi on a short flight to Istanbul. Polycarp, student of the Apostle John that was Upon arrival in Istanbul we visit the magnificent martyred in the city in 155AD. Overnight in Topkapi Palace, once home to the great Sultans. Kusadasi It is filled with treasures and antiquities including twelve thousand pieces of fine Day 9–Pamukkale y Laodicia Chinese porcelain. Then explore the unique Blue We take the scenic journey this morning to Mosque built in Laodicia, an important church in early 1609 by Sultan Christianity. It is here the Christians were Ahmet. Interior accused of being lukewarm. Continue to walls are covered Hierapolis, where in twenty thousand Paul introduced blue Iznik tiles. Christianity. Uni- Next we visit the que geographical Hippodrome and formations have Basilica of St. Sophia, which has inspired religious leaders for over 1,500 years. Constructed in 326 by Constantine the Great, it has been a cathedral, a mosque, and now a been shaped over the last museum. Our day ends with a cruise on the fourteen thousand years. Calcium Bophorus and farewell dinner. Overnight rich water from an underground Istanbul. thermal spring has flowed over the mountainside and slowly Day 12 – Istanbul y USA solidified, creating shallow white Depart Istanbul and arrive home with a life-time basins and twisted stalagmites. Overnight in of memories. Kusadasi.