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About Religious and Biblical Tours
Sites in turkey
Turkey is the only country to span two continents, and is literally a
bridge between East and West. Geographically, it is the point where Europe
and Asia meet. Culturally, Turkey has evolved through a succession of some
of the world’s greatest civilizations and is a strong blend of the
sensibilities of both East and West.
On
our website
www.religioustoursturkey.com we would like to give you detailed
information on cities that Saint Paul visited in Turkey, Cyprus and
Greece. Tarsus, the Birth place of Saint Paul; Antioch on Orantes where
Paul started his missionary journeys; Alexandria Troas where Saint Paul
had his famous vision, Ephesus where Paul spent nearly three years during
his third missionary trip and Perge where he gave his first sermon on
Anatolian Soil are all covered in our web site. Our website and Tours on
www.religioustoursturkey.com also covers First, Second and Third
Missionary Trips of Paul and his Journey to Rome. In addition to Biblical
References,
www.religioustoursturkey.com has information on locations mentioned in
Old Testament. Also The Seven Churches of Revelation on the western coast
of Turkey (Ephesus, Symrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philedelphia,
Laodicea) and letters written to the people of these cities are explained
in great detail. To help you further, we also suggest some itinerates for
Biblical Sites.
The history of the major religions is inextricably mixed with the history
of Anatolia. Both have developed and advanced together. Early Paganistic
ritual slowly gave way to Christianity, only to be replaced by the Islamic
faith of the invading Selcuks. The legacy of this religious past is
scattered throughout Anatolia, from the ruins of temples dedicated to Zeus
and Athena to the Mevlana Tekkesi of Konya. Turkey is visited by thousands
of religious pilgrims from all corners of the world every year, and they
are all welcomed in the tradition of Celaleddin Rumi, who wrote:
Turkey, because of its geographical location has always been a crossing
point for civilizations and beliefs. As a result of a rich 3000 years of
background, Anatolia houses many important values for many religions.
Among these values, because the closeness to the Holly Land, Christianity
has a big portion. With the missionary trips of the Apostles and mainly
St.Paul, Christianity has been spread all over Anatolia from the years AD
40 on. The first Christian church in history which was built in a cave,
The Ephesus city which was the main cult centre of the east around "0",
The birth place of St Nicholas (The famous Santa Claus), The cities where
the main ecumenical councils that has the main influence on the formation
of Christianity has been made, The ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch, The
house where Virgin Mary is believed to live in her last years, The
masterpiece and biggest church in the world in its times 6th century built
Hagia Sophia Church, and many more values are all in Anatolia and Turkey
waiting for you to explore and visit...
About Anatolia the Holly Land of the Church. The Christian faith soon
started to spread outside the boundaries of Palestine, the land of Jesus.
Especially after the open persecution by the Jewish establishment against
the new Christian community, considered as a sect and a threat for the Law
of Moses, that saw the stoning to death of Stephen, the first martyr, and
the beheading of James, brother of John, first among the Apostles to lay
down his life for Christ, many Judeo-Christians fled their homeland and
took refuge among kinsmen in Diaspora. Among the new Christian
communities, the one in Antioch (Antakya) was very lively and well
organized. Against this background we come to the first missionary
activity of the Church, which to the north-west of Palestine found very
fertile soil in Anatolia.
Anatolia. We listen, feel, and live with it. If you have a mind to
experience the passionate and longing-filled memories of Anatolia and to
savour the cultural banquet it offers today, you must first empty out your
own heart because Anatolia, sharing with you the cultural vastness of
millennia to which it is the heir, will fill your heart with hope,
passion, and love. And one day, the tendrils of this longing sprout in
Yalvac, where the cultural richness of Anatolia is reflected in all its
purity and beauty.
So
let us tug our hearts towards Yalvac, the star protagonist of many a tale
and epic in order to discover the secrets of the past and a living
cultural treasure-house whose value is beyond reckoning.
The result of such a rich history is a modern country brimming with
personality and treasure. With so much to experience, travellers can
return to Turkey again and again, making new discoveries each time. From
the high energy of Istanbul to sunny coastal resorts to the ageless
villages of central Anatolia, visitors are made to feel safe and very
welcome.
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