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THE MISSIONARY JOURNEYS OF PAUL
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MACEDONIA
IA
Istanbul
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IC
SE A
Amphipolis
GALATIA
Troy
S
E
BLA C K
A
T
A
ACHAEA
SEA
PONTUS
BITHYNIA
THRACE
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BULGARIA
R
ROME
BLAC K
U
R
K
E
Y
E
G
E
Izmir
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MESOPOTAMIA
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GREECE
Athenes
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İstanbul
E
A
SYRIA
Malta
S E A
O F
Cyprus
Paul’s 1st Journey
M AR M A R A
Salmona
Paul’s 2st Journey
Nicea
ARABIA
Paul’s 3st Journey
MED ITERRANEAN
Paul’s 4st Journey
SEA
Troy
A EG E A N
ANKARA
Troas
SE A
Assos
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Pergamum
Thyatira
Smyrna
R K E
Cappadocia
Sardis
Philadelphia
Mother Mary
(Virgin Mary) House
U
Y
Pisidian Antioch
Ephesus
Hierapolis
Iconium
Leodicea
Lystra
Miletus
Attalia
Perge
Tarsus
Antioch
SYRIA
Seleucia
EUROPE
TURKEY
M ED ITERRA NE A N
SE A
CYPRUS
Seven Churches of Revelation
Other Important Visit Points
www.no606.com
ANTIOCH (Antakya)
It was the chief church of Gentile Christians
where they were first called “Christians”. Many
Jerusalem Christians fled here after the
martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 11:19). The first
two journeys began and ended here.
ASSOS
Paul walked from Troas to Assos, while others
joining him made the trip by sea (Acts 20:5-6,
13). Aristotle taught here for four years.
Perched precipitously high above the sea are
the best preseved fortifications in the Greek
world. Paul sailed from Assos to Mitylene
(ACTS 20:14)
ATTALIA (Antalya)
Attalia was the chief port of Pamphylia, from
which Paul and Barnabas sailed at the end of
the first journey (Acts 14:26). Walls and towers
of the harbor are still visible.
PERGAMUM (Bergama)
Called “the most spectacular city of Asia
Minor”, by M. J. Mellink. It was the most
favored of the Apocalypse churches, praised
for its perseverance in hard times (it lived where
“Satan has his throne” Rev. 1:12-17). Here
and in Rome, Chiristians were execcuted. 1000
feet above the town is the Acropolis, Royal
Gates, Temple of Zeus, Athena, Trajan.
PHILADELPHIA (Alaşehir)
The Apocalypse church was smal but faithful
(Rev. 2:7-13). Only a few remains of the
Byzantine basilica may be seen in the town
today.
PISIDIAN ANTIOCH (Yalvaç)
Isolated on a high plateau, this city marked the
end of Paul’s first journey (Acts 13:13-52)
where he preached his first recorded sermon.
“Men of Israel... God-fearers” with limited
results. They were forced to leave this Roman
outpost, shaking the dust off their feet. Twice
the size of Ephesus, it was likely visited on all
three journeys.
CAPPADOCIA (Nevsehir)
The region was first settled by native Anatolian
people, then the Romans and Christians. It was
the hometand of the Hittites and Galatia of the
New Testament. The eerie lardscape (towers,
spires, and cones carved by the erosion) is
sometimes called a “moonscape” terrain. The
Hittites first used the soft substance about 4000
years ago. There are about 200 underground
cities like Derinkuyu and Kaymakli and Early
Christians carved some 2365 rock-cut
churches, monasteries, and fairy castle-like
homes from the Tufa stone.
EPHESUS
Paul spend two years at Ephesus in his third
journey (Acts 19). From here Paul wrote his first
letter to the Corinthians. It was the “birthplace”
of Artemis. The temple build in her honor was
one of the seven wonders of the world.
Orgiastic warship of Cybele, fertility goddess
whom the Greeks equated with Artemis, was
here. Paul’s preaching against idols clashed
with Demetrius the silver smith, resulting in a
riot at the theatre (Acts 19:24-41).
SARDIS (Salihli)
Sardis was the capital of the region of Lydia
and was the religious and commerical center
for over 1000 years. The site includes ruins of
the oldest largest synagogue ever excavated,
with temples, shops, baths. The church was
described as having a great repultation for
being alive, though it was dead (Rev. 3:1-6)
SELEUCIA (Antakya)
It was the harbor for Antioch where the Orontes
River met the Mediterranean Sea. Paul,
Barnabas and John Mark sailed from Seleucia
to Salamis (Cyprus) to initiate his first
missionary journey (Acts 13:4-5)
HIERAPOLIS (Pamukkale)
Paul greeted this city in his letter to the
Colossians (Col. 4:13). The hot springs and
sulphur vapor befit the city which had the
Plutonium, the entrance to the underworld.
ISTANBUL
First known as Byzantium, then as
Constantinople, the city links Europe and Asia
and is built on both sides of the Bosphorus
Strait. The city was the site of several church
councils, and the Church of Hagia Sophia, the
largest Chiristian church for 1000 years.
Topkapi Place was the residence of The
Ottoman Sultans the seat of the Ottoman
Empire for 400 years. The İstanbul
Archaeology Museum includes Israel’s Gezer
Calendar, inscriptions of Temple warnings of
death to intruders which written on the wall of
the Court of Gentiles, and from Hezekiah’s
Tunnel (City of David), a sarcophagus with
depictions of Alexander the Great, inscription
to the “unknown god”.
SMYRNA (İzmir)
The rival port city to Ephesus was Smyrna. It
prided itself as being Rome’s most faithful ally,
e.g. it was the first to build a temple to Rome in
195 BC, and the first to instigate worship of the
emperor Tiberius. The curch at Smyrna
struggled against tremendous political and
religious opposition, experiencing poverty and
tribulation becuase of their faith. The life and
death issues of the local church were
appropriate for a city named after “myrrh”, the
sweet parfume used for embalming and
anointing. Myrrh had been presented as a gift
to the infant Jesus (Mt. 2:11), and a pain-killer
mixed with wine at the cross (Mk. 15;23), and
as preparation for Jesus’ burial (Jn. 19:39).
Thus, God commended the faithful, suffering
church for being a sweet aroma of the
knowledge of Him in every place (2 Cor.
2:14-16).
ICONIUM (Konya)
Iconium was a commercial center with a mixed
Jewish and Gentile population. Paul and
Barnabas spoke in the synagogues (Acts
13:31-14:6) until an attempt by the population
to stone them.
LAODICEA (near Denizli)
Located near Colosse (Col. 2:1, 4:15) Laodicea
was once a wealthy city which declined the
emperors’ financal help after two catastrophic
eartquakes (first century AD). They rebuilt the
city on their own. This church was described as
“lukewarm, naked, blind and in abject
poverty.” It was a cultic center of Hieropolis,
both cities are mentioned in Paul’s letter (Col.
2:1 & 4:15)
LYSTRA (Zoldera)
Paul visited Lystra several times. The city still
used its ancestral language rather than Greek.
They thought Paul & Barnabas were Greek
gods (Zeus & Hermes) after healing a cripple
(Acts 14:12). They stoned Paul and left him for
dead. Paul later returned, appointed elders
(Acts 14:23), and was joined by Timothy (Acts
20:1-4).
TARSUS
Paul’s birthplace (Acts 12:3), was a center of
philosophy, had a privileged status with Rome.
Barnabas came here for Saul, encouraging him
to join in the ministry at Antioch (Acts 11:25)
The arch of the ancient gate of Anthony and
Cleopatra still stands.
THYATIRA (Akhisar)
This hometown of Lydia (Acts 16:14) was
originally a small industrial town and military
outpost. From here the Macedonian rulers
protected Pergamum and Sardis, and Roman
emperors were worshiped as the Greek god
Apollo incarnate. The church was chastened
because of the influence of a local “Jezebel”.
Mother Mary (Virgin Mary) House
After the death of Jesus Christ, his 12 apostles
had left Jerusalem to go to various regions in
order to propagate the Christianity. Among
them, St. Jean took Virgin Mary with him and
travelled to Anatolia. After a long travel, Virgin
Mary and St. Jean arrived to Ephesus. Virgin
Mary and St. Jean dwelled first in the Council
Church and then Virgin Mary settled in the
house over the Bülbül Mountain and spent her
life here…
MILETUS
Paul sailed from Miletus to Jarusalem for
Pentecost. It was a wealthy cultural and
intellectual center of trade, science and
philosophy, and site of Paul’s famous farewell
speech to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:17-38).
PERGE
Here Paul assumed the role of leader of
theteam rather than Barnabas (Acts 13:13-14)
Many of this city’s buildings and the Roman
theater of nearby Aspendos, give a glimpse of
the grandeur Paul saw as he entered Perga.
TROAS
Paul preached at Troas on his second journey
(Acts 16:8-10) before receiving the vision of
the Macedonian asking for help. This vision
changed the destiny of Paul and of Europe.
Paul and Timothy were joined by Luke at Troas
and stayed for a week. (Acts 20:6-12). Paul
raised Eutychus from the dead and continued to
preach. He left books, parchments and a coat
at Troas and asked Timothy to bring them with
him to Rome (2 Tim. 4:13).
TROY (Truva)
The famous city of Piriam is celebrated in
Homer’s İliad, which relates the story of the
Trojan War. Ruins include nine archaeological
levels, mere shadows in comparison to the
power of the myths which arose on this plain.