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10-Day Pilgrimage
including
7-Night Cruise
to Greece & Turkey
Visiting Athens, Thessaloniki, Veria, Kavala, Philippi,
Istanbul, Pergamon, Kusadasi,
Sardis, Miletus, Ephesus, Patmos,
and Corinth
Please note: The itinerary and
departure dates for this cruise pilgrimage are fixed. Contact
us for a price for
your group.
Departure dates from USA:
November 6, 2008
March 19, 2009 |
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Day 1: Transatlantic flight
Depart
from the U.S. to Athens, Greece. |
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Day 2:
Arrival Athens - Embarkation
Arrive in Athens. You will be transferred from the airport to
the port of Piraeus where you will embark
your ship. |
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Day 3:
Thessaloniki – Veria
Thessaloniki -
The second largest city in Greece, and the capital of
Macedonia. St. Paul preached in
Thessaloniki during the winters of 49-50 AD and wrote two
epistles to the ancient Thessalonians. See the ramparts of the
city, the triumphal Arch of Galerius starting at the Via
Egnatia, once a strategic artery of the Roman Empire; the
House of Jason; and the Roman Agora where St. Paul preached.
We shall also see St. Demetrios’ Church with its valuable
mosaics and frescoes and will drive up to the upper town,
which offers a marvelous view of the city. The site where the
monastery of Vlatadon was built is believed to be the location
where Jason’s house once stood and where St. Paul was
accommodated during his visit to Thessaloniki. Journey to Veria - ancient Beria - to the memorial commemorating St.
Paul’s preaching to the local Jews in 54 AD. Still visible
today in Veria, is part of the Roman road - the Egnatia Way -
it remains a silent witness to Rome’s greatness. |
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Day 4:
Kavala - Philippi
Stop at Kavala (ancient Neapolis) where
St. Paul, St. Timothy and St. Silas landed
on the coast of Thrace. From there, visit Philippi, named after Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. It was here that
St. Paul won his first
European convert, a woman named Lydia, from the city of
Thyatira. Visit the Baptistery of Lydia, the market place
(where St. Paul and St. Silas were brought before the rulers), the
cistern which tradition identifies as the place where St. Paul
was imprisoned. |
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Day 5: Istanbul
In the
morning arrive into Istanbul, one of the world's greatest
historic cities. Formerly Byzantium, the center of the Eastern
Roman Empire, this city is built on seven green hills and
situated astride two continents. East meets West in every way.
Visit the Topkapi Palace with its harem and fabulous treasure
chambers, the Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque with its six
minarets, and St. Sofia, converted to a mosque from a
Christian basilica after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. |
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Day 6:
Dikili – Pergamon – Sardis
A tour from Dikili (our port) is to Pergamon, the great city
of Bergama and a city of the Book of Revelation. It is one of
the best-preserved ancient sites in Turkey. Continue by
visiting Sardis, the most picturesque of the Seven Churches.
Here view the ruins which included the famous temple of
Artemis lying along the Pactolus River
and dating back to the Fourth Century BC. |
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Day 7:
Kusadasi – Ephesus – Miletus
Arrive into beautiful Kusadasi. Visit Ephesus, the most
impressive archeological site in Turkey, including the Great
Amphitheater where St. Paul spoke to the Ephesians and the
House of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Extensive excavations have facilitated the restoration of old
Ephesus. From the harbor, a thirty-five foot wide marble-paved
and pillar-lined street led into the interior of the city. The
Apostle St. Paul would have approached
the city through this street, entering it through the northern
gate, called the Magnesian. St. Paul suffered many trials and
tribulations in Ephesus, leading finally to his imprisonment.
Then
take an afternoon tour to Miletus, where St. Paul delivered
his touching farewell address the elders of Ephesus and
predicted his death. |
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Day 8:
Patmos
The island of Patmos is considered a “Holy Island” for the
Christian faith, since this is the site of the apocalyptic
Revelation of John, written here during his exile from the
Roman Empire. The cave where he lived is near the site of the
Monastery of the Apocalypse. The Monastery of St. John, built
on one of the island’s highest points, houses priceless icons
and manuscripts in its treasury. |
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Day 9:
Disembark Athens - Corinth
Disembark the
cruise ship and begin the tour of Athens, the Acropolis, Agora
and Mars Hill. In the Acropolis, visit the ruins of the
Parthenon, Erechtheum and Propylae. Also visit Mars
Hill; view the Agora (the ancient market place where St. Paul
spoke to the ancient Athenians). Afterwards, we will see the
House of Parliament, the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the
Presidential Palace, Hadrian's Arch, and the Panathenaic
Stadium. Continue to ancient Corinth. Here, under the
shadow of the towering Acropolis, St. Paul preached and lived
for two years. The vigorous and mostly Gentile church he
founded here in 50 AD caused him much grief and prompted him
to write at least four letters to them. Visit the ruins of the
ancient city where St. Paul worked with Aquila and Priscilla.
See the remains of first-century shops, the agora where St.
Paul
was on trial at the Bema, the Fountain of Peirene, Temple of Apollo, and visit the museum
filled with treasures from the ancient sites. Return to
Athens for dinner and overnight. |
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Day 10:
Transatlantic flight back
to the U.S.
Transfer to Athens
airport and fly back to the U.S. |
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Call today for a price quote for your group!
Group leaders can travel for free! Call
1-800-290-3876 for details or
fill out our online
Information Request Form.
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