Biblical Heritage of Türkiye

The first of the Seven Churches and one of the greatest ancient cities of the world.

Revelation 2:1-7, Acts 18:19-21

The suffering church that received no rebuke from Christ.

Revelation 2:8-11

Where Satan's throne was — a city of immense cultural and religious significance.

Revelation 2:12-17

Home of Lydia, the first European convert, and a center of trade guilds.

Revelation 2:18-29, Acts 16:14-15

The church with a reputation of being alive but was dead.

Revelation 3:1-6, Obadiah 1:20

The faithful church given an "open door" by Christ.

Revelation 3:7-13

The lukewarm church that Christ threatened to spit out.

Revelation 3:14-22, Colossians 2:1

Birthplace of the Apostle Paul — the most influential figure in Christian history after Jesus.

Acts 9:11, Acts 9:30

Where believers were first called "Christians" — the cradle of Gentile Christianity.

Acts 11:19-30, Acts 13:1-3

Land of fairy chimneys, underground cities, and ancient cave churches with stunning frescoes.

Acts 2:9, 1 Peter 1:1

Where Paul delivered his first recorded sermon and turned to the Gentiles.

Acts 13:14-52, Acts 14:19-21

Where Paul and Barnabas preached and performed signs and wonders.

Acts 13:51-14:6, Acts 14:21-22

Easternmost point of Paul's first missionary journey.

Acts 14:20-21, Acts 16:1

Where Paul was stoned and left for dead, and where Timothy joined his ministry.

Acts 14:6-20, Acts 16:1-3

Where John Mark departed from Paul and Barnabas during the first missionary journey.

Acts 13:13-14, Acts 14:25

The port from which Paul and Barnabas sailed back to Antioch.

Acts 14:25-26

Where Paul received the Macedonian vision and raised Eutychus from the dead.

Acts 16:8-11, Acts 20:5-12

Where Paul delivered his emotional farewell address to the Ephesian elders.

Acts 20:15-38, 2 Timothy 4:20

Where Paul chose to walk overland while his companions sailed.

Acts 20:13-14

Where Paul changed ships on his way to Jerusalem. Birthplace of St. Nicholas.

Acts 21:1-2

Where Paul boarded a ship to Rome. Home of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra.

Acts 27:5-6

A port Paul's ship passed on the perilous voyage to Rome.

Acts 27:7

Ancient city with early Christian cave churches and the tomb of St. Thecla.

Acts of Paul and Thecla (apocryphal)

The city to which Paul wrote his Epistle to the Colossians.

Colossians 1-4, Philemon 1:2

Where the Apostle Philip was martyred. Famous for its white travertine terraces.

Colossians 4:13

The traditional last home of the Blessed Virgin Mary, recognized by the Vatican.

John 19:26-27, Acts 1:14

The burial site of the Apostle John, once one of the largest churches in the world.

John 21:20-24, Revelation 1:9-11

Legendary cave where seven Christian youths slept for centuries to escape persecution.

The greatest church in Christendom for nearly 1,000 years.

Home to the finest surviving Byzantine mosaics and frescoes in the world.

Where the Nicene Creed was formulated — the foundation of Christian orthodoxy.

Site of the Fourth Ecumenical Council that defined the nature of Christ.

The spiritual center of 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.

Where Noah's Ark came to rest after the Great Flood.

Genesis 8:4, Genesis 9:1-17

Where Abraham lived before God called him to the Promised Land.

Genesis 11:31-32, Genesis 12:1-4

Traditional birthplace of Abraham. Home of the Sacred Fish Pools.

Genesis 11:28 (tradition), Genesis 11:31

The world's oldest known temple — 7,000 years before the pyramids.

Genesis 2:8-14 (speculative connection)

A 1,600-year-old monastery clinging to a sheer cliff face 1,200 meters above sea level.

The "City of 1,001 Churches" — once one of the largest cities in the world.

Home to one of the ancient world's greatest temples, later a center of Christianity.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site that became a major Christian bishopric.

A mountain-top ancient city with early Christian churches at 1,500 meters.

Home to the best-preserved Temple of Zeus, later converted to a Christian church.

The original church of Santa Claus — St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra.

Twin physician saints from Cilicia who performed the world's first recorded organ transplant.

Matthew 10:8