TOURS FROM ANTALYA TO BIBLICAL CITY OF ANTIOCH (3 Days-2 Nights)
DAY 1 - Transfer to Antalya Airport-Flight to Adana
A morning flight to Adana from Antalya,meet at the airport and transfer to Hotel.Overnight at Adana.
DAY 2 -Antioch(antakya)-St.Peter Church
Meet with your guide then drive to Antakya(Antioch).In ancient times the city was known as Antioch and has historical significance for Christianity, being the place where the followers of Jesus Christ were called Christians for the very first time.Our first stop will be the St.Peter Church,is composed of a cave carved into the mountainside on Mount Starius with a depth of 13 m, a width of 9.5 m and a height of 7 m.This cave, which has been used by the first Christians in the Antakya region, is one of Christianity''s oldest
churches.The Christian heritage considers Peter, the first Apostle,as the founder of the church of Antioch,and the first priest of the Christian population that was established there; the Church of St.Peter is the spot where he first preached the Gospel in Antioch. After that drive to Mosaic Museum,it is the biggest one in Turkey and second best of the world.The next stop is the Harbiye Waterfalls,At this place flows water in numerous brooks from the mountain coming down into the valley.Today there are countless restaurants and tea gardens, In the Greek legend the nymph Daphne was pursued by Apollo up to here and transformed into a bay tree at a request of Zeus. Zeus gave Apollo a temple for this loss.After lunch, free time for leisure in Silk Bazaar, then drive back to Adana for overnight stay.
Day 3 : St.Paul House and Cilician Gate-Flight Back to Antalya
After the breakfast drive to Tarsus ,visit the St.Paul House and Saint Paul cave,this is one of the popular tourist attractions near Tarsus.Tarsus was the birthplace of Saint Paul (Acts 9:11; 21:39; 22:3), who returned here after his conversion (Acts 9:30). From here Barnabas retrieved him to help with the work in Syrian Antioch (Acts 11:25). Already by this time a Christian community probably existed, although the first recorded bishop, Helenus, dates only from the third century; Helenus visited Antioch several times in connection with the dispute concerning Paul of Samosata. Later bishops of Tarsus included Lupus, present at the Council of Ancyra in 314; Theodorus, at the Council of Nicaea in 325; Helladius, who was condemned at the Council of Ephesus and who appealed to the bishop of Rome in 433; above all the celebrated exegete Diodorus, teacher of Theodore of Mopsuestia and consequently one of the fathers of Nestorianism.[5] From the sixth century the metropolitan see of Tarsus had seven suffragan bishoprics;[6] the Greek archdiocese is again mentioned in the tenth century ([7]), and existed until the twentieth century upheavals, part of the Patriarchate of Antioch.Owing to the importance of Tarsus, many martyrs were put to death here, among them being Saint Pelagia, Saint Boniface, Saint Marinus, Saint Diomedes, Saint Quiricus and Saint Julitta.
At about the end of the tenth century, the Armenians established a diocese of their rite; Saint Nerses of Lambroun was its most distinguished representative in the twelfth century. This museum houses a fine collection of various historical artifacts which include potteries from Cilicia, some artifacts from Hittite and a wide collection of various Turkish ethnographical materials.Return to Adana to take flight back to Antalya.
PS:If you wish you may extension your Tour in Antioch.You may book Mount Nemrut Tour,Gaziantep and Zeugma Tour, Cappadocia Tour ,Uzunca Burc(Diocaesarea-Olba) and Silifke Tour. |
