Genesis 12 · 8 days · Tarsus – Mardin

From Abraham to the Arameans – Bible Tour from Tarsus to Tur Abdin

“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee.”Genesis 12:1

8 days7 nights

TarsusStart

MardinEnd

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Between the Taurus Mountains and the Tigris lies a region where the Old and New Testaments join hands. Here Paul grew up, here the young church received its name, and here, in Haran, Abraham lived before he moved on to Canaan. This tour links these places into a single journey eastward.

It begins in Tarsus with the Cleopatra Gate and the excavated Roman road and continues to Antakya, ancient Antioch on the Orontes. From the Grotto of St Peter you descend to the coast at Seleucia Pieria, the harbour from which the first missionaries were sent out. Then you cross the Euphrates at Birecik and reach Şanlıurfa and the excavations of Haran.

In Mardin and Tur Abdin you encounter a church that has existed since antiquity: the Monastery of Deyrulzafaran, seat of the Syriac Orthodox patriarchs until 1932, and Mor Gabriel, founded in 397. Each day has its key text, read on site; a state-licensed tour guide opens up the history and archaeology. Christians of all denominations are welcome.

The Bible reading path

Passages you will read on site

Acts 9:10–15Tarsus (welcome evening)

The chosen vessel: the commission given to Saul, the man of Tarsus.

Acts 21:39Cleopatra Gate

“A citizen of no mean city” – Paul on his hometown.

Acts 22:3St Paul's Well

Born in Tarsus, brought up at the feet of Gamaliel.

Acts 11:19–26Grotto of St Peter

The church in Antioch, Barnabas and Saul – and the name “Christians”.

Gal 2:11–14Antakya (devotion)

Peter and Paul in Antioch: the dispute over table fellowship.

Acts 13:1–4Seleucia Pieria

Sent forth by the Holy Ghost – the departure for Cyprus.

Genesis 15:18Euphrates at Birecik

The promise of the land “unto the great river, the river Euphrates”.

Genesis 11:31–32Haran

Terah sets out from Ur with Abram, Lot and Sarai and comes as far as Haran.

Genesis 12:1–5Haran

God's call and Abram's departure at the age of 75.

Genesis 29:1–14Haran

Jacob at the well: “Of Haran are we.”

Heb 11:8–10Şanlıurfa

Abraham looks for the city whose builder and maker is God.

Acts 2:1–11Deyrulzafaran

Pentecost – with people from Mesopotamia among the hearers.

Mark 5:35–43Mor Gabriel

“Talitha cumi” – a word of Jesus in his mother tongue.

Numbers 6:24–26Mardin (closing)

The Aaronic blessing as a farewell from the land of the patriarchs.

Tip: bring your own Bible – at each place we open the relevant passage together.
Bible quotations: King James Version.

Day by day

Itinerary

Day1

Arrival in Cilicia – Paul's homeland

Çukurova Airport → Tarsus

Your tour guide meets you at Çukurova Airport, located between Adana and Mersin on the Cilician plain, and takes you to Tarsus in about twenty minutes. Here, on the Cydnus River, known today as the Berdan, Paul grew up. After settling in, you gather in the evening for the welcome. Your tour guide presents the route and the key texts for the coming week, which lead from Paul to Abraham and on to the Aramean Christians of Tur Abdin. To begin, you read what the Lord said of Saul: “He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles.” Tomorrow you will walk through his city.

Acts 9:10–15Overnight: Tarsus

Day2

Tarsus – a citizen of no mean city

Tarsus → Adana → İskenderun → Antakya

The day begins at the Cleopatra Gate, a Roman city gate which, according to tradition, recalls the meeting of Antony and Cleopatra in Tarsus. Here you read how Paul introduced himself: as a citizen “of no mean city”. An excavated stretch of Roman basalt road shows what the city looked like in his day. At St Paul's Well, which local tradition associates with his family home, and in St Paul's Church you hear his testimony that he was born in Tarsus and brought up at the feet of Gamaliel; a devotion is possible subject to permission. In the afternoon the drive takes you along the Gulf of İskenderun and over the Belen Pass to Antakya, ancient Antioch on the Orontes.

Acts 21:39Acts 22:3Acts 9:30; 11:25–26Overnight: Antakya

Day3

Antioch – where the disciples were first called Christians

Antakya → Seleucia Pieria → Antakya

In the morning you visit, as far as accessible, the Grotto of St Peter on the slope of Mount Staurin. According to local tradition the first church gathered here; what is certain is that in Antioch Jews and Greeks believed in Christ together and the disciples were first called Christians. Afterwards you drive to the coast to Seleucia Pieria, the city's seaport. Here you read how the Holy Ghost said, “Separate me Barnabas and Saul” – and how the two sailed from here to Cyprus. The Titus Tunnel, hewn into the rock in the 1st century, protected the harbour from the waters coming down from the mountains. In the evening, in a devotion, you reflect on the dispute between Peter and Paul in Antioch.

Acts 11:19–26Acts 13:1–4Gal 2:11–14Overnight: Antakya

Day4

Across the Euphrates – into the land of the patriarchs

Antakya → Gaziantep → Birecik → Şanlıurfa

A long but rewarding day of travel takes you from the Mediterranean world to Upper Mesopotamia. In Gaziantep you visit the Zeugma Mosaic Museum with the floors of the ancient city of Zeugma, which today lies partly beneath the Birecik reservoir; the “Girl of Zeugma” is especially famous. In the afternoon you reach the Euphrates. On its banks you read the promise to Abram: “Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.” Beyond the river begins the land from which the patriarchs came. In the late afternoon you reach Şanlıurfa, ancient Edessa, and in the evening talk about Abraham's journey from Ur to Haran.

Genesis 15:18Josh 24:2–3Overnight: Şanlıurfa

Day5

Haran – Abraham sets out

Şanlıurfa → Harran → Şanlıurfa

Early in the morning you drive out onto the plain to Harran, biblical Haran. On the ruin mound and among the remains of the 8th-century Great Mosque you read how Terah came as far as Haran with Abram, Lot and Sarai. Beside the mud-brick domed houses that resemble beehives you hear God's call and Abram's response: “So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him.” Later Jacob, too, came to Haran and found Rachel at the well. In the afternoon you see Abraham's Pool with its carp in Şanlıurfa; the legend of Abraham and Nimrod comes from Islamic tradition. To close the day, you read how Abraham looked for the city whose builder and maker is God.

Genesis 11:31–32Genesis 12:1–5Genesis 29:1–14Heb 11:8–10Overnight: Şanlıurfa

Day6

Mardin and the Saffron Monastery – Mesopotamia at Pentecost

Şanlıurfa → Mardin → Deyrulzafaran → Mardin

Across the plain of Upper Mesopotamia you drive to Mardin, whose old town climbs the hillside in terraces. From above you look south over the land between the Euphrates and the Tigris – and read the account of Pentecost, in which people “in Mesopotamia”, too, heard the wonderful works of God in their own tongue. In the afternoon you visit the Monastery of Deyrulzafaran, called the “Saffron Monastery” because of its honey-coloured stone. Until 1932 it was the seat of the Syriac Orthodox patriarchs; in its church the liturgy is still celebrated in Syriac today. By arrangement, in the late afternoon you see the Kırklar Church of the Forty Martyrs in the old town.

Acts 2:1–11Overnight: Mardin

Day7

Tur Abdin – Talitha cumi on the Mountain of the Servants of God

Mardin → Midyat → Mor Gabriel → Mardin

Tur Abdin, the “Mountain of the Servants of God”, is one of the oldest Christian landscapes in the world. In Midyat you see the old town of pale limestone with its Syriac Orthodox churches. Then you reach Mor Gabriel, founded in 397 and today the seat of the Metropolitan of Tur Abdin. Here you read how Jesus took the girl by the hand and said, “Talitha cumi” – words in the language of which a present-day form is still spoken in Tur Abdin. By arrangement you meet members of the Aramean congregation and hear the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic. In the evening, at the farewell dinner in Mardin, you give thanks for the fellowship with the Christians of this land.

Mark 5:35–43Matt 6:9–13Psalm 133:1Overnight: Mardin

Day8

Journey home from Mardin

Mardin → Mardin Airport

On the last morning, depending on your flight time, there is still time for a view from Mardin over the plain through which Abraham once travelled west. In a short devotion you receive the Aaronic blessing: “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee.” Then the transfer takes you to Mardin Airport in just under half an hour. You take with you all that has come together over these days: the city of Paul, the church of Antioch, Abraham's departure from Haran and the Christians of Tur Abdin. If you would like to stay longer, you can extend with beach days on the Mediterranean or a few days in Istanbul.

Numbers 6:24–26

The route

On the map

1Çukurova Airport2Tarsus3Antakya (Antioch)4Seleucia Pieria5Gaziantep6Birecik (Euphrates)7Şanlıurfa8Harran9Mardin10Deyrulzafaran11Midyat12Mor Gabriel13Mardin Airport

Inclusions & price

What the tour price includes

Price on request

The tour price depends on dates, group size and room allocation. You will receive your personal offer – free of charge and without obligation.

Enquire →

⛔ No shopping stops: carpet, jewellery or leather showrooms are not part of this tour.

Included

7 nights in good mid-range and 4-star hotels with half board
All transport by air-conditioned coach, airport transfers in Çukurova and Mardin
State-licensed tour guide
Entrance fees as per programme
Monastery visits to Deyrulzafaran and Mor Gabriel
Welcome and farewell evening

Not included

Flight
Lunches and drinks
Tips
Travel insurance
Personal expenses

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Is Şanlıurfa the biblical Ur of the Chaldees?

A local and Islamic tradition links Şanlıurfa with Abraham's origins. Scholars usually locate Ur in southern Mesopotamia; what is firmly attested in the Bible here is nearby Haran (Genesis 11:31).

Can Antakya be visited after the earthquake?

Yes. Antakya is being rebuilt after the 2023 earthquake; access to some sites may be restricted. We check the situation before every departure and adjust the programme accordingly.

Is it possible to stay overnight in a monastery?

Only on request and with the monastery's consent, without guarantee. As a rule you stay in a hotel in Mardin.

How demanding is the tour?

The walks in Tarsus, Harran and Mardin are short but partly uneven, with many stairs in Mardin. Days 2 and 4 involve longer drives.

When is the best time to travel?

March to May and September to November. In high summer temperatures in Şanlıurfa and Mardin often exceed 40 degrees Celsius.

Is the flight included in the tour price?

No. You fly into Çukurova (Adana-Mersin) and out of Mardin, usually with a change in Istanbul. On request we can enquire about a suitable connection for you.

How much does the tour cost?

The price depends on the travel dates, group size and room allocation. After your enquiry you will receive a personal offer – free of charge and without obligation.

In which language is the tour guided?

A state-licensed tour guide accompanies you – in English or in one of 25 languages. We have been guiding guests since 1989.

Enquiry & booking

Enquire about this tour

From Abraham to the Arameans – Bible Tour from Tarsus to Tur Abdin

From Abraham to the Arameans – Bible Tour from Tarsus to Tur Abdin

Passages you will read on site

Itinerary

Arrival in Cilicia – Paul's homeland

Tarsus – a citizen of no mean city

Antioch – where the disciples were first called Christians

Across the Euphrates – into the land of the patriarchs

Haran – Abraham sets out

Mardin and the Saffron Monastery – Mesopotamia at Pentecost

Tur Abdin – Talitha cumi on the Mountain of the Servants of God

Journey home from Mardin

On the map

What the tour price includes

Price on request

Included

Not included

Frequently asked questions

Enquire about this tour

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