“So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him.”Genesis 12:4
Long before Paul set out, another man left Haran because God called him: Abraham. This tour links both strands of Scripture. It leads to the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, already named in the account of paradise, before Ararat and to the place where Abraham set out at God's word – and at the end to the cities from which the gospel went out into the world of the nations.
In between lies an East that few visitors know. On the Black Sea coast, biblical Pontus, Sumela Monastery clings to the rock face; in the Çoruh valley stand 10th-century Georgian monastery churches. Ani shows the ruins of an Armenian capital, and on Akdamar reliefs tell biblical stories. In Tur Abdin you are guests at Mor Gabriel Monastery, where prayers have been said in Aramaic since the 4th century.
In Antioch, where the disciples were first called Christians, and in Tarsus, Paul's home town, the circle closes. A state-licensed, English-speaking tour guide accompanies you through all 15 days.
Peter greets the strangers “in Pontus” – the region on the Black Sea where the tour begins.
The ark comes to rest upon the mountains of Ararat – read within sight of the mountain.
Jeremiah names the kingdoms of Ararat; their capital Tushpa lay on the rock above Lake Van.
Jonah in the belly of the fish is among the reliefs of the Church of the Holy Cross.
Hiddekel and Euphrates – the Tigris and the Euphrates – already flow through the account of the Garden of Eden.
Terah goes forth with Abram from Ur and settles in Haran; there he dies.
God's call to Abram and his departure from Haran – the heart of this tour.
“The great river, the river Euphrates” marks the border of the promised land in God's covenant with Abram.
The church grows from Jews and Greeks, and the disciples are first called Christians.
With prayer and fasting, Barnabas and Saul are sent out on the first missionary journey.
Paul acknowledges his origins in Tarsus in Cilicia.
Tip: bring your own Bible – at each place we open the relevant passage together.
Bible quotations: King James Version.
Trabzon Airport → Trabzon
In Trabzon your local, state-licensed tour guide welcomes you and accompanies you to the hotel. The coast on which you now stand is biblical Pontus; the First Epistle of Peter is already addressed to Christians in this region. Over a non-alcoholic welcome drink you learn how the faith spread here and which routes lie ahead of you in the coming two weeks. A word of blessing concludes the first evening.
Trabzon → Maçka → Sumela → Trabzon
Above the Altındere valley, Sumela Monastery clings to the rock face of Karadağ; according to tradition its history goes back to the 4th century. You see the rock church, frescoes and the holy spring, and descend again along a forest path. In the afternoon you stand in the 13th-century Hagia Sophia of Trebizond before its famous wall paintings. A walk through the old town leads to the Orta Hisar Mosque, the former Cathedral of Panagia Chrysokephalos, and to the Atatürk Villa.
Trabzon → Rize → Hopa → Artvin
The eastern Black Sea coast is the greenest part of Turkey: tea gardens on steep slopes, hazelnut trees and small fishing villages. In Rize a tea factory shows you the way from leaf to glass, and above the town you have your first çay. At lunchtime you try muhlama, cornbread and other specialities of the region. From Hopa the road leaves the sea and climbs to Artvin, high above the gorge of the Çoruh.
Artvin → Yusufeli → Dörtkilise → İşhan → Tortum → Erzurum
In the valleys of old Tao-Klarjeti, Georgian monks built astonishingly large churches in the 10th century. At around 1,350 metres you visit Dörtkilise with its mighty basilica, and at midday the monastery church of İşhan (Ishkhani), once a bishop's seat, with remains of wall paintings. In the afternoon you take a break at the turquoise Lake Tortum and the country's largest waterfall. In the evening you reach Erzurum, which lies at almost 2,000 metres.
Erzurum
After four days on the road comes a quieter day. Erzurum, called Theodosiopolis in Byzantine times, was for centuries a border fortress between East and West. In the morning you see the Çifte Minare Madrasa, the Ulu Camii and the Hatuniye Mausoleum – Seljuk architecture of the 12th and 13th centuries. The afternoon is yours to rest. In the evening there is an opportunity to hold a devotion together and bring what you have experienced so far before God in prayer.
Erzurum → Kars → Ani → Kars
Across the Sarıkamış plateau you travel to Kars and on to Ani. The former Armenian capital on the border gorge of the Arpaçay was one of the most splendid cities of the Christian East and is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On unpaved paths you reach the cathedral, the Church of the Redeemer and the Church of St Gregory with its remains of frescoes. Back in Kars you visit the 10th-century Church of the Apostles with the reliefs of the twelve apostles; there is also Kars honey and Gravyer cheese.
Kars → Iğdır → Doğubayazıt → Van
Along the border with Armenia and Iran, Ararat accompanies you – at 5,137 metres the highest mountain in Turkey. In the plain of Iğdır you hold a devotion and read of the ark that came to rest here and of God's covenant with Noah. At midday you reach the Ishak Pasha Palace above Doğubayazıt, an 18th-century building that unites Ottoman, Persian and Armenian forms. In the evening you arrive in Van on the country's largest lake.
Van → Gevaş → Akdamar → Van
A boat takes you to the island of Akdamar. The 10th-century Church of the Holy Cross is a picture Bible in stone: Adam and Eve, Jonah and the fish and many other figures of Scripture run around its walls. The afternoon is at your leisure – in summer for a swim in the soda-rich water or for a lavish Van breakfast. Towards evening you climb the rock of Tushpa, the capital of the Urartians, and experience the sunset over the lake.
Van → Tatvan → Bitlis → Batman → Hasankeyf → Midyat → Mor Gabriel
A long driving day leads along Lake Van, past the Nemrut volcano near Tatvan and through the Bitlis gorge down to the Tigris. Old Hasankeyf now lies beneath the Ilısu reservoir; you see its relocated monuments in the cultural park of the new town. In the evening you are guests at Mor Gabriel Monastery, founded in 397, and may join the monastic community's Aramaic evening prayer. You stay overnight in the simple guest rooms – or, if they are full, at a hotel in Midyat.
Mor Gabriel → Midyat → Mardin → Şanlıurfa
In the morning you walk through the old town of Midyat with its honey-coloured stone houses. At midday you reach Deir az-Zafaran, for more than eight centuries the seat of the Syriac Orthodox patriarch, where prayers are still said in Aramaic today. Then you discover Mardin, which spreads like an amphitheatre over the Mesopotamian plain – with lanes, churches and a wide view to the south. In the afternoon you continue to Şanlıurfa.
Şanlıurfa → Göbekli Tepe → Harran → Şanlıurfa
In the morning you visit Göbekli Tepe, where T-shaped pillars with animal reliefs some 11,000 years old stand – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At midday you reach Harran, biblical Haran, with its beehive houses and the ruins of the old university. Here you read how Abram set out at God's word. In the late afternoon follow, in Şanlıurfa, ancient Edessa, the carp pools of Balıklıgöl and the cave that tradition links with Abraham's birth, as well as a walk through the bazaar.
Şanlıurfa → Atatürk Dam → Kahta → Mount Nemrut
At the Atatürk Dam you see how the Euphrates is dammed into a lake – the river that appears again and again in the Bible as a border and landmark. Via the Roman Cendere Bridge of Septimius Severus and the handshake relief of Arsameia you go up to Mount Nemrut. At over 2,100 metres King Antiochus I had himself portrayed as a god among gods; before his colossal heads Isaiah reminds us of the One who alone is God.
Kahta → Adıyaman → Gaziantep → Antakya
Via Adıyaman and Gaziantep you drive down into the plain of the Orontes. In Antioch the disciples were first called Christians, and from here the church sent out Barnabas and Saul. The city was badly hit by the earthquake in 2023 and is rebuilding itself. Where accessible, you visit the Grotto of St Peter on the hillside, which tradition links with the early church, and the Hatay Mosaic Museum with one of the most important collections in the world.
Antakya → Karatepe → Tarsus
In the forest above the Ceyhan lies Karatepe-Aslantaş, a late Hittite fortress with gates, reliefs and bilingual inscriptions. In the afternoon you reach Tarsus, where Saul was born, who as the Apostle Paul carried the gospel to Asia Minor and Europe. You see St Paul's Well, a stretch of Roman road and Cleopatra's Gate. At the farewell evening you look back together on two weeks between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
Tarsus → Adana-Mersin Airport (Çukurova)
Depending on your flight time, the transfer takes you to Adana-Mersin Airport (Çukurova). From Pontus to Cilicia you have crossed landscapes in which Abraham set out and early Christianity found its ways. If you wish, you can extend the tour with beach days on the Riviera or the Aegean – just mention it in your enquiry. We wish you a safe and blessed journey home.
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.
15 days with 14 nights: arrival in Trabzon, return flight from Adana-Mersin (Çukurova). The route runs in one sweep from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.
Distances in the East are great, and individual stages take five to six hours. Air-conditioned coaches, regular breaks and a quieter day in Erzurum make up for this; normal sure-footedness is sufficient.
Mor Gabriel Monastery receives guests in simple rooms, provided places are available. If it is full, you stay at a hotel in Midyat; all other nights are spent in hotels.
Both are possible: as a church or group tour from 9 people, as a private tour from one person. We are happy to shape devotions and readings together with you – for Christians of all denominations.
No. You book the outbound flight to Trabzon and the return flight from Adana-Mersin yourself; on request we will enquire about suitable connections for you.
We quote the price on request, as it depends on dates, group size and room allocation. Your personal offer is free of charge and without obligation.
From Pontus to Cilicia – Grand Bible Tour through Eastern Anatolia
15daysGenesis · The Early ChurchFrom Harran, where Abraham set out, to the monasteries of Tur Abdin, where prayers are still said in Aramaic today – with a night at Mor Gabriel Monastery.
8daysGenesis · The Early ChurchA week through north-eastern Turkey: cliff monasteries on the Black Sea, the city of churches at Ani, a devotion before Ararat and biblical reliefs on Akdamar.
9daysGenesisFrom the wells of Beersheba via Mamre and Hebron to Bethel, Shechem and Dan: nine days at the places where Abraham followed God's call into the unknown.