“My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”Psalm 121:2
In countless chapels between the Alps and the Baltic they look down from altars and walls: the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Hardly anyone knows that many of them came from the Orient and from Asia Minor. Tradition links George with Cappadocia, Blaise with Sebaste, Christopher with Lycia, Margaret with Antioch, Pantaleon and Barbara with Nicomedia; Acacius, also a Cappadocian, died in Byzantium. Then there is Nicholas of Myra, to whom many likewise call in times of need.
Over fifteen days the tour leads from Hatay in the south-east to Istanbul – while also following the Apostle Paul: from Antioch and the port of Seleucia via Tarsus, Iconium and Antioch in Pisidia to Perge, together with Myra, Hierapolis, Laodicea, Philadelphia and Thyatira. Nicaea, Nicomedia and Constantinople complete the circle.
These witnesses of faith point beyond themselves to the One from whom all help comes. A state-licensed, English-speaking tour guide accompanies you; a meeting with a Christian church is planned in Antakya. The tour is open to Christians of all denominations.
The church of Jews and Gentiles in which the disciples were first called Christians.
From Antioch's port, the church and the Holy Spirit send out Barnabas and Paul on the first journey.
Paul acknowledges his home city in Cilicia and his training at the feet of Gamaliel.
Through Cilicia Paul strengthens the churches and travels on to Derbe and Lystra.
In Iconium a great multitude believes, but the city is divided over the message.
Paul's first recorded sermon in a synagogue – and the light for the Gentiles.
After preaching in Perge, Paul and Barnabas sail from Attalia back to Antioch.
On the voyage to Rome, Paul the prisoner changes in Myra to a ship of Alexandria.
Epaphras labours for the churches in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
The letter to the lukewarm church and the invitation to sup with Christ.
A little strength, and the open door that no man can shut.
Praise for love, service and patience in the city of Lydia, the seller of purple.
Tip: bring your own Bible – at each place we open the relevant passage together.
Bible quotations: King James Version.
Hatay Airport → hotel
In Hatay, ancient Antioch on the Orontes, your local, state-licensed tour guide welcomes you at the airport and takes you to the hotel in Antakya or İskenderun. In the evening there is a non-alcoholic welcome drink and an introduction: who were the Holy Helpers, how did their veneration arise, and what does their witness say to us today? A word of blessing opens the days together.
Antakya → Seleucia Pieria → Antakya
After Jerusalem, Antioch was the second centre of the young church; according to legend, Erasmus was bishop here. In the morning you visit the Grotto of St Peter on Mount Staurin and the Charonion relief, then the Mosaic Museum, insofar as accessible after the 2023 earthquake. In Seleucia Pieria with the Titus Tunnel the first missionary journey began. In the evening you meet one of the city's old Christian congregations, where possible at evening prayer.
Antakya → Issus → Tarsus → Mersin
On the Gulf of İskenderun you stop briefly at the plain of Issus, where Alexander the Great was victorious in 333 BC. At midday you reach Tarsus with St Paul's Well, Cleopatra's Gate and the excavated Roman road. In the former 19th-century Church of St Paul, now a museum, there is room for reading and prayer: here Paul grew up as a Jew and a Roman citizen. In the evening you continue to Mersin.
Mersin → Cilician Gates → Kaymaklı → Cappadocia
Paul, too, took the old pass road through the Cilician Gates when he went from Cilicia to Derbe and Lystra. Beyond the mountains the highlands open up. In the afternoon you descend into the underground city of Kaymaklı: over several storeys stretch the passages and rooms in which Christians sought shelter in times of tribulation. In the evening you reach your hotel in Cappadocia.
Göreme · Zelve
According to tradition George came from Cappadocia, and hardly any saint appears so often in the rock churches – as the horseman who slays the dragon. In the Göreme Open-Air Museum you discover him on Byzantine frescoes. The Zelve valley shows an abandoned rock village with churches and cave dwellings. In the evening the focus is on Basil, the two Gregories and Blaise of Sebaste.
Cappadocia → Güzelyurt → Sultanhanı → Konya
In old Karvali, today Güzelyurt, you visit the church associated with Gregory of Nazianzus. Along the former Silk Road lies Sultanhanı, one of the largest Seljuk caravanserais. In Konya, biblical Iconium, you see the Mevlana Museum with its turquoise dome in the afternoon. Here Paul and Barnabas once preached the gospel.
Konya → Sille → Beyşehir → Yalvaç → Eğirdir
In Sille near Konya stands the Church of St Helena; here you remember Thekla, who according to the Acts of Paul came to faith in Iconium. In Beyşehir, on the country's largest freshwater lake, you visit the Eşrefoğlu Mosque with its hall of wooden columns. In the afternoon you reach Antioch in Pisidia with the Temple of Augustus, the aqueduct and the foundations of the Basilica of St Paul – according to Western tradition also the home of St Margaret.
Eğirdir → Perge → Antalya
From the lake district you travel down across the Taurus to Pamphylia. In Perge, where Paul and Barnabas set foot on the mainland, you walk along the colonnaded street to the theatre and stadium. In the Antalya Archaeological Museum are sculptures from Perge and a reliquary which, according to tradition, held bones of St Nicholas. To finish: Hadrian's Gate and the old harbour of Attalia in the old town of Kaleiçi.
Antalya → Myra → Andriake → Antalya
In Myra Bishop Nicholas worked as a helper of the poor. His Byzantine church contains the sarcophagus that tradition links with his tomb; in 1087 the bones were taken to Bari. Then there are the Lycian rock tombs and the Roman theatre. In the harbour of Andriake Paul changed ships on the way to Rome – and you remember Christopher, who according to legend carried Christ across the river.
Antalya → Hierapolis → Laodicea → Pamukkale
At midday you reach Hierapolis above the travertine terraces of Pamukkale. Through the necropolis you walk to the Martyrium that commemorates the Apostle Philip. Paul mentions the city together with Laodicea, which you visit in the afternoon: theatre, stadium and early churches form the backdrop for the letter to the lukewarm church. You spend the evening at the thermal hotel with its warm water.
Pamukkale → Philadelphia → Thyatira → Bursa
On the way north lie two more churches of the Revelation. In Philadelphia, present-day Alaşehir, the pillars of the Byzantine Church of St John rise up – a reminder of the promise of the open door. In Akhisar, ancient Thyatira, you walk across the agora with its colonnades and basilica; Lydia, the seller of purple, came from this city. In the evening you reach Bursa.
Bursa → İznik → İzmit → Istanbul
Early in the morning in Bursa you see the Great Mosque and the Green Mosque as well as the Koza Han silk bazaar. In İznik, ancient Nicaea, the First and Seventh Ecumenical Councils met; the city walls, Hagia Sophia and the remains of the basilica by the lake recall the confession of 325. In İzmit, once Nicomedia, the last great persecution began in 303 – here you remember Pantaleon and Barbara.
Hippodrome · Hagia Sophia · Topkapı · Blue Mosque
According to tradition, the Cappadocian Acacius died a martyr in Byzantium; the city became the place where the memory of the witnesses of faith was gathered. You begin at the Hippodrome with its obelisk and Serpent Column and enter Hagia Sophia of 537, today a mosque. In Topkapı Palace you visit the section of the Holy Relics, then the Sultan Ahmed Mosque with its İznik tiles.
Spice Bazaar · Phanar · Aqueduct of Valens · Golden Gate · Chora
After a walk through the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar, you visit the Church of St George in the Phanar, the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch – a fitting conclusion to a journey that began with St George in Cappadocia. Then follow the Aqueduct of Valens and the Golden Gate in the land walls near Yedikule. In the Chora Church, mosaics and frescoes tell of the life of Jesus and Mary. A farewell evening together ends the day.
Hotel → Istanbul Airport
Depending on your flight time, you drive to Istanbul airport; if you wish, you can extend with a few beach days by the sea. From Antioch to Constantinople you have encountered witnesses of faith who remained faithful in tribulation. Their lives point to the One who carries us through every need. With this trust you return home. We would be glad to accompany you on your next journey as well.
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.
A group of saints who have been invoked in Central Europe especially since the Middle Ages, among them George, Blaise, Christopher, Margaret, Barbara and Pantaleon. Many of them are associated with places in Asia Minor and the Orient.
Yes. The Holy Helpers meet us as witnesses of faith of the early church, but at the centre stands the One from whom all help comes. In addition there are many sites of the Apostle Paul and of the Revelation.
Antakya was badly hit in 2023 and is being rebuilt. The programme is coordinated on site according to the current situation; accommodation is in Antakya or İskenderun.
The stages are planned so that no driving day lasts longer than about six hours and there is enough time at the important places.
No, the flight is not included. You arrive in Hatay and fly home from Istanbul; on request we will enquire about suitable connections for you.
The price is on request. You will receive a personal offer based on dates, group size and room preferences – free of charge and without obligation.
Witnesses of Faith in Asia Minor – In the Footsteps of the Holy Helpers
8daysRevelation · The Early ChurchEight days, two great testimonies of the early church: the seven churches to which John wrote, and the places where the councils shaped the common confession of faith.
8daysActs · The Early ChurchRock tombs above quiet bays, the Church of St Nicholas and the harbours where Paul changed ships – plus Miletus and Ephesus on the Aegean.
12daysThe Early ChurchRight across Anatolia in the footsteps of the Crusades – and at the same time to the places of Paul from Antioch in Pisidia to Attalia. An honest look at faith, power and reconciliation.