Two fascinating intineraries, run by the Revd James Buxton, Chaplain in İzmir.

Pilgrimage to the Seven Churches of Revelation » (May)

These are the seven cities mentioned in the first three chapters of Revelation, in the Bible. They include Smyrna (İzmir) and six other six cities in the area. The sites are amazing to see, and May is a wonderful time to travel in the Aegean region. Temperatures are mild, and the ancient sites and landscapes are covered in wild flowers.

Pilgrimage from Antalya to Cappadocia » (Sept–Oct)

A wonderful trip through various coastal and Anatolian regions (‘where Biblical, Classical, Byzantine and Islamic worlds meet’). It concludes in the surreal landscape of Cappadocia, with its troglodyte monasteries and towns. The rock-hewn churches at Gorem are one of the wonders of the ancient world.

Both trips benefit from the admin, guide and travel/accommodation arrangements of Tutku Educational Travel, an İzmir-based travel company which specialises in Biblical/Pilgrimage trips. However, a very wide range of people have hugely enjoyed these trips, including those who would not class themselves as obvious ‘pilgrims’.