10 October to
20 October 2011
$2590 p.p. / double occupancy
11 Days 10 nights guided Pilgrimage in
Turkey.
Follow along the ancient
footsteps of St. Paul with us! Pilgrim's
Guides
Rev. Keith E.O. Homstad
(retired ELCA pastor) Rev. Dr.
Gilbert Friend-Jones
(if schedule permits) |
Dates /
Contact Person /
Costs/ Details
Hagia Sophia at night
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2011 Pilgrimage to
Turkey
- 10 to 21 October 2011 -
Explore Where St. Paul himself Walked!
$2,590 per person double occupancy
This tour begins
and ends in Istanbul, Turkey.
Click
on TRAVEL DETAILS below to see what else is in the package!
CONTACT INFORMATION /
TRAVEL DETAILS
Travel Agency: Magical Steps Dialogue & Cultural Tours
Kitas Adalioglu Sitesi D Blok No: 6/1
09400 Kusadasi / Aydin / Turkey
phone: +90-265-612-5005
www.magical-steps.com/index.php
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Come and be a modern Pilgrim!
This will be our badge ...
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We’ll journey along ancient pilgrim’s routes by
coach,
air, and a couple
of short hikes, as we take a walk of faith, and experience a form of “active
prayer”, i.e. "pilgrimage".
Dates:
Meet in Istanbul, Monday, 10 Oct 2011,
Depart Istanbul, Friday, 21 Oct 2011.
This is YOUR Invitation!
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Experienced
pastor as your guide.
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COME - Join us!
— and experience a 1st century pilgrimage with 21st century comforts! .
Pr. Keith E.O. Homstad,
will be your
guide on your pilgrimage. He is an ordained retired ELCA Lutheran pastor,
as well as an Oblate of St. Benedict affiliated with St. John's Abbey,
Collegeville, Minnesota.
To
see the TRAVEL DETAILS of this Pilgrim's Tour, click
on the words.
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Pre departure –
Pilgrims are more than just ordinary tourists—they have a goal they wish to
reach, geographical and spiritual.
Our ancestors undertook long, arduous, and dangerous pilgrimages to come to
the shrines of the original churches founded by St. Paul. You are
invited to explore some of the
reasoning behind that, as well as set the stage for your own interior
pilgrimage.
A good place to start is by reading the parts of the New
Testament attributed to St. Paul in a good study Bible, such as the
Harper-Collins NRSV Study Bible, or the Zondervan NIV Study Bible. Both
of these lavishly illustrated Bibles are readily available from Barnes & Noble or Amazon. They are well worth their
modest cost.
INITIAL GATHERING in
ISTANBUL, Monday 10 October 2011 –
Arrive in the biggest city in modern Turkey. We will be welcomed
and relax at our hotel.
Aziyade Hotel
Piyerloti Cad. No: 62 34490
Gedikpasa Sultanahmet
Istanbul/Turkey
telephone +90 212 638 22 00 (pbx)
Note: You are invited to consider flying from Chicago direct
to Istanbul via Turkish Airlines. If pilgrims book as a block of
tickets we will get the best prices! There is a daily flight departing
Chicago at 22:20. Contact Rev. Homstad by email for further details.
Tuesday, 11 October 2011. We
will have an extensive tour of Istanbul. It is the only city located in
two continents and was the capital city of three empires - Roman, Byzantine
& Ottoman. Our first visit will be to the legendary Hagia Sophia.
Built 1,500 years ago as the first cathedral of the world by the Emperor
Justinian. It is considered the largest and last construction of the
Roman Empire.
Following this we will visit the famous Blue Mosque.
After lunch we will have some free time to explore one of the oldest shopping
malls in the world, the Grand Bazaar.
In the afternoon, we will
visit the Chora Museum (formerly a church) which with its array of
frescos is one of the most beautiful examples of Byzantine art in the
world. Overnight in Istanbul.
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The Blue Mosque |
Main Gate, Topkapi Palace |
Wednesday, 12 October 2011. In
the morning we will have a Bosphorus cruise tour and we will see the
beauty of Istanbul. Next, we will visit the Topkapi Palace where
the Ottoman Sultans once ruled the Empire.
After lunch, we're off to the
Underground Cistern and have some free time in the famous Spice
Bazaar. Then, it's a short trip to visit Halki Orthodox Seminary
on Heybeliada Island in Istanbul, and perhaps visit with some of the
seminarians and join in their prayers. Overnight in Istanbul.
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Mor Gabriel Monastery
Founded in 397 AD
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Thursday, 13 October 2011
– We take an early morning flight
from Istanbul to Mardin, one of the most beautiful and cities in the
world. We will explore in Mardin and Midyat in the Deyr'ul
Zafaran and Mor Gabriel Monasteries (Syrian, Assyrian, Nestorian and
Aramean Orthodox traditions). Overnight in Mardin.
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The "beehive houses" of Harran
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Friday, 14 October 2011 – Leaving Mardin, we travel by coach to Urfa (Sanliurfa).
Walking about in the city we will see Abraham's birth place and
the Bazaar. Then, we go to the Biblical city of Harran, where
we'll see the famous Harran "beehive houses", and the ruins of the
first Islamic University. Harran is the place where Abraham and his
children spent seven years before leaving for the land of Canaan. Overnight
in Urfa.
Hotel El-Ruha
Sanliurfa/Turkey
+90 414 215 44 11
http://www.hotelelruha.com/eng/kurumsal.html
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The Roman road into ancient Antioch
The Church of St. Peter, Antioch |
Saturday, 15 October 2011
- We depart Urfa and arrive in Antakya (Antioch) passing
Coa Plateau, which is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. On the way to
Antakya we will have time to stop at the Euphrates River and catch a
glimpse of the rare bald ibis birds. We'll visit St. Peter's Church,
one of the most important churches mentioned in Acts. It was the first
established Christian church in Europe. Paul and Barnabas were
commissioned here. We will visit the famous church in Samandag,
the starting point for the apostles on their missionary journeys.
Overnight in Antaky.
Büyük Antakya
Atatürk Caddesi No:8
Antakya / Hatay / Turkey
+90 326 213 58 58 (pbx)
http://www.buyukantakyaoteli.com/ing/indexing.htm
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Ancient Agora of Smyrna (modern Izmir)
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Sunday, 16 October
2011 - At noon we fly to the Aegean coast to the city of Izmir.
After just an hour drive we will be in the famous cruise ship harbour of Kusadasi.
Overnight in Kusadasi.
Charisma Hotel
Akyar Mevkii No:5
Kusadasi / Aydin / Turkey
+90 256 618 3266
http://www.charismahotel.com/
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House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus
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Monday, 17 October 2011We're on to the ancient city of Ephesus. The Roman ruins
here are spectacular! The temples of Hadrian, Trajan and Domitian, the
huge Roman baths, the famous Celcus Library and the biggest amphitheater in
Turkey. The chief goddess of ancient Ephesus was Artemis (Diana) and the
Ephesians dedicated the largest ancient temple ever built to her - the Artemision.
It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
We'll visit the Basilica
of St. John which was a great basilica built by the Emperor Justinian in the
sixth century. It stands over the original burial site of St. John the
Apostle and Evangelist.
We'll also visit the Seven Sleepers Cave
and the House of the Virgin Mary. Overnight in Kusadasi.
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The Sema of the Whirling Dervishes
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Tuesday, 18 October 2011 (the
traditional Memorial of St. Luke, Apostle) - Early flight from Izmir to Kayseri
(Caesarea) in Cappadocia. We will drive through the Soganli
Valley to see the dream like landscape of the area. At the Goreme
Open Air Museum we will explore cave monasteries and churches with the
most beautiful frescos and icons, and also learn more abou the iconoclastic
controversy.
After dinner we'll watch the whirling dervishes peform a Sema
(Prayer Ceremony) from the Sufi tradition of Islam, dating from the 13th
century A.D. Overnight in Cappadocia
Yusuf Yigit Cave Hotel
Yunak Mahallesi
Tevfik Fikret Cad 34
Urgup 50400 / Cappadocia / Turkey
+90 384 341 89 96
http://www.yusufyk.com
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Uçhisar Hill and Castle, Cappadocia's highest point, near Nevşehir
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Wednesday, 19 October 2011 - Before
breakfast we have an opportunity to take a hot air balloon ride and have an
unforgettable view of Cappadoccia (cost not included).
Later on we will
see Uchisar, Urgup, Avanos, Zelve and one of the famous underground
cities where Christians lived and hid during persecutions. In the evening
we will fly back to Istanbul. Overnight in Istanbul
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Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
Kapalı Çarşı
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Thursday, 20 October 2011 - An
easy day as we transfer to the Istanbul Airport for our flights home.
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$2590 per person double occupancy
TRAVEL DETAILS
Please check back often, or send an email to Rev. Homstad. / Top of page/
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DATES
Meet in Istanbul, Sunday, 10 October 2011,
Depart from Istanbul, Thursday 20 October 2011.
TRAVEL DETAILS
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This Is A Suggested travel itinerary
Subject to change - can be modified for any reason without
prior notice required.
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CONTACT |
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Rev. Keith E.O. Homstad
507-645-5111
311 Manitou St.
Northfield, MN 55057 keithhomstad@charter.net …
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(C) 2009-2011 by Keith Homstad, all rights reserved. |
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http://webpages.charter.net/keithhomstad/
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