 An illustrated guide to sacred sites, pilgrimages, sacred art & architecture, historic religious places & more. |
|
Founded in 1923 out of the remnants of the great Ottoman Empire, modern Turkey is a young country but a very historic land.
The legacies of the Greeks, Romans, Christian apostles, Byzantines, Ottoman Turks, and the other peoples that have called this area home have made Turkey into a vast outdoor museum full of beautiful, intriguing religious sites.
Highlights of Turkey's many religious treasures include the spectacular Byzantine churches and beautiful mosques of Istanbul; the ancient city of Antioch where emperors lived and apostles preached; the ruins of the fabled city of Pergamum on its windswept hilltop; the Sufi holy city of Konya; the otherworldly landscape and cave churches of Cappadocia; and the colonnaded streets and great theater of Ephesus. With its unique fusion of Europe and Asia, West and East, exotic and familiar, and ancient and modern, today's Turkey is a delight to travelers.
 |
Turkey Maps Our interactive satellite map of Turkey and lots more Turkey maps
|
 |
Turkey Photo Galleries Index to over 400 quality photos of Turkey's religious sites. |
 |
Turkey Sacred Sites Index Our index of biblical sites, mosques, churches and synagogues in Turkey. | |
Religion in Turkey An overview of the religions of modern Turkey. |
 |
Akdamar Island This lake island in Eastern Anatolia is home to the ruined Church of the Holy Cross, an Armenian cathedral from the 10th century that is famed for its wonderfully carved exterior. |
 |
Konya (Iconium) Once known as Iconium, Konya was one of the missionary destinations of St. Paul, the site of one of the first church councils, the capital of the Seljuk empire from 1150 to 1300, and the home of Rumi, the Sufi saint who founded the Whirling Dervishes. |
 |
Antioch (Antakya) The great ancient city of Antioch was home to several important Roman shrines and hosted a large Jewish community since 300 BC. Antioch was the base for Paul's missionary journeys and here Jesus' followers were first called "Christians." |
 |
Laodicea This Roman market town was an early center of Christianity and one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. In the 4th century, Apollinaris of Laodicea taught the heresy of Apollinarianism. |
 |
Aphrodisias Aphrodisias is one of the oldest sacred sites in Turkey, dedicated first to the ancient Mother Goddess and then the Greek goddess Aphrodite. |
 |
Miletus An important port city that was visited by Paul on his third missionary journey. Ruins include a Temple of Serapis, a Byzantine church, an important inscription relating to Jews, and a Sacred Way leading to nearby Didyma. |
 |
Cappadocia The home of several church fathers, Cappadocia's most famous attraction is the Goreme Open Air Museum, a complex of several painted cave-churches carved by Orthodox monks between 900 and 1200 AD. |
 |
Pergamum (Bergama) Bergama is home to several fascinating archaeological sites, including the Acropolis with its Altar of Zeus, the hospital/spa/temple of the Asklepion, and a huge temple to Serapis dubbed the Red Basilica. |
 |
Didyma In ancient times, Didyma's famous oracle and Temple of Apollo attracted crowds of pilgrims and was second only to Delphi in sacred importance. |
 |
Philadelphia Founded by the king of Pergamum, the "city of brotherly love" had several Roman temples. Home to an early Christian community, it was the sixth of the Seven Churches of Revelation. |
 |
Ephesus A great ancient city on the west coast that was home to the Temple of Artemis (a wonder of the world) and possibly St. John and the Virgin Mary. It was one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. |
 |
Pisidian Antioch Also called Antioch-of-Pisidia, this was a major Roman colony visited by St. Paul on his first missionary journey. It marked an important turning point, as it became the first city to have a fully Gentile Christian community. |
 |
Hierapolis (Pamukkale) Believed to have been founded by Apollo, Hierapolis was the site of sacred hot springs associated with Pluto, god of the underworld. The city had a significant Jewish community and was mentioned by Paul in Colossians. |
 |
Priene Priene was a holy city for the ancient Greeks and the home of an important temple of Athena. Its picturesque ruins include several columns of the Temple of Athena and ruins of an ancient synagogue. |
 |
Istanbul (Constantinople) As a major imperal city and religious center (Greek Orthodoxy and Islam), Istanbul is home to some of the world's most opulent displays of art and wealth, most of which were built in the name of faith. |
 |
Sardis The capital of the kingdom of Lydia, Sardis had a very large and prosperous Jewish community and was one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. The ruined ancient synagogue here is the most impressive in the west. |
 |
Izmir (Smyrna) Turkey's third largest city (2.5 million), Izmir was known as Smyrna in ancient times. It was one of the Seven Churches of Revelation and home of the martyr Polycarp. |
 |
Tarsus The Apostle Paul was born in Tarsus and seemed to be proud of his birthplace. As he was being arrested in Jerusalem, Saint Paul told the tribune: "I am a Jew and a citizen of the well-known city of Tarsus in Cilicia." |
 |
Izmit (Nicomedia) The future emperor Constantine the Great was raised in Diocletian's imperial court at Nicomedia, and later lived there himself before establishing his capital in Constantinople. |
 |
Thyatira (Akhisar) Thyatira was a Macedonian colony that held athletic games in honor of Apollo. In the Christian era, it was home to Lydia and one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. |
 |
Iznik (Nicea) A small lakeside town in northwestern Turkey, Iznik is the modern successor of the Byzantine city of Nicea, where a famous church council was held in 325 AD. |
       
   
   |
Sacred Destinations Home Contact Us About Us About Images Photo Prints Advertise Travel Blog Spiritual Tours Travel Blog Timeshares Privacy Policy
Except where indicated otherwise, all content and images © 2005-08 Sacred Destinations. All rights reserved.
Free content for your Google homepage or website! Get our photo gadget.
Sacred Destinations is an online travel guide to sacred sites, pilgrimages, holy places, religious history, sacred places, historical religious sites, archaeological sites,
religious festivals, sacred sites, spiritual retreats, religious travel and spiritual journeys. We are a Yahoo Pick!
Popular categories: Ancient Mysteries, Biblical Sites, Cathedrals, Catholic Shrines, Dead on Display, Footsteps of Jesus, Luther Sites
