Follow St. Paul to Sardis and Thyatira

Follow St. Paul to Sardis and Thyatira

Our first visit will be to the ancient city of Sardis which was, through the ages, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, one of the important cities of the Persian Empire, the seat of the proconsul during Roman times.. In naming Sardis as one of the Seven Churches of Asia in the Book of Revelation, St.John seems to imply that its population was notoriously soft and faint-hearted. The first large-scale archaeological expedition in Sardis was directed by a Princeton University team between 1910 - 1914, unearthing the Temple of Artemis, and more than a thousand Lydian tombs. Since 1958, both Harvard and Cornell Universities have sponsored annual archeological expeditions to Sardis. These excavations unearthed perhaps the most impressive synagogue in the western diaspora yet discovered from antiquity. Turkish law now ensures that all archaeological artifacts remain in Turkey.

We then travel to Thyatira which stood on the border between Lydia and Mysia. It was famous for its dyeing and was a center of the indigo trade. Among the ancient ruins of the city, inscriptions have been found relating to the guild of dyers in the city. Indeed, inscriptions mention the many Roman guilds including wool-workers, linen-workers, leather-workers, tanners, potters, bakers and slave-dealers. In early Christian times, Thyatira was home to a significant Christian Church, mentioned as one of the Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation 2:18-29. The apostle Paul visited the city on a number of occasions during his missionary travels.

Having enjoyed a lunch of Turkish dishes at a local restaurant you will drive back to Izmir where you will firstly view the Saint Polycarp Church which is the oldest church in Izmir and represents ancient Smyrna's role as one of the Seven Churches of Revelation 2:8-11. Saint Polycarp was converted by John the Apostle who became Bishop of Smyrna. He was martyred by the Romans at age 86 in 155 AD. You will then visit the Agora which was built during Roman times in approximately 178 BC. The first floor you will see where there was a lot of trading taking place and on the second floor it was used for government meetings and gatherings.
Constructed during the rule of Alexander the Great, the Agora is today mostly in ruins. What little is left remains because of Faustina, wife of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who had the Agora rebuilt after an earthquake devastated the original in 178 AD. We then travel back to Izmir port to embark the yacht.

Notes: Note: Guests must be able to walk over even paved and uneven surfaces. Comfortable clothing and shoes are recommended. A minimum participation is required to operate all Yachting Land Adventures and some have limited capacity. All adventures and prices in the SeaDream Yachting Land Adventures program are subject to change.

Port: Izmir

Duration: 7 hours

Current Price: 199 USD