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Turkey Study Tour with River City Christian
September 15-26, 2025
Led by Mark Shetler, Jesse Smith
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Trip Blog Posts
Day 09 - Western Coast : Ephesus, Sunset Harbor Cruise
posted on Thursday September 25 2025 at 9:00 pm UTC
Our last day in Turkey started with a four hour visit of the ruins of Ephesus. It is hard to describe all of the impressions of this site. Suffice it say we all felt like we gained a better understanding of the world in which the early church was planted. Praise God for the Apostle Paul and other committed...
Day 08 -Western Coast: Priene, Didyma, Miletus
posted on Wednesday September 24 2025 at 9:00 pm UTC
The day began at the ruins of the ancient City of PRIENE. This area was first inhabited in the sixth century BC but abandoned after silt filled their harbor. The area was re-inhabited but abandoned, again, after major earthquakes. This was possibly the first city created using Greek planning which included...
Day 07 - Western Coast: Pergamum, Weaving Center, Turkish Shop
posted on Tuesday September 23 2025 at 11:00 pm UTC
Today we visited the Asclepieion of Pergamon/Pergamum, which was the most famous healing center of the ancient world. This was dedicated to Asclepius, the god of healing. Even up to now, the art and science of medicine is represented by his staff and intertwined serpent. GALEN was a famous...
Day 06 - West Central Turkey: Sardis, Pergamum
posted on Monday September 22 2025 at 7:00 pm UTC
The day literally started with a bang or a jolt! At 12:05am, a 5.1 earthquake gave many of us a not-so-gentle wake-up call. After so many references to earthquakes during this tour, it felt like we finally got our own “tremor cameo.” A little taste of California life abroad; oddly comforting...
Day 05 - West Central Turkey: Aphrodisias, Philadelphia
posted on Sunday September 21 2025 at 9:00 pm UTC
Another beautiful morning in Turkey. On our way to Aphrodisias, our guide Ozan taught us a few more words in Turkish: Merhaba — Hello, Evet — Yes, Hayır — No. Discovering Aphrodisias: In 1958, Turkish-Armenian photographer Ara Güler, lost on his way back from a photo assignment,...
Day 04 - West Central Turkey: Hierapolis, Laodicea
posted on Saturday September 20 2025 at 10:00 pm UTC
Greetings all, Well, its tour day four in the history rich country of Turkey. I wish I could say we soared, well floated, through the beautiful sky of the tour Turkish country side in a hot air balloon; but it was not to be. After waking up way too early for any sleep-respecting human, we...
Day 03 - Central Turkey: Pisidian Antioch
posted on Friday September 19 2025 at 4:00 pm UTC
After refueling with a delightful breakfast complete with various coffee choices, we left the quaint town of Isparta and journeyed to Pisidian Antioch. While on the bus, Ozan taught us three ways to say “thank you” in Turkish: Merci (as in French), sagol (thanks-as to a friend) and the formal...
Day 02 - Southern Coast: Perga, Aspendos
posted on Thursday September 18 2025 at 11:00 pm UTC
The ancient city of Perga was the beginning/ending of the Roman Road we walked on yesterday. It is only mentioned twice in the Book of Acts (chapters 13 & 14) during Paul’s missionary journeys proclaiming Jesus as Lord. It had a population of 100,000 residents that were split into upper and...
Day 01 - Southern Coast: Antalya Harbor, Roman Road
posted on Thursday September 18 2025 at 12:00 am UTC
After a relaxing morning featuring a delicious Turkish breakfast overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, our group walked to the harbor of Antalya. This harbor was pivotal in the spread of the Gospel as it was a key intersection for ancient travel in the region (see Acts 14). Pastor Jesse spoke of the Great...
Day 00 - ARRIVAL IN TURKEY
posted on Tuesday September 16 2025 at 8:00 pm UTC
The group has arrived safely in Antalya, Turkey and is headed to the hotel for some much needed sleep. They will begin their itinerary tomorrow morning! Watch for blog updates daily....
Preparing for Turkey
posted on Thursday May 15 2025 at 12:07 am UTC
Our trip will be here before you know it! Once we're on the ground we'll post periodic updates and photos. Check back often or get update notifications using the subscribe options on this page. We'll be sharing our travel experiences online with you, our friends and family, to not only bring you along...