Why Turkiye for Christian Pilgrims?
Sixty percent of the holy places mentioned in the Bible and important for the Christian world, including the Seven Churches of Revelation, also known as the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse and the Seven Churches of Asia, seven major churches of early Christianity, as mentioned in the New Testament Book of Revelation are located in Asia Minor, present-day Turkiye.
According to Revelation 1:11, on the Greek island of Patmos, Jesus Christ instructs John of Patmos to: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven Churches: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” The churches in this context refers to the community or local congregations of Christians living in each city.
Major Biblical References located in Turkiye are as follows:
Antioch; Acts 6:5; 11:19-30 13:1-3 15:1-2, 22-35
Assos; Acts 20:13,14
Attalia; Acts 14:25
Cappadocia Province; Acts 2:9, I Pet 1:1
Ephesus; Acts 18:19-24; 19:1-35; 20:16-17; 21:29, 1 Cor. 15:32; 16:8, I Tim. 1:3 II Tim. 1:18; 4:12, Rev. 1:11, 2:1
Hierapolis; Col 4:13
Iconium; Acts;13:51; 14:1-21; 16:2, II Tim. 3:11
Laodicea; Col; 2:1; 4:13-16, Rev. 1:11; 3:14
Nicaea; Acts 16:7, I Pet 1:1
Miletus; Acts 20:15-17, II Tim. 4:20
Myra; Acts 27:5-6
Patara; Acts 21:1-2
Perga; Acts 13:13-14; 14:25
Pergamum; Rev. 1:11; 2:12
Philadelphia; Rev. 1:11; 3:7
Pisidian Antioch; Acts 13:14; 14:19-21, I Tim. 3:11
Sardis; Rev. 1:11; 3:1-4
Seleucia; Acts 13:4
Smyrna; Rev. 1:11; 2:8
Tarsus; Acts 9:11; 9:30; 11:25; 21:39; 22:3, 25:29
Thyatira; Acts 16:14, Rev. 1:11; 2:18-24
Troas; Acts 16:8-11; 20:5, 6, II Tim. 4:13 II Cor. 2:12
Troy; Acts 16:8-11; 20:5, 6, II Tim. 4:13 II Cor. 2:12
