Religious Tours

Religious Tours in Turkey

From the 12,000-year-old sanctuary of Göbeklitepe to the House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus, Turkey stands at the crossroads of the world’s oldest and most influential religious traditions. Upper Mesopotamia witnessed the earliest human settlements, the first experiments in domestication, and the construction of the world’s earliest known temples. This region continues to reshape our understanding of sacred history, with new archaeological discoveries emerging almost every year. Şanlıurfa, home to Göbeklitepe, is also traditionally associated with the life of Abraham—the patriarch revered by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Turkey likewise occupies a central place in the history of Christianity. Many of the most formative events of the early Church occurred in these lands. The followers of Jesus Christ were first called Christians in Antioch, in present-day Turkey. The Apostles Saint Paul and Saint Peter began their earliest missionary journeys here, establishing communities that shaped the foundations of Christian theology and practice. The Seven Churches of Revelation were built in Anatolia, and the cave churches of Cappadocia—numbering over two hundred—represent some of the earliest Christian places of worship, richly decorated with mosaics and frescoes.

Monumental monastic centers such as the Deyrulzafaran Monastery in Mardin and the Sumela Monastery in Trabzon rank among the earliest and most significant Christian monasteries in the world. In Constantinople, Hagia Sophia stood as the largest cathedral on earth for centuries, symbolizing the theological, artistic, and imperial legacy of Christianity.

Through our carefully curated biblical and cultural tours, participants follow the footsteps of the earliest believers, gaining firsthand insight into how religious thought, ritual, and sacred architecture developed over millennia. Turkey offers not only a journey through history, but a profound encounter with the origins and evolution of faith itself.