I grew up going to church every Sunday. I knew the stories and the bible verses by heart. But as I grew older, it became harder to see the difference between facts and stories. This trip to Turkey changed all of that. While I’ve never visited the traditional Holy Land, Turkey has so many historical sites that were important in Biblical times. It was so surreal to think who walked the same dusty paths that I did thousands of years prior.
Biblical Sites in Turkey
The House of the Virgin Mary, Selçuk
I never knew this place existed before reading Traveling with Pomegranates, but when I discovered it was a stop on my overland tour of Turkey, I got excited. This shrine for both Catholic and Muslim faiths is located on Mount Koressos. In the 1800s, the nun Anne Catherine Emmerich had visions about the location of the home where the Virgin Mary spent her final days.
The site was discovered in 1891 and has been a place of pilgrimage ever since. When you visit today, it’s no more than a small stone chapel near a wall of fountains and an area where people tie prayers and messages to the Virgin Mary.
Mt. Ararat, Dogubeyazit
Credit: Eric Hutton
While I didn’t get to visit the mountain in far eastern Turkey, which borders Iran and Armenia, Mount Ararat is a dormant volcano covered in snow. According to the book of Genesis, it was at this peak where Noah’s Ark came to rest. It is the highest point in the country, at 16,854 feet (5,137 meters).
Ephesus, Selçuk
As one of the country’s most well preserved historical sites, Ephesus is visited by thousands of people every day. The city had one of the seven churches of Asia mentioned in the book of Revelation and it was on this site where the Basilica of St. John and the burial site of the apostle once were. It was Paul who wrote to the Ephesians from jail in Rome.
Cappadocia, Göreme
Before the Christians thrived under Constantine’s reign, they were tortured and persecuted by the Romans. Paul found a place for them to hide in Cappadocia, where the caves were deep and could be created from the rock formations. The followers created churches underground, many of which you can still visit today, with their colors still vibrant due to the lack of sunlight. The Apple Church at the Göreme Open Air Museum is one of the best preserved.
There are hundreds of other places in Turkey still standing where the people of biblical times once walked. The cities of Smyrna (now Izmir), Pergamon (known as Pergamum), Sardis (now Salihli), and Laodicea (now Eskihisar) are just a few. I can also recommend Myra, where St. Nicholas gave to the poor and Paul started an ill-fated journey to Italy.
These look amazing.
I grew up in church as well, and I always think about Israel and Jerusalem as “biblical destinations”… heck, even Cyprus! But this post made me realize I’ve somehow [stupidly] overlooked Turkey.
It’s so cool you were able to visit Turkey!! I can relate to the fact that Biblical stories definitely come alive when you visit the sites. While I haven’t been to Turkey yet, I was in the Holy Land a couple of years ago. It was incredible and definitely strengthened my faith!