Day 6: Philadelphia, Sardis, Smyrna/Izmir

Philadelphia, now called Alaşehir, another church of the Seven Churches of Asia [Rev. 1:11; 3:7], and the only church that wasn’t censored. There, we see the remains of a Byzantine basilica built of brick, with a bit high arch and some 11th-century frescoes.

Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

Salihli  (Sardis). This was the capital of the ancient Lydian kingdom of the 6th century BC, portrayed as a dying church. We will visit the great Temple of Artemis and the Temple of Cybele, which was turned into a Byzantine Church. We will also see the restored Sardis Gymnasium and reconstructed Synagogue. The church at Sardes had a few devoted members, but it was essentially a dead church (Revelation 3: 1,4).

The Christian community of Smyrna, mentioned in the Book of Revelation by the Apostle John, was one of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor.

Rev 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

Smyrna is the second city in the Seven Churches of the Book of Revelation to receive messages from St. John (Rev. 1:11;2:8). We will observe the remains of basilicas and architectural works from the Roman period.
Visit the oldest church in Izmir, the Saint Polycarp Church, where the bishop of Smyrna and a student of St. John was martyred in the 2nd century