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Ağrı
Dağı :
Mt.Ararat
towers over the land where Noah's ark came to rest.
The same story appears in the Babylonian myth of
Gilgamesh.
Akhisar
:
An
agricultural center, Thyatira was one of the Seven
Churches admonished by St.John.
Alaşehir
:
One
of the Seven Churches, Philadelphia was a
border post in the 1st century AD.
Altınbaşak
:
Birthplace
of Abraham, it was here that he heard the call to
found a great nation that believed in One God. A
9th century BC Temple to Sin was part of a university
complex. Crusaders held the fortress in the 12th
century AD.
Ani
:
Ani's
continuing fame is as a city of a thousand churches.
Ankara
:
The
15th century Hacı Bayram Mosque and the Roman Temple to
Rome and Augustus with its inscription about Caesar's
census are located back-to-back.
Antakya
:
City
where Christians were first named, the 11th century Crusaders
believed that they found St.Peter's sword in the
Church of St.Peter. St.Paul began his missionary journeys
from Antioch.
Bergama
:
One
of the Seven Churches, St.John denounced the Throne
of Satan in his reference to church members.
Bursa
:
Beautiful
mosque complexes from the 13th and 14th centuries enrich
the early Ottomon capital.
Divriği
:
Exquisite
designs on Ulu Cami are a record of the skill of
Selçuk stone carvers.
Diyarbakır
:
It
comes second the Istanbul in the number of handsome
mosques in the city.
Edirne
:
The
complex of the Selimiye Camii is the masterpiece
of the 16th century architect Sinan.
Efes
:
Once
renowned for its gleaming Temple to Diana, the archaeological
site of Ephesus is famous for the missionary work
of St.Paul, and as one of the churches addressed by St.John.
The Home of the Virgin Mary has been a quiet mountain
retreat.
Erzurum
:
The
Yakutiye and Çifte Minareli Medreses are evidence
of the Selçuk religious activities in Erzurum in
the 12th and 13th centuries.
Hacıbektaş
:
The
Bektaşi dervish community dates its inspiration from
the life and work of Hacı Bektaş Veli who lived here
in the 13th century.
Istanbul
:
The
museums of St.Sophia, St.Irene, and Kariye
hold masterpieces of Cristian art. Unrivaled Muslim relics
are found in the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle in the Topkapı
Museum. Among the famous mosques are the Süleymaniye
Complex and the Sultanahmet. A number of Jewish synagogues
are active in the city.
Izmir
:
One
of the Seven Churches, Izmir's Church of St.Polycarp
memorializes the 2nd century martyred bishop. Many synagogues
serve the Jewish community of Izmir.
Iznik
:
Both
the first and the last of the Christian Ecumenical Councils
took place in Iznik.
Cappadocia
:
Center
of monastic cave churches, Christians also tunnelled many
stories underground for refuge.
Kayseri
:
Residence
of the 4th century church leaders, St.Basil and St.Gregory,
Kayseri is also known in the Mahperi Huand Hatun
Complex for its Selçuk Muslim art.
Konya
:
For
Christians, Konya was one of St.Paul's centers of preaching;
for Muslims the tomb of the Whirling Dervish saint,
Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, is a place of pilgrimage.
Laodikya
:
The
last of the Seven Churches, which was neither hot
nor cold, Laodicea is close to the hot springs and
travertine deposits of Pamukale.
Mardin
/ Tur Abdin :
Since
earliest times the Tur Abdin region has been the
location of Christian monasteries such as Deyrulzarafan
and Mor Gabriel.
Şanlıurfa
:
Legendary
place of the contest between Abraham and Nimrod,
the Halil ar-Rahman Camii is a place of pilgrimage for Muslims.
Sart
:
The
Temple to Artemis, the synagogue and the positon
of Sardis as one of the Seven Churches identify
its varied religious significance.
Tarsus
:
Birthplace
of St.Paul, Tarsus lies in the fertile Çukurova plain.
Trabzon
:
The
ceiling of the 13th century Museum of St.Sophia is
covered with Christian frescoes. Nearby in the mountains
is the famous Sumelas Monastery.
Van
/ Ahtamar :
Historically
the region around Van was the center of Urartu-Ararat.
The 10th century Church of the Holy Cross on the
island of Ahtamar is a classic example of Armenian art.
Yalvaç
:
St.Paul
preached his first recorded sermon in Pisidian Antioch and
was expelled from the city.
Yazılıkaya
:
Second
millennium BC priestgods march in procession to the altar
of the Hittite temple in Yazılıkaya.
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