St Paul's Travels in Anatolia (Turkey)

Paul was an Anatolian, born in the Roman city of Tarsus on the eastern Mediterranean coast of what is now Turkey.
He traveled extensively in "Asia" (ie, Asia Minor, or Anatolia) spreading Jesus's teachings.
Paul's First Journey
About 47-49 AD Paul went on his first journey, traveling from east to west along the Mediterranean coast stopping at Antioch (Antakya), Seleucia (Silifke), Side and Attaleia (Antalya).
From there he climbed into the mountains, to Antioch-in-Pisidia (Yalvaç, near Aksehir), then to Galatia and its capital of Iconium (Konya). Later he wrote to the people of Iconium, and this Letter to the Galatians became the 9th book of the New Testament.
From Iconium he walked 40 km (25 miles) south to Lystra (Hatunsaray) and Derbe before returning to Attaleia, where he boarded a ship for his return voyage to Antioch.
The Second JourneyPaul traveled much farther afield on his second trip. After visiting some of the same cities he had seen on his first trip, he went to the region called Mysia to visit Troy (Truva), then, crossing the Dardanelles, he ventured into Macedonia (northern Greece, southwestern Bulgaria).
The Third JourneyOn his third trip (53-57 AD), Paul revisited some of these cities, and also saw Ancyra (Ankara), Smyrna (Izmir), Adramyttium (Edremit) and Ephesus (Efes, Selçuk), capital of Roman Asia.
In Ephesus his preaching caused trouble. The local silversmiths made their living selling effigies of the Anatolian fertility goddess (Cybele/Artemis/Diana) to pilgrims coming to visit the gigantic marble Temple of Artemis.The more the Ephesians listened to Paul, the less they believed in Artemis--and the fewer effigies they bought.
The silversmiths brought spurious charges against Paul, but after a dramatic 'kangaroo court' in the Great Theater he was released, having committed no crime. He continued his journey, later visitied Miletus.

The Final JourneyIn 59-60 AD, Paul was arrested in Jerusalem, charged with inciting to riot, and shipped off to Rome for trial. He changed ships at Myra (Demre) and headed for Cnidos, at the tip of the peninsula west of Marmaris, a harbor where ships often waited for favorable winds, but a storm prevented him from landing there.
Seven Churches of Revelation
For the record, the Seven Churches of Revelation were the "Seven Churches of Asia" (ie, Asia Minor, Anatolia): Ephesus (Efes), Smyrna (Izmir), Pergamum (Bergama), Sardis (Sart, east of Izmir), Philadelphia (Alasehir), Laodicea (Goncali, between Denizli and Pamukkale) and Thyatira (Akhisar

SAINT PAUL

St. Paul, the indefatigable Apostle of the Gentiles, was converted from Judaism on the road to Damascus. He remained some days in Damascus after his Baptism, and then went to Arabia, possibly for a year or two to prepare himself for his future missionary activity. Having returned to Damascus, he stayed there for a time, preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. For this he incurred the hatred of the Jews and had to flee from the city. He then went to Jerusalem to see Peter and pay his homage to the head of the Church.

Later he went back to his native Tarsus, where he began to evangelize his own province until called by Barnabus to Antioch. After one year, on the occasion of a famine, both Barnabus and Paul were sent with alms to the poor Christian community at Jerusalem. Having fulfilled their mission they returned to Antioch.

Soon after this, Paul and Barnabus made the first missionary journey, visiting the island of Cypress, then Pamphylia, Pisidia, and Lycaonia, all in Asia Minor, and establishing churches at Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.

After the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem Paul, accompanied by Silas and later also by Timothy and Luke, made his second missionary journey, first revisiting the churches previously established by him in Asia Minor, and then passing through Galatia. At Troas a vision of a Macedonian was had by Paul, which impressed him as a call from God to evangelize in Macedonia. He accordingly sailed for Europe, and preached the Gospel in Philippi. Thessalonica, Beroea, Athens, and Corinth. Then he returned to Antioch by way of Ephesus and Jerusalem.

On his third missionary journey, Paul visited nearly the same regions as on the second trip, but made Ephesus where he remained nearly three years, the center of his missionary activity. He laid plans also for another missionary journey, intending to leave Jerusalem for Rome and Spain. Persecutions by the Jews hindered him from accomplishing his purpose. After two years of imprisonment at Caesarea he finally reached Rome, where he was kept another two years in chains.

The Acts of the Apostles gives us no further information on the life of the Apostle. We gather, however, from the Pastoral Epistles and from tradition that at the end of the two years St. Paul was released from his Roman imprisonment, and then traveled to Spain, later to the East again, and then back to Rome, where he was imprisoned a second time and in the year 67, was beheaded.

St. Paul untiring interest in and paternal affection for the churches established by him have given us fourteen canonical Epistles. It is, however, quite certain that he wrote other letters which are no longer extant. In his Epistles, St. Paul shows himself to be a profound religious thinker and he has had an enduring formative influence in the development of Christianity. The centuries only make more apparent his greatness of mind and spirit. His feast day is June 29th.

Saint Paul well and church pictures

Saint Paul

 
Paul, also known as Saul, of Jewish descent (Otto Menardius), was born in Tarsus in the early first century A.D. His family were Roman citizens,and had a large business making tents. He moved to the city of Jerusalem as a boy where he joined in the attacks against the newly emerging Christian faith. As a young man he became personally and passionately involved in violent attacks against Christians. He was known as the man who was present, and fully agreed, with the stoning of Stephen. According to the New Testament, he began a journey to the city of Damascus. Going with the intention of persecuting the Christians there, he had a life changing vision of Jesus. With great zeal in his newfound faith in Christ, both he and the apostle Peter became two of the main contributors the spread of the Christianity.
Paul made three major trips throughout large portions of the Roman world as a missionary, spreading the Gospel as he went. He met his death (A.D.67) while a captive in Rome; this as a direct result of his message. While his first journey centered largely on the area that is now western Anatolia, his latter two journeys included the area that are now the Greek eastern mainland and islands. His first journey began in Seleucia from which he and his companions made for Cyprus. Later they set out from the seaport of Paphos for Perga in Pamphylia. Taking the road to the interior, they reached Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, and later Lystra and Derbe. Spending a short period in each of the cities encouraging the believers, they returned by the same route and arrived back in Perga. Setting out once again, they made for Antioch by boat and completed their first journey by arriving in Jerusalem. The second journey, A.D. 50-53, Paul accompanied by another Roman citizen by the name of Silas, began again from Antioch. Making their way overland through Anatolia, they were joined by Timothy, and together made for Troy and then straight on to Macedonia. At this time, they established the churches in Phillippi, Thessalonica and Berea. Due to serious dangers, they moved on to Athens and later spent almost two years in Corinth.  The third journey, beginning around A.D 53, centered around Ephesus, and once again the Greek mainland at Macedonia.

 Because of his work, Paul is recognized worldwide for his message of the ‘Good News’, which was later partially encapsulated in the New Testament. Moreover, Paul was known as ‘Paul of Tarsus’, partially due to the excellent education received in both Tarsus and Jerusalem, combined with his experiences as a Christian spreading the Good News. Paul, despite not being amongst the original 12 Apostles (of Christ), along with Peter, showed great courage in spreading the Gospel and standing strong in their faith in Christ. It is partially for this reason that many knew him as the Apostle from Tarsus. By the middle of the first century A.D, the Christian message, beginning in Cilicia and Capadocia, and later the regions of Lyconia, Pisidia and Pamphilia, had been well established largely due to the work of Paul. Despite the many difficulties involved in working in the various Roman colonies, Paul’s displays of God’s power meant that many locals, captivated by his teachings rapidly came to faith in large numbers. The fellowship in Galatia in particular profited and became successful because of Paul’s teaching preaching and exhortment. Many of its members formerly belonging to the local synagogue there. His excellent methods became the example for missionaries in the ages to come. The letter written to that fellowship, which latter became part of the New Testament, clearly reveals the way to receive everlasting life. Because of his courageous actions and inspired writings, Paul is widely accepted as a symbol of Christian success. The letters written during his journeys contain detailed descriptions of his time; they are highly valued as Christian Literature that include priceless archeological attributes. A letter to the Roman Orator Seneca, reportedly written by Paul, contains some impressive examples of rhetoric.
Paul’s first trip to Iconium, (modern Konya) may reveal what he actually looked like. The source of our knowledge comes from a second century story entitled ‘Paul and Thekla’, ascribed a man from Iconium by the name of Onesiphoros. Paul, according to this source, had a Roman nose, wide forehead, and short hair. His face at times seemed like a man’s at other times like an angel’s. He appeared to have been a bow legged man of short stature.

2008 SAINT PAUL YEAR

   Tarsus, and is the largest city of Mersin, and thus is also the big city Tarsus, Turkey. Altogether there are 318,553 inhabitants in Tarsus, and 229,921 of them live in urban areas and 86,632 in the villages, which include Tarsus. Tarsus has a very significant past and that, for many faith at home, is just one part of the past time.Im Health (Kehf Sure) you can read after that, Eshab I Kehf, the cave where the seven sleepers lived in Tarsus. Many Muslims still visit this special place. The Saint Paul was the 12 th `apostles of Jesus Christ. He was born in Tarsus, was the child of a Jewish Familie.He lived for a time in there, during which he traveled around a lot, where he was in one of his trips to Catholic Gelaube met and also chosen. He wanted the Catholic believers spread everywhere, but 64-67 AD, he was in command of the King Roman Nero murdered. Saint Paul's monuments, such as the Church and the fountain, which bear his name, are in Tarsus. These are monuments of the Holy Roman Catholics as named.Die Saint Paul Church is the second holiest church for the Catholics. First comes the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Moreover, in Tarsus, the road to the first sewer in the world, the Roman way, the gate of Cleopatra, The Donuktas temples and the tomb of Danial (Danyal).

Saint Paul’s Well

        200 meters northeast of the Ancient Road, we find the area known locally as Saint Paul’s Well. The site has for many years been a place of pilgrimage. During the times that Christians ruled in Tarsus the well’s water was supposed to be Holy and useful for healing.
The place is now of special interest for tourists who come to visit in order to see the 30 m. deep well and the partially excavated walls near the site. The restorations were part of a project begun by the Ministry of Culture after it nationalized the site.