Apostles · Scripture · early Church · living Catholic witness
Across the sea,
the Gospel took root.
Greece and Türkiye hold an extraordinary Catholic pilgrimage landscape: Paul’s missionary cities, the communities addressed in Revelation, the memory of Mary and St. John at Ephesus, ancient martyr shrines, and small Catholic communities still worshipping today.
25 pilgrimage places2 countries3 geographic chapters
Catholic significance does not mean Catholic ownership
Our terminology →This guide includes active Catholic churches and sacred places shared across ancient Christian traditions. Orthodox-custodied churches are labeled as shared Christian heritage, archaeological sites remain archaeological sites, and every visitor should honor the worshipping community or public custodian responsible for the place.
One region, two kinds of encounter
Pray with the living Church. Walk through the early Church.
The collection deliberately holds both together without confusing them.
Three geographic chapters
Build separate journeys around the Aegean.
This is an editorial guide, not a continuous walking route. Greece, western Anatolia, and southern or central Türkiye each deserve a focused journey.
Paul’s Greece and the Aegean witness
Move from Paul’s first European mission through the Areopagus and Corinth, then cross the Aegean to the island associated with St. John and Revelation.
- Stop 1Archaeological Site of PhilippiArchaeological Site · Philippi, Greece
- Stop 2Basilica of St. DemetriusHistoric Church · Thessaloniki, Greece
- Stop 3Ancient Agora and Areopagus of AthensArchaeological Site · Athens, Greece
- Stop 4Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the AreopagiteCathedral · Athens, Greece
- Stop 5Ancient Corinth and the BemaArchaeological Site · Ancient Corinth, Greece
- Stop 6Cave of the Apocalypse and Monastery of St. JohnMonastery · Patmos, Greece
Ephesus and the Seven Churches
Use Izmir’s living Catholic cathedral as a base for Ephesus, Marian and Johannine tradition, and the early communities addressed in Revelation.
- Stop 1St. John’s Catholic CathedralCathedral · Izmir, Türkiye
- Stop 2Church of St. PolycarpHistoric Church · İzmir, Türkiye
- Stop 3Ephesus Ancient CityArchaeological Site · Selçuk, Türkiye
- Stop 4House of the Virgin MaryShrine · Ephesus, Türkiye
- Stop 5Basilica of St. John Archaeological SiteArchaeological Site · Selçuk, Türkiye
- Stop 6Pergamon and the Red BasilicaArchaeological Site · Bergama, Türkiye
- Stop 7Sardis Archaeological Site and Early ChurchArchaeological Site · Sart, Türkiye
- Stop 8Thyatira Archaeological SiteArchaeological Site · Akhisar, Türkiye
- Stop 9Church of St. John at Ancient PhiladelphiaArchaeological Site · Alaşehir, Türkiye
- Stop 10Laodicea Archaeological Site and Early ChurchArchaeological Site · Denizli, Türkiye
- Stop 11Martyrium of St. Philip at HierapolisArchaeological Site · Pamukkale, Türkiye
Antioch, Paul, Thecla, and Cappadocia
Follow the southern and inland landscape of mission, early discipleship, martyr tradition, and churches carved into Cappadocia’s rock, including Gümüşler’s preserved Byzantine monastic complex.
- Stop 1Church of St. PeterArchaeological Site · Antakya, Türkiye
- Stop 2St. Paul WellArchaeological Site · Tarsus, Türkiye
- Stop 3Aya Tekla (St. Thecla) Archaeological SiteArchaeological Site · Silifke, Türkiye
- Stop 4Perge Archaeological SiteArchaeological Site · Aksu, Türkiye
- Stop 5Pisidian Antioch Archaeological SiteArchaeological Site · Yalvaç, Türkiye
- Stop 6Miletus Archaeological SiteArchaeological Site · Balat, Türkiye
- Stop 7Göreme Open-Air Museum and Rock ChurchesArchaeological Site · Göreme, Türkiye
- Stop 8Gümüşler MonasteryHistoric Site · Gümüşler, Türkiye
The complete foundation
Every destination
01
Ancient Corinth and the BemaArchaeological Site · Ancient Corinth, Greece · Shared Christian
→02Ancient Agora and Areopagus of AthensArchaeological Site · Athens, Greece · Shared Christian
→03Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the AreopagiteCathedral · Athens, Greece · Catholic
→04Cave of the Apocalypse and Monastery of St. JohnMonastery · Patmos, Greece · Shared Christian
→05Archaeological Site of PhilippiArchaeological Site · Philippi, Greece · Shared Christian
→06Basilica of St. DemetriusHistoric Church · Thessaloniki, Greece · Shared Christian
→07Thyatira Archaeological SiteArchaeological Site · Akhisar, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→08Perge Archaeological SiteArchaeological Site · Aksu, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→09Church of St. John at Ancient PhiladelphiaArchaeological Site · Alaşehir, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→10Church of St. PeterArchaeological Site · Antakya, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→11Miletus Archaeological SiteArchaeological Site · Balat, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→12Pergamon and the Red BasilicaArchaeological Site · Bergama, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→13Laodicea Archaeological Site and Early ChurchArchaeological Site · Denizli, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→14House of the Virgin MaryShrine · Ephesus, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→15Göreme Open-Air Museum and Rock ChurchesArchaeological Site · Göreme, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→16Gümüşler MonasteryHistoric Site · Gümüşler, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→17St. John’s Catholic CathedralCathedral · Izmir, Türkiye · Catholic
→18Church of St. PolycarpHistoric Church · İzmir, Türkiye · Catholic
→19Martyrium of St. Philip at HierapolisArchaeological Site · Pamukkale, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→20Sardis Archaeological Site and Early ChurchArchaeological Site · Sart, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→21Basilica of St. John Archaeological SiteArchaeological Site · Selçuk, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→22Ephesus Ancient CityArchaeological Site · Selçuk, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→23Aya Tekla (St. Thecla) Archaeological SiteArchaeological Site · Silifke, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→24St. Paul WellArchaeological Site · Tarsus, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→25Pisidian Antioch Archaeological SiteArchaeological Site · Yalvaç, Türkiye · Shared Christian
→A companion, not a duplicate
Keep St. Paul’s journey as the sacred story.
The St. Paul collection follows one apostle’s narrative across the Mediterranean. This regional guide answers a different pilgrim question: “I am traveling in Greece or Türkiye—what sacred places should I understand and visit?”
Follow St. Paul’s journey →