Philadelphia in Turkey: 3 Things We Noticed in Alaşehir

Ancient Philadelphia is within modern Alaşehir in western Turkey. We stopped here while visiting the cities named in Revelation. The excavated area is small, but three details stayed with us: its layers of inscriptions, the setting of the message to Philadelphia, and the surrounding vineyard country. Here are our photographs and the location we used.

Where are the ruins of Philadelphia?

Find the ruins in Alaşehir on Google Maps. Most of the ancient city lies beneath the modern one, so the visible remains occupy only a small area. The map below shows Philadelphia among other cities associated with the congregations mentioned in Revelation.

Philadelphia in relation to nearby ancient cities.

The excavated area we walked through in Alaşehir.

We spent about 20 minutes at the ruins themselves. That is how long our visit took, rather than a suggested time for everyone. We saw stonework and inscriptions from different periods, though there were few explanations on site when we visited in 2020.

1. Inscriptions and later symbols

One stone caught our attention because of its lettering and the symbols carved alongside it. We also noticed Armenian script elsewhere on the site. Together they gave us a sense of how many generations have lived in and reshaped this city.

Lettering and symbols on a stone we saw at the site.

The eight pointed form in the first photograph reminded us of other symbols used in later religious art, including the baptismal font shown below. Similar shapes can have different meanings at different times. We cannot establish the origin or meaning of this particular carving from its appearance alone.

An octagonal baptismal font, included here for visual comparison.

Another inscription we photographed in Alaşehir.

2. The message to Philadelphia in Revelation

The congregation in Philadelphia is addressed in Revelation 3:7–13. Verse 12 uses the image of a pillar in God’s temple and says the one who conquers “will by no means go out from it anymore.” Reading those words while visiting the ruins made us think about stability and permanence.

The area has a history of earthquakes, including a severe one in 17 CE. That context made the imagery vivid to us. We cannot know whether the earthquake was the specific reason for the wording in Revelation, so we regard this as a personal observation rather than a proven explanation.

An earthquake activity map included with our original visit notes.

We also photographed a coin connected with the city’s later history of temple patronage. It is an interesting artifact, but a later coin cannot by itself explain what the first century congregation understood from Jesus’ message.

A coin included in our notes on Philadelphia’s later history.

3. The vineyards around Alaşehir

As we drove into the area, we noticed the reddish soil and vineyards around the modern city. The landscape was one of the most memorable parts of this short stop. It also reminded us that Philadelphia was a lived-in place, with surrounding farmland, rather than only the small patch of ruins visible today.

The red soil we noticed while driving near Alaşehir.

Planning your visit

Philadelphia is a compact stop. The map link above can help you locate the excavated area in modern Alaşehir. Check current access and local conditions before travelling, since our notes and photographs reflect our 2020 visit. We continued to Sardis afterward.

For more places we visited in Turkey and beyond, browse our Bible History Travel guide. You can also read our firsthand accounts of Ephesus and Smyrna.