We stopped at ancient Miletus during a road trip through western Turkey. I wanted to see a place mentioned in the account of the apostle Paul, but I also wondered how much of the city we could actually explore. We spent a couple of hours among the ruins, and I was glad we made the detour. Quick take: Miletus is a worthwhile stop if you enjoy ancient cities or are travelling between places connected with Bible history. The ruins cover a wide area, so wear shoes suited to rough paths. The museum was closed when we visited; check current access and hours before setting out. Where is Miletus? Miletus is in western Turkey, inland from the Aegean coast today. Here is the Miletus location on Google Maps . I recommend checking the route and current visitor information before your trip, since conditions can change. An aerial view of Miletus, with the visitor area to the right. Why Miletus matters in the Bible On his way to Jerusalem, Paul sailed to Miletus instead of stopping at Ephesus....

We stopped at Aizanoi on the drive back to our home in Konya. This ancient city sits in and around the present-day town of Çavdarhisar, and walking through both the archaeological area and the town was part of the appeal for us. The bridge, the Temple of Zeus and the stonework scattered among the houses made the detour memorable. Our quick take: Go for the remarkably preserved temple and the pleasure of finding ancient remains throughout a living town. Allow time to walk beyond the temple. Check current opening hours, admission and access before you travel; our notes describe what we saw on our visit. Where is Aizanoi? Aizanoi is at modern Çavdarhisar in western Turkey. Here is the location of Aizanoi on Google Maps . We visited while travelling back toward Konya . If you are making a similar road trip, check the route and site access before setting out. 1. Walk across the old bridge The bridge over the Penkalas River was one of the first things that caught our attention. I liked...

Tarsus is a modern city built over the ancient city where the apostle Paul was born. When we visited, we found four stops that helped us picture its history: an excavated Roman road, the Tarsus Museum, a site traditionally associated with Daniel, and Paul’s Well. I’ve included our photographs and a map link for each place. The first four stops are in Tarsus. At the end, there’s a bonus artifact from Tarsus that we saw in Istanbul. 1. The ancient road in Tarsus The excavated road in Tarsus. Find the ancient road on Google Maps . It runs beside the Tarsus Museum, so it makes sense to see these two places together. We could see the excavated area around the road and the basalt paving. It was discovered during a modern construction project, and ancient drainage runs beneath it. Standing here gave us a glimpse of the city Paul knew, although we cannot know whether he walked on this particular stretch. 2. Tarsus Museum Find the Tarsus Museum on Google Maps . We enjoyed seeing objects f...

We visited Ephesus in Turkey in 2020 to look for places and objects that helped us picture its Bible history. Here are eleven connections we noticed, along with our photographs and practical notes for finding your way around the site. We had also been to Ephesus in 2002. Returning years later, we found archaeologists at work and plenty more to explore. This guide records what we saw during our 2020 visit; access, displays and visitor information may have changed since then. Where is Ephesus? The location on Google Maps is here . But here are a few other locations off the site that you should know. The turnoff point on the road to get to the entrance Another back entrance, to avoid the crowds The Temple of Artemis The Grotto of the Seven Sleepers We had a nice little map to help us know our way around. Here it is: The map above helped us orient ourselves among the major features of the ancient city. Entrance to Ephesus We entered through the main entrance and used our MuseumKart. W...

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 2...