Pilgrimages Turkey

Chapters 15-18 of the Acts of the Apostles of the Bible tell of the second journey. This journey was not undertaken by command of the Holy Spirit; the decision was necessitated by a meeting in jerusalem. We are informed that there was a disagreement between St. Paul and Barnabas at the outset of the trip. For this reason St. Paul didn't travel with St. Barnabas but with St. Silas. Another importance of the second journey we are told was that although it was not undertaken by command of the } Holy Spirit, route of the journey was determined by the Holy Spirit.

The starting point for this journey was also Antakya (Antioch). He stopped at the places he had visited on the first journey. The reason for this was that he wanted to see how his converted brothers of his first journey were getting on. Thus he visited Karaman (Derbe, Lystra) and Konya (Iconium) for the second time. Although it is notmentioned by name in the Bible,most probably he also visited his birth place Tarsus on this trip.

During these travels he visited Ankara, several times, now the capital of Turkey, and in its environs the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, in inner Anatolia, en route to Çanakkale (Troas). Because in a dram he saw a Macedonian imploring him to come, he left Çanakkale by sea to cross to Greece. After having preached in Greek and Macedonian cities for some time he again crossed the sea to return to Turkey and visited Ephesus. From here he departed by sea and went via Jerusalem to Antakya. Thereafter he travelled once again around the regions of Galatia and Phrygia to see in what state the people who had become Christians earlier on his travels were, and to reinforce their belief.