FATIMA/LOURDES PILGRIMAGE

APRIL 15-24, 2026

 Here is a link to our itinerary for our trip to Fatima and Lourdes

My Final Day - Pergamon

This theatre was definitely the steepest of all the ones I had seen.  It was a 

huge mountainside and definitely a steep incline.  

This was the church in Pergamon.  Interestingly enough, it was down below the mountain, in the town square area.  Today there is a mosque built inside of it.  It was not open to the public as it was being renovated.  I was able to get several perspectives on it from different sides of the building.

My final day in Turkey was a trip to Pergamon.  Pergamon was described as having a strong pagan influence where "Satan's throne" was located.  I could see where St. John may have gotten that.  It seemed like a very sophisticated place.  The theatre alone was amazing.  Over 10,000 seats nestled steeply on a hillside.  A beautiful gymnasium and baths.  Temples erected to pagan gods and goddesses.  A sophisticated aqueduct system and great palaces for the elite.  What king or queen wouldn't want to live in such a paradise?  Pergamon is located about 1.5 hours north of Izmir and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The city is now known as Bergama and it is bustling village on the bottom of the archeological site.  I drove through its narrow city streets and hit a quarreling group of 3 dogs.  I panicked when I heard the "thump" on the car (thankfully not the BMW this time).  The dogs withdrew a bit dazed from the car but it did knock some sensible peace into them and they, and the car, were uninjured.  The city had absolutely no zoning codes.  A drug store, a medical supply company both next to a restaurant and a butcher shop next to a auto repair shop with a candy store next to it.  Bizzare and strange Bergama was but, I suppose, not all that different from the marketplaces in the time of the Roman Empire, the Turks, the Ottomans, or the Greeks as well.

My friend Jennifer.

We took a gondola up to the top of the mountain which gave us a great view of the sides of the mountain and the many hillside archeological remnants of homes and village sites along the way and parts of a road that still remain.  I am still amazed that people were able to come and go freely up and down the steep terrain.  I have to admit that I lost 3 pounds in 7 days just because of the amount of walking and hiking I did at these archeological sites and hillsides I climbed.  

I had such a wonderful time also spending the day with my friend Jennifer.  She was a wonderful companion on the days journey.  When I left my apartment to pick her up at the airport car rental agency it was during a torrential thunder storm.  Lightning was blazing across the skies lighting up the mountains on all four sides of me.  I arrived at the train station with my feet completely soaked in water.  I rode the train to the airport thinking to myself - the first stop is to the store to buy a pair of dry socks.  To my surprise Jennifer had an extra dry pair of socks for me.  Isn't it just like a mom to remember those kinds of things!  And to our even greater surprise, the clouds cleared, the sun came out and we had a delightful weather day to travel in.  

Jennifer teaches Japanese online and one of her students recommended this authentic Turkish restaurant in town and it was very good.  After filling up with some good carbs we did a little shopping in town and she ran into a Japanese friend who runs a small shop making embroidered goods.  The shop has actually appeared in the Lonely Planet tour book for Pergamon and she proudly displays it, showed us some of her work and awards, offered us sage tea.  We met her husband, chatted for a bit and then headed back home.  It was a delightful day.

Then it was back home to pack and get ready for my long trip home.

Laodicea

Laodicea for me was a very special place.  It was here that I heard about the Council of Laodicea held in the 4th Century.  It was one of the earliest church councils that started to assemble the biblical canon and it also began to insist on the use of a special place (the ambo).  In fact, as picture above, you can see the diagram of what one of the first ambos looked like.  The foundation is actually still there.  You can see above a newer building housing an archeological find.  That was an artisan's reconstruction of what the original church at Laodicea may have looked like and the actual remains of the church on the inside of that new building.  It was really fascinating.  The amazing thing was I had this whole place to myself.  There was no one there!  Lots of people go to Parmukkale and to Hierapolis but no one goes to Laodicea right next door.  The other really cool thing that I rented an economy car just to roam around town to the sites.  I was expecting a Yugo and they gave me a BMW!  I was cruising in style!  I felt badly that I visiting the tomb of St. Philip, the Apostle driving a BMW.  I'll have to go to confession for that one but it wasn't a mortal sin - I didn't choose it I was only complicit in it!

 

Hierapolis, Parmakulle, Laodicea

 The area of Hierapolis and Parmukkale is what was formerly the Kingdom of Phrygia, mentioned often in the Scriptures.  This is area of King Midas, and the Hittites, and the Greeks and Romans who inhabited the land for centuries and influenced its culture and its buildings.  St. Philip was sent here to proclaim the Good News of Jesus and had a significant impact in this region of Asia Minor.  However, he ended up being martyred here, hung upside down, and buried up on one of the hillsides.  His tomb is still venerated today.  

Just below the city of Hierapolis is an interesting hillside called Parmukkale.  Its snow white stone gives you the impression you might be on a hillside in Colorado because the white stone resembles snow but it’s actually hard as rock.  Pools of warm water cascade down the mountainside and you can take off your shoes and enjoy a respite from the cold winter breeze.  Down below is Cleopatra’s pool.  In the warmer weather you can take a dip there.  Obviously the queen didn’t know I was coming otherwise she would have welcomed me with open arms I’m certain! :). 

This was a fascinating day as a part of my overnight trip to Denzili to see Laodicea, one of the seven churches of the book of Revelation.  I didn’t realize I’d discover St. Philip’s tomb or these beautiful hot springs or the ancient kingdom of Phrgia.  There is so much to discover here.  At every turn a new adventure awaits!

St. Philip’s Tomb

Today I had the opportunity to pray at the grave of St. Philip, the apostle of Jesus.  He was martyred in Phrygia, a once thriving kingdom known for King Midas, in which was located important Christian cities like Laodicea, Colossae and Hierapolis.  The latter is the place of Philip’s tomb. The location is noted in history and there was a rock discovered bearing the site and his name.  It has been venerated for centuries since his death.  I really didn’t know that until I decided to visit this ancient place.  Then I visited Parmukkale which is a place of ancient springs.  I had the opportunity to put my feet into the warm water and take a break from the many miles of walking I’ve done today and yesterday in Laodicea.  For more on my trip check out my blog site: danschlegel.blogspot.com.

Ephesus and the Virgin Mary’s Home

Ephesus is not a far distance from Izmir - only about 2 hours by train.  You transfer only once and exit the train in a small, quaint city called Selcuk and then take a short mini bus ride to the Ephesus archeological site.  The only way to the Virgin Mary’s dormition site is by taxi but if you do take a taxi you can enter Ephesus from the upper entrance and can walk downhill rather than uphill.  That’s what I decided to do/.I tried to talk two Brazilian woman to join me for the taxi ride so we could split the fare but I must have looked suspicious so they declined!

The Virgin Mother’s final resting place is somewhat historical but not completely so.  It is based on the fact that St. John the beloved disciple had been exiled to the island of Patmos by the emperor Domitian.  Once the emperor died, John was released from his captivity and returned to Ephesus to care for Mary in her final days.  It was only in the 1800’s that a German Augustinian mystic by the name of Sr. Catherine Emmerich who had many visions and depictions of Mary’s final resting place and frequently described the place in exact and specific detail as the place on Bulbal Hill.  It was also declared to be Mary’s place of dormition at the Council of Ephesus.  I had the opportunity to spend about 30-40 minutes there in peace and quiet prayer and reflection grateful for the visit and the chance to bring many people to prayer and thought in the very spot that the Virgin Mary spent her last moments in this world in.

This looked to be like a baptismal font of sorts.

These are the toilets for the bathroom.  You probably didn't get to choose who you sat next do and I doubt there were any partitions!

This is the amazing city street leading to the Library in Ephesus.  The fascade of the library is in amazing condition though the inside was destroyed by an earthquake.

Do you notice halfway down the sculpture, the Nike symbol? This is actually where the inspiration for the Nike symbol came from.  It is the original sculpture of the goddess Nike.

This is the theatre at Ephesus.  It seats 10,000 people.  They had opened it for public concerts, including many rock concerts.  Unfortunately they found that the very loud concerts were wreaking havoc 

on the building's structure so they are working to reinforce some of the structure

 so that it doesn't do any further damage. 

This statue is on the roadway from the Virgin Mary's home to the Upper Entrance of Ephesus.  It was donated by a wealthy American businessman.

I was dropped off at the upper entrance of Ephesus.  It is this site that has fascinated and intrigued most Christians coming to Turkey.  For one thing, it is an immense site and beautifully preserved. Many years of care and attention have been paid to restoration and respecting the historicity and culture of this special city and its importance in both the political and ecclesial world.  It was the center of life for thousands of citizens and faithful and was an important place of culture and commerce.  

You could just picture its citizens strolling down the cobblestone streets heading to the great library, or to the ampitheatre, to the bathhouses or to the marketplaces, or to the church or synagogue to pray.  Life was bustling and you could almost picture the vibe of the place in its heyday with children running through the streets, carts pulled by horses and farm animals and goats naying in complaint of their owners reigns.  Just off the center street there were several homes still preserved with immaculate attention giving a small glimpse into daily life for most wealthy Ephesians.  

You’d think I’d have had enough of the train system to have figured it out yet but I missed my first train headed back home.  So then I got on the really slow one.  I had hoped to join Jennifer at one of the oldest standing Smyrnan churches (St. Polycarp) for an ecumenical prayer service but I was already an hour late!  By the time I got there the door was locked.  I tried ringing the doorbell (to no avail) and ended up taking an uber back to my apartment to get some well needed rest.  My public transportation plan let me down but, that’s the way the tires roll sometimes.  Enjoy these fabulous pics from Ephesus and Mary’s house.