Few figures in Christian history shaped the faith as profoundly as the Apostle Paul. Born in Tarsus (in southern Turkey), Paul carried the message of Christ across the Roman world. Much of his ministry took place in what is now modern-day Turkey, where he preached, taught, suffered persecution, and built the earliest Christian communities.
Paul’s story begins in Tarsus, a center of learning and culture in ancient Cilicia. After his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul joined Barnabas in Antioch (Antakya)—the city where believers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26). From Antioch, the two were commissioned by the Holy Spirit to spread the Gospel beyond Judea.
Antioch became the launching point for Paul’s missionary journeys, and one of the most important early centers of the Christian faith.
Paul and Barnabas set out from Antioch, traveling through Seleucia, Cyprus, and into Perga in Pamphylia (modern Antalya region). From there, they moved inland to Pisidian Antioch (Yalvaç), Iconium (Konya), Lystra, and Derbe—preaching in synagogues, performing miracles, and facing fierce opposition.
These cities in central Turkey became the earliest Gentile Christian communities, marking a turning point in the universal mission of the Church.
Paul’s later journeys took him back across Asia Minor, strengthening the new churches and writing letters that form a major part of the New Testament.
He stayed for years in Ephesus, one of the great cities of the ancient world, where he taught daily and wrote epistles that shaped Christian theology. The Theater of Ephesus still stands as a silent witness to Paul’s ministry—where he faced a riot stirred by local craftsmen threatened by his message (Acts 19).
Paul also visited Troas, where he received a vision calling him to bring the Gospel to Europe, and Miletus, where he gave a moving farewell to the elders of Ephesus.
Paul’s later travels took him to Caesarea and eventually Rome, but his greatest missionary impact remained in Asia Minor. Nearly every region of modern Turkey bears traces of his footsteps, from Tarsus in the southeast to Ephesus on the Aegean coast.
His courage, endurance, and unwavering faith turned these ancient roads into the pathways of the Gospel—forever changing the spiritual landscape of the world.
Our St. Paul Journeys Tour invites you to experience the land that shaped the Apostle’s mission. Visit the cities where he preached, prayed, and suffered for the faith—and discover how his message of grace still echoes across the valleys and ruins of Asia Minor.