MAYMESTER STUDY PROGRAM IN GREECE
(3 weeks / 21 days)
DAY 1 – MONDAY : ATHENS ARRIVAL
Arrive at Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”. We meet, welcome and assist you by our representative and transfer you to the hotel for check in. Rest of the day free to settle down. Dinner and overnight rest.
DAY 2 – TUESDAY : ATHENS
Morning classes (3 hours).
At 3:00 p.m. we enjoy our sightseeing tour of Athens (Acts 17:15). We climb up to the marble-capped Acropolis and visit the famous Parthenon and the Erechteum.
We go to nearby Mars’ Hill (or Areopagus) (Acts 17:22) where the Apostle Paul delivered his well-known sermon. Two hours’ lecture on site.
Our tour continues with the highlights of modern Athens: we pass the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Parliament House, Presidential Palace, Panathenian Stadium, Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Academy, the university and the National Library. Return to the Hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 3 – WEDNESDAY : ANCIENT CORINTH – MYCENAE – EPIDAURUS
At 8 in the morning we drive along the coastal road of the Saronic Gulf to ancient Corinth, passing by the Corinthian Canal, a four miles narrow cut of land, connecting the waters of the Saronic with the Corinthian Gulfs. It was Corinth where Apostle Paul lived and preached for a year and a half, and to this church he wrote two of his New Testament letters. We see all of the Greek and Roman sites associated with his ministry: the Agora, the temple of Apollo, the Roman Odeon, the Bema, and Gallio’s Seat. The small Museum here is an eye opener! Then we proceed to Mycenae to visit the remains of the prehistoric citadel fortified with the Cyclopean Walls, the Lionesses Gate, the remains of the Mycenaean Palace and the tomb of King Agamemnon in which we will actually enter. After lunch, through Argos on to Nafplion, the first capital of modern Greece, we stop to take pictures. Then we continue on to visit Epidaurus: the Sanctuary of Asclepeios, ancient god of healing. We see the best-preserved ancient theater in all of Greece, famous for the harmony of its design and the perfection of its remarkable acoustics, easily accommodating 12,000 people. Return to the Hotel in Athens for dinner and overnight.
DAY 4 – THURSDAY : ATHENS
Classes (6 hours of class meeting).
DAY 5 – FRIDAY : ATHENS
Morning classes (4 hours of class meeting).
At 3:00 p.m. we visit to the National Archaeological Museum, which displays finds from all parts of the ancient Greek world that date from Neolithic times to the last years of the Roman Empire. Return to the Hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 6 – SATURDAY : ATHENS – DELPHI - KALAMBAKA
At 8:00 a.m. we depart from Athens by bus, driving us through the fertile plain of Boeotia, crossing the towns of Thebes connected with the tragedy of king Oedipus: next are the towns of Livadia and Arachova, famous for their colorful woolen rugs and carpets. Arrive at Delphi, the center of the Ancient world, the omphalos”(navel) of the earth – whose prestige extended far beyond the boundaries of the Hellenic world. On the slopes of Mt. Parnassos, in a landscape of unparalleled natural beauty and majesty, lies the archaeological site of Delphi. We visit the Sanctuary of Apollo, the treasury of the Athenians and the Archaeological Museum containing such masterpieces of ancient Greek sculpture as the bronze Charioteer and the famous athlete Aghias. We drive through Amphissa, Lamia, and Trikala, for an early evening arrival in Kalambaka. Dinner and overnight at Hotel.
DAY 7 – SUNDAY : KALAMBAKA – BEREA – THESSALONIKI
In the morning we enjoy a spectacular drive up to visit Meteora. Colossal symmetrical gray and reddish boulders, as though pushed upwards from the bowels of mother earth by an invisible hand, sustain breathtaking beautiful monasteries perched precariously high above the ground. First built in the 14th century by monks seeking isolation and salvation, accessible only by ropes thrown from above. We will climb through steps built since. They are veritable Byzantine museums exhibiting superb icons, old manuscripts and unique mosaics and frescoes.
Then we drive to Berea where the Apostle Paul arrived, and according to his custom went to the synagogue where, to his pleasant surprise, he discovered that these Jews were “more noble” than those he had encountered in Thessalonica. We see the Byzantine mosaic in the monument commemorating his preaching. According to the local tradition, it was at this place where he stood and delivered his sermons (Acts 17:10-11). Check in at Hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 8 – MONDAY : PHILIPPI – KAVALA - THESSALONIKI
In the morning on our way to Philippi, we drive by the Lion statue of Amphipolis (short stop for photos). From ancient Amphipolis we can see the ruins of the Agora, a Macedonian Tomb and the Water Cistern. Afterwards we continue to Phillipi, the site where the apostle Paul came and worked, establishing a strong church. To this Congregation, later he sent his Philippian letter. Of all the churches Paul founded, probably none was so near and dear to him as the church at Philippi. We see the river where Lydia is thought to have been baptized, the ruins of a Prison where Paul and Sylas had been kept, the Agora, 5th and 6th century Basilica and the Theater.
Philippi was built by Philip II of Macedonia on the Via Egnatia, the Roman road which ran from Rome to Byzantium. After the visit, we continue to Kavala, the ancient port of Neapolis. Late that afternoon we arrive at Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight at Hotel.
DAY 9 – TUESDAY : THESSALONIKI – VERGINA - THERMOPYLAE - ATHENS
After a satisfying breakfast at the hotel, we tale the road back to Athens.
In Vergina we visit the most important tomb ever discovered–that of Philip II of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great; this tends to conform to the hypothesis that Vergina is the ancient Aigai, the first capital of Macedonia. Here we see the fabulous findings from the tomb of Philip the II, father of Alexander the Great. We pass through Katerini and gaze upon the snow-capped Mount Olympus, the home of the twelve Olympian gods and goddesses. We go through the Valley of Tempe, Larissa and Lamia. We stop at Thermopylae to see the statue of Leonidas. It commemorates the historic battle between the 300 Spartans, led by Leonidas and the Persian army of Xerxes in 480 BC composed of thousands. We arrive in Athens in the evening. Dinner and overnight at Hotel.
DAY 10 – WEDNESDAY : ATHENS
Classes (6 hours).
DAY 11 – THURSDAY : ATHENS - SOUNION
Morning classes (3 hours).
At 3:00 p.m. we have our excursion towards Cape Sounion. Driving along the picturesque coastal road, past the beautiful beaches of Kalamaki, Glyfada, Voula, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza, with its countless coves, with the beautiful blue waters of the Saronic Gulf only feet from us, we continue toward Sounion. A crowning feature of the tour is Cape Sounion, famous for its radiant sunsets and dominated by the Doric white marble Temple of Poseidon which overlooks the blue Aegean Sea. Return to the Hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 12 – FRIDAY : ATHENS – PIRAEUS – MYKONOS
Breakfast at the hotel. At 7:30 in the morning we are transferred to the port of Piraeus where we will embark on our cruise. Embarkation and sail for Mykonos at 11 a.m. In the afternoon (6 p.m.), call at Mykonos. It combines the dazzling white beauty of a typical Cycladic island with a sophisticated international jet-set atmosphere with a very active nightlife. Stroll at leisure through the whitewashed, flower-decked alleyways to the sculpture church of Paraportiani or along the waterfront of «Little Venice» to the well-known windmills-picture taking at its best! Sail to Kusadasi, Turkey at 10:00 p.m. Lunch, dinner and overnight on board.
DAY 13 – SATURDAY : KUSADASI (EPHESUS), TURKEY
At 7 in the morning we disembark at Kusadasi, after breakfast. We enjoy a full-day visit of ancient Ephesus, starting with the Basilica of St. John, the archaeological site and Ephesus Museum. The Apostle Paul preached to the Ephesians, lived and worked here for a number of years. We tour the spectacular ruins. Excavations still continue in this once great and important city, which was founded in the 10th century BC. Walk through history along marble streets lined with wonderful public buildings, among them the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and the Theater. In this city, the marvelous Temple of Diana of the Ephesians was build, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world!
Lunch at a local restaurant, then drive to the healing city of Hierapolis, actually Pamukkale, the white «cotton fortress» where hot mineral water bursts from the earth and cascades over steep cliffs forming pools, channels and stalactites. The therapeutic waters were known to the founders of Hierapolis and of Laodicea in 190 BC. In Hierapolis [Col. 4:13] we visit the Martyrium of the Apostle Philip where he was martyred during the persecutions ordered by Domitian. We sight the Gate of Domitian, the Arcadian Way, the 2nd century AD Theater, the Nymphaion, the Temple of Apollo, the Plutonium and the Necropolis. Check-in, dinner and overnight.
DAY 14 – SUNDAY : PAMUKKALE – LAODICEA – SARDIS - IZMIR
Breakfast at hotel. Check-out. We drive to Laodicea (present name Denizli) is another of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor [Rev. 1:11; 3:14; Col. 2:1; 4:13-16]. We see the ancient theater, the remains of basilica and ancient stone water pipes.
Then we continue our journey to Sardis. One of the most picturesque areas of any of the Seven Churches of Asia [Rev. 1:11; 3:1-4] is the site of Sardis, presently Sart. She was the capital of the ancient Lydian kingdom of the 6th century BC, portrayed as a dying church. We visit the great Temple of Artemis and the Temple of Cybele, which became a Byzantine Church, some ancient Lydian houses, and the restored gymnasium and reconstructed Synagogue. We also see the last several meters of the royal Persian Road from Susa to Sardis built by Cyrus the Great and the «golden» river Pactolos. Lunch at a local restaurant. Drive to Izmir.
Izmir (Smyrna) is the third largest city in Turkey. In the New Testament, it was one of the sites of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor [Rev. 1:11; 2:8]. The city’s history is bathed in wars and blood. A most interesting city indeed! Some of the most important places we will visit and see are: the ancient Agora (market), ascending on to the Mount Pagus, we will see the Citadel of Lysimachos, commander of Alexander the Great, erected in the 4th century BC. Then we tour the city and see, among other things, the Clock Tower. Check-in at the hotel. Dinner and overnight.
DAY 15 – MONDAY : IZMIR – PERGAMON – KUSADASI
Breakfast at hotel. Check-out. We drive to Pergamon. Pergamon, actually called Bergama, is one of the sites of the Seven Churches of Asia [Rev. 1:11; 2:12]. Here we explore the impressive Acropolis, the steepest theater in the world, the Asklepieion, famous medical center of classical times, see the Altar of Zeus which is mentioned as the «Throne of Satan» in the book of Revelation, the marble columns of the Temple of Trajan and the Library which was foremost in the world and was long a rival of the equally famous Library of Alexandria in Egypt. Its wealth of volumes was estimated at over 200,000. It inspired the invention of parchment. We also visit the Red Basilica (St. John’s Church). Lunch in a local restaurant. Drive to Kusadasi. In the Turkish language, this lovely and peaceful little port and fashionable resort, means “Island of Birds”. It is built along the shores of a glittering bay, around a tiny islet covered with pine-trees and flowers. The terraced town is overlooking the most beautiful bay of the Aegean Sea and seems it has been created purely for the delight of the holidaymaker. Check-in, dinner and overnight at hotel.
DAY 16 –TUESDAY : KUSADASI – PATMOS, GREECE
Breakfast at hotel. Check-out. Transfer to the port of Kusadasi to embark on the cruise-ship and sail to Patmos at noon. Lunch on board. At 4:00 p.m. we arrive at this beautiful mysterious rocky island where the exiled Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation. We have an optional tour: we drive up to the Monastery of St. John the Evangelist, where we have a wonderful view of the island. We also visit the Grotto of the Revelation where the heavenly voice of God revealed to St. John the future of humanity (Rev. 1:12-21). After some free time for browsing, return to the ship for an evening sailing to Rhodes at 9:00 p.m.
DAY 17 – WEDNESDAY : RHODES, GREECE
At 7 in the morning we call at Rhodes. This stronghold was built by a Crusading Order, which originated from Palestine, and in older days, it boasted of another achievements of the then known world - The Colossus of Rhodes! Our half-day excursion takes us to visit the Temple of Athena on the majestic rocky Acropolis of Lindos, with the blue Aegean Sea beneath it and the sophisticated, whitewashed artists’ colony at its foot. Local tradition has it that on his way to Rome; Paul’s vessels spent some time here in the small harbor (Acts 21:1). We have the afternoon free in Rhodes for a most delightful experience. Stroll around the medieval walled city; enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere from one of the elegant cafes in the marina. Sail for Heraklion, Crete at 6 p.m. Breakfast, lunch, dinner on board.
DAY 18 – THURSDAY : HERAKLION CRETE, GREECE – SANTORINI, GREECE
At 7 in the morning we call at Heraklion, Crete, (Acts 27:7-13) where our excursion takes us from the lively bustling city to visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos, legendary home of the Minotaur (half bull and half man). Sail for Santorini at 11:30 a.m., where we arrive at 4:30 in the afternoon. Take a mule or the cable car up to the white-washed town of Thera, perched high on the rim of the ancient volcano, the eruption of which (1,600 BC) literally buried a flourishing Bronze Age town which has now been excavated at Akrotiri. Sail for Piraeus at 9 p.m. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight on board.
DAY 19 – FRIDAY : PIRAEUS, GREECE - ATHENS
At 7:00 a.m. arrive at Piraeus. We disembark after breakfast. We are met and we receive assistance by our representative and we are transferred to our Hotel. Final exam in the morning. Rest of the day free. Dinner and overnight at Hotel.
DAY 20 – SATURDAY : ATHENS
Free day. Breakfast, dinner & overnight at Hotel.
