Turkey is where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers begin and was a key crossroad in the ancient world.  The land that is now Turkey was at the heart of human civilization, trade, and consequently, biblical history.  So many of the familiar stories in the Old Testament took place in what is now Turkey, and the major portion of the New Testament was either written on Turkish soil or to believers living in Turkey, not the country of Greece as we know of today.  

Turkey is an enthralling land with color and diversity.  The Hittites, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans, along with lesser known cultures, invaded, conquered, flourished and left the ruins of their once mighty empires for us to behold with curiosity and awe.  A cradle of civilization, the traces of mankind’s religious journey throughout history are evident in the pagan temples, Christian basilicas, and Muslim mosques that are scattered everywhere throughout the cities and countryside.

The ancient philosopher Aristotle lived and taught there during the 3rd century BC and the Apostle Paul walked to Assos from Troas (Troy) on his third missionary journey (Acts 20:13, 14). 

In the Old Testament, the city of Haran, where Abraham and his family lived for a time after leaving Ur, was located in the area now known as Turkey, as was Mt. Ararat, the place where Noah’s ark landed.  The Hittite civilization, mentioned often in the Old Testament, was a dominant force in this land around 2000 BC.  

But what was most surprising to me was the revelation that much of the New Testament apostles, assemblies, and activities were located in the present country of Turkey. Many, if not most, of the early assemblies were located on Turkish soil.  Antioch, now called Antakya, is located in southeastern Turkey and is known as the “Cradle of Christianity.”  Once part of the Roman province of Syria, Antioch is said to have been the second most important city to the early assembly, the first being Jerusalem and was the place to which many fled in the persecution that followed the stoning of Stephen.  For a year Barnabas and Paul taught great numbers of people at Antioch, and it was there that the disciples were first called “Christians” (Acts 11:26). 

The Apostle Paul was born in Tarsus, a city in southern Turkey, and Timothy was from Lystra, not far from Tarsus.  Most of Paul’s ministry took place in Turkey, as well.  Almost his entire first missionary journey was in Turkey (Perge, Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe and Attalia) as were most of his second and third journeys.  Paul wrote his epistles to the Galatians, Ephesians and Colossians, all assemblies in Turkey.  He preached at Perge, Troas, Assos, Ephesus and many other cities there.  The Apostle Peter wrote his first epistle to believers scattered throughout the Turkish provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bythinia.

As New Testament faith began to spread through the teachings of Paul, John, Peter and the other apostles, the Roman emperor, Nero, persecuted the newly converted believers unmercifully.  To escape torture and death, many fled to the provinces in central Turkey.  Capadoccia is one such place where at least one hundred underground cities, built by the early believers for protection, may be visited today.  In addition to the cities, many ornate cathedrals, complete with elaborate biblical scenes painted on ceilings and walls, can be found in caves nearby.

The Byzantine age began in 330 AD under the leadership of Constantine.  He established his capital at Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople (modern Istanbul).  It was the newly converted Constantine who brought Christianity to his new empire.  The Hagia Sophia, the most magnificent of all the Byzantine churches and considered to be the eighth wonder of the world, is situated in Istanbul. Built in 532 AD as a Christian church, it was converted to a Muslim mosque in 1453, and declared a museum in 1934.  It stands as a testament to the power and architectural genius of the Byzantine period.

Today the population of Turkey is 98% Muslim.  The Ottoman Turks conquered the decaying Byzantine Empire in 1453, replacing Christianity with Islam.  The Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and longest lasting empires in history.  Inspired and sustained by Islam and Islamic institutions, it spread from the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, North Africa, the Balkans, and into Spain.  The Ottoman sultans ruled Turkey for more than 500 years until defeated by the British in WWI.  The new constitution of 1923, created by the much-revered leader, Ataturk, brought about the secularization and modernization of Turkey.