Most of St. Paul's early life and mission lay in what is now Turkey. He was born at Tarsus. Antioch on the Orontes (Antakya) sent him out with Barnabas, and his first journey ran through Perge, Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium (Konya), Lystra and Derbe. On later journeys he passed through Troas, stayed more than two years at Ephesus, and said farewell to the Ephesian elders at Miletus. Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage site on the Aegean coast, is the place most pilgrims actually visit.
Turkey's Catholic community is very small, and its Pauline sites are ruins, museums or towns with little Christian presence, so a Catholic group has to plan for Mass well in advance. Tarsus offers a well and courtyard that some believe mark Paul's home, a local tradition. Antioch was devastated by the 2023 earthquake; Mass for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul was celebrated in its cave church of St. Peter in 2024.
Western Turkey programmes usually add the seven churches of Revelation and the shrine of Meryem Ana near Ephesus, which are not part of Paul's story. Ephesus also pairs naturally with a journey through Paul's Greek cities across the Aegean.
Related questions, answered
Can you visit Tarsus and Antioch?
They are in south-eastern Turkey. When this answer was last checked, on 8 October 2026, the U.S. Department of State placed the provinces containing both at a higher advisory level than the rest of the country, and Antioch was still rebuilding after the 2023 earthquake. Read the current advisory before planning either.
Source: U.S. Department of State: Turkey (Türkiye) travel advisory
How long did St. Paul stay in Ephesus?
Benedict XVI, summarising Acts, speaks of a stay of two years on the third missionary journey; Acts 20 has Paul himself speak of three years with the Ephesian church. It was the longest settled mission the New Testament records for him.
