Hot springs of Colossae

After our time at Pamukkale, we went to Hotel Colossae. 

The floor plan of this hotel was absolutely confusing.  See all those red buildings on the right?  Those were where the rooms were.  There was no rhyme or reason on how to navigate getting to your room.  I got lost almost every time I went to my room.  The hallways went up and down and every which way!

But our room had a very nice view and I loved the birds singing outside!

As soon as we got to our room, Al went to bed.

He was so sick.

In American hotels, you will find a Bible in the

 drawer of the lightstand by your bed.

  In Turkey you find this, a different sort of book.

 There was time before dinner to go to the hot baths.

My next door neighbors went with me.

Linda and Deanna

Everyone had to wear swimming caps in these hot thermal baths.

We were told the water coming out of this water fall would be burning hot.

"How hot is it, Mike?" 

Luckily for him it wasn't scalding hot.

An exception to the cap rule is if you don't have any hair.

 There was another hot bath outside.

We stayed until bees began to swarm around us.  They were attracted to the slide area and one by one were getting closer and closer to us!  I got out of there pretty fast!

It was soon dinner time.  Al skipped dinner.  We saw this guy making these donut type sweets similar to biegnets and of course we decided we had to have these after the Turkish quisine served for supper!

When I got back to my room, Al was still fast asleep.

Sent a note to friends to pray for him.

Laodicea

The wealthy city of Laodicea was located on the road to Colosse.  The book of Colossians was written not only to Colossians but also to the Laodiceans.   About 35 years before Paul wrote to them, much of the city was destroyed by an earthquake, but it had the wealth and ability to rebuild.

Typical Roman road with large stones, pillars and shops

 No word of commendation was given to the Laodicean church.  They were lukewarm.  But they were not aware of their spiritual poverty.

 Market place

 Temple to Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite & Imperial cult.

 

A medical school was located at the temple which offered a special salve to heal common eye troubles.  They didn't need this kind of medicine; they needed spiritual sight.

 Theatre.

Pipe that carried water from the mountains.

House church under excavation 

 "Do not grow weary in doing good"  Galatians 6:9

 "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.  May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patiencewith joy,  giving thanks to the Father..."  Col. 1:10-12 

Hierapolis

The ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white "castle".
It wasn't far from the hot springs of Pamukale.  Some of our group decided to hike up the hill; others of us took a shuttle to the ruins.

In the first century it was part of the tri-city area of Laodicea, Colossae, and Hierapolis.  This connection between the cities lies behind Paul’s reference to Hierapolis and Laodicea in his epistle to the Colossians (Col 4:13).  

The people from the nearby town of Laodicea would come to this area and use the temple of Apollo, at the center of Hierapolis.

Hierapolis became a healing centre where doctors used the thermal springs as a treatment for their patients. 

Through Paul's influence, a church was founded here while he was at Ephesus.

 The tomb of Phillip -

"The apostle Philip spent the last years of his life here.  The town's Martyrium was alleged to have been built upon the spot where he was crucified in AD 80. His daughters were also said to have acted as prophetesses in the region."

A Byzantine church was built over the site where Phillip is said to have been martyred.

 An overhead picture shows the octagonal room.

 Christian symbols on the arches.

Cemetery - many wealthy of the city buried here.

The menorah shows that many Jewish people had assimilated into the wealthy establishment.
The Jewish population in the area was possibly as high as 52,000 in 62AD!

"In 133 BC, when Attalus III died, he bequeathed his kingdom to Rome. Hierapolis thus became part of the Roman province of Asia. In AD 17, during the rule of the emperor Tiberius, a major earthquake destroyed the city."