After a final breakfast in Çıralı, we piled the bags and everyone back into the car and drove four hours north to the ruins of Laodicea, one of the seven churches of Revelation. (Rev 3:14–22.)

This was David’s and my second time at Laodicea; we first visited last October. It was exciting to see how much excavation had been completed in just eight months. And there’s so much more to be done! Rocks and columns peek out of the untouched fields surrounding the site.

Entrance cost 10 TL or was free with the Müzekart. Laodicea is a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site.

This was the Christian church in Laodicea. The archaeologists were working while we were there:

The Temple of Athena:

Laodicea was the lukewarm church. They did not have a water source, so they piped in water from two nearby cities. One source was hot and the other cold. By the time the water arrived in their city, it was lukewarm and smelly with minerals. The ancient pipes are around the site. You can even hear the hollow underneath the stones of the main street.

Dad is checking out Pamukkale in the distance here. (It’s that white spot.) We visited the limestone hill shortly after we finished at Laodicea:

The weather was anything but lukewarm. The sun can be brutal in the summer! While the boys walked to the newly excavated stadium, I sought shade and a Magnum ice cream bar in the small shop.

The family loved exploring this Biblical site! Next up… Pamukkale!