Maps

There are a number of maps of Turkey available. Borders Books and Barnes & Noble sell country maps as well as Tom Brosnahan's Lonely Planet Turkey Travel Atlas. My favorite maps are the Ryborsch set of 7 maps that are the most accurate and detailed. Unfortunately they are difficult to find in Turkey. I found them for sale in bookstores only in Kavaklidere in Ankara. They can be ordered directly from Koreks Ltd. in Ankara: tel 312-230-4004; fax 312-229-9516. The cost was about $40 including shipping to Izmir. The maps can be purchased in the US from Omni_Resources. The cost is about double that in Turkey. Omni's Web page features a number of other maps of Turkey. If anyone knows where I can find a raised relief map of Turkey, I'm looking for one. I’ve contacted Tom and he’s promised to make the corrections in the next edition. The tourism office in Izmir has one on display, but unfortunately the Italian map company no longer makes it.

Guidebooks

Lonely Planet Turkey.. Since my first trip to Turkey in 1993, I have faithfully carried my copy of Lonely Planet around Turkey. I wore out the 4th edition and welcome the newest one that includes all the new telephone numbers around the country. Its practical information on transportation, hotels, meals, and sites is a godsend for the traveler, especially if you are not with a group. Because of the guide’s comprehensiveness, we mention travel information on this SCN Website only when it cannot be found in the Lonely Planet. Unfortunately, the section on “Early Christianity” has several mistakes. Paul never visited either Silifke or Side on his first journey; Seleucia ad Calycadnus is confused for Seleucia Pieria. Paul never visited Ancyra on his third journey, and Ephesus was his initial destination and not simply a stop on his return. The final sentence in the section should be read to every group visiting Turkey: “ ‘Church’ of course meant congregation, so don’t go to these sites looking for the ruins of seven buildings.” 

Rough Guide Turkey. We also recommend the Rough Guide. It has an excellent layout, useful information, and user friendly maps. Lacking in the chapter on “The Historical Framework” at the end of the volume is any extended discussion on the rise of early Christianity in Turkey.

Magazine Articles

Thomas Oden in “Death Watch” (Christianity_Today, January 2003, pp. 44–45) chronicles the plight of the Syriani Christians in southeastern Turkey. Oden calls for western Christians to become interested in these communities, both historically and as living examples of the early Syriac Christian tradition. He suggests that one way to do this is through Christian tourism to the region.