Travel to Timeless Cities Tour 2009
In the month of October 2009, Affinity hosted it's very first 'Travel to Timeless Cities' study tour to Turkey.
The itinerary included seeing some cities with ancient traditions tracing back to the Hittites, Romans, Byzantium, Seljuks & the Ottoman periods. Each civilisation has left their mark on the grounds it has walked upon. This is apparent when you travel to such cities as Kayseri, Cappadocia, Nigde, Gaziantep, Urfa, Mardin & Diyarbakir in the Anatolia regions & finishing up in Istanbul.
The group consisted of 7 people including:
. Rev Glenda Blakefield - Associate General Secretary of the Uniting Church National Assembly
. Rev Ian Pearson - Minister of Pitt St Uniting Church 
. Helen Pearson - High School teacher at Ravenswood Girls High School
. Wilma Viswanathan - Uniting Church Interfaith Representative
. Kim Davis - Director Office for the Participation of Women for the Catholic Church
. Makiz Ansari - Affinity Director
. Ahmet Keskin - Affinity Secretary
The trip was enjoyed by all as it gave everyone an opportunity to take in history, not only Christian & Islamic history but also scenery pre-dating Christianity ranging back to the Hittites.
Some highlights worth mentioning are:
Urfa: We were fortunate enough to see some important places where common Islamic/Biblical figures are mentioned such as the place where Prophet Abraham was catapulted into the fire as narrated in the Quran. We also visited his birthplace of Harran (30km from Urfa) which was used as a school during the Ottoman period. Close by was also the tomb and station of Job & Elias. We also saw the original burial place of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi.
Cappadocia: Meaning a place of 'wild horses'. A place of Christian settlement during the 11th century.They had lived in those caves for a few hundred years.
Mardin: We visited ancient monasteries. This city is a model where Muslims and Christians are living side by side in harmony.
Antep: A great example of how education is combating poverty and providing hope for the region. We also visited a University which was opened for education within a 1yr. There's a huge demand for Universities in this city as it has the highest influx of immigration in the region.
Diyarbakir: An ancient city that has been a melting pot of many civilisations, cultures and ethos has brought out a genuine yet very warm hospitality. The city has a lot to offer with great scenery and great company.
Istanbul: Breathtaking, spectacular....words can't describe this city!
Overall, this tour was overwhelmed with hospitality, generosity and warmth. The tour was breathtaking as there was a lot packed in to the few days we were in Turkey.
There are some reflections from Wilma and Kim below.
Wilma's reflections http://assembly.uca.org.au/rof/news/98-turkeytour
Kim's reflections http://www.opw.catholic.org.au/index.php
