A Message from Prof. Dr. Francesco D’Andria

Martyrion of Saint Philip

I am proud to inform you that, during the campaign of this year, we have completed the restoration of the stairway that leads to the Martyrion of Saint Philip. One of the most important aims of the Italian Mission is to complete the processional route that runs from the Byzantine Gate of the City to the Octagonal Martyrion of Saint Philip. This itinerary must be restored for the historical and environmental quality of the context, and because of the spiritual significance for the Christian Pilgrims who come to visit this sacred place. To complete the itinerary we have to build a new bridge between the Saint Philip Gate and the stairway. This bridge project is ready to begin, but we need to find the financial means to realize it. Actually it is not an expensive project, as usually projects of restoration of ancient classical monuments are. So we need $100,000. I invite your help in a fund-raising initiative that would involve American and other organizations interested in the enhancement of ancient places of Christian significance in Turkey.

If you can help, or if you know any individual or institution that could assist in completing this important project, please contact Professor D’Andria.

A Message from Prof. Dr. Francesco D’Andria,
Director of theHierapolis Excavations

The source of this article is quoted as the Seven Churches Network

Mark Wilson

Dr. Mark Wilson is the founder and director of the Asia Minor Research Center in Antalya, Turkey, a country in which he and his wife Dindy have lived since 2004. He received a D.Litt. et Phil. from the University of South Africa (Pretoria) where he serves as a Research Fellow in Biblical Archaeology. He is also Associate Professor Extraordinary of New Testament at Stellenbosch University. Mark regularly leads study trips to Turkey, Greece, Malta, and Italy. He also blogs periodically for Bible History Daily. He is the author and editor of numerous books, articles, and reviews including Biblical Turkey: A Guide to the Jewish and Christian Sites of Asia Minor. Mark is a member of numerous academic societies including the Society for New Testament Studies, Society of Biblical Literature, and ASOR. His research interests include ancient Jewish communities, Roman roads, and Biblical routes in the eastern Mediterranean. Mark often travels with Dindy to archaeological sites; they have four adult children, four grandsons, and four granddaughters.

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