The diocesan pilgrimage “From Cappadocia to Istanbul: traces of Christian faith in Türkiye” began on Monday 10 November 2025. The initiative, led by Archbishop Claudio Maniago, sees a group of priests and faithful engaged in a seven-day itinerary through key places in Turkish history, religion and culture.
The pilgrimage route presents itself as an intense journey through sites of historical and archaeological importance, touching some of the country’s major attractions:
* Istanbul: The great Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
* Ankara: The Mausoleum of Atatürk, founder of modern Türkiye.
* Konya: The mystical sanctuary of Rumi.
* Cappadocia: The underground city of Özkonak, the Göreme Rock Museum and the ancient Christian villages.
* Pamukkale: The famous limestone terraces and the remains of Hierapolis.
* Ephesus: The ancient city, the Basilica of St. John and the supposed House of the Virgin Mary.
The journey officially started from Istanbul with the first stop at the Church of St. Anthony of Padua, a symbol of Latin Christianity on the busy Istiklal Avenue.
During the inaugural celebration, Archbishop Maniago emphasized the profound meaning of the journey to a land that is historically a “crossroads of peoples and faiths”. His reflection, addressed both to the faithful and to the press, underlined the approach that will guide the group: “We enter this land with the gaze of a pilgrim, not a tourist. Those who become pilgrims do not only seek places, but an encounter: with God, with history and with themselves. Let us be guided by what we will see, but even more so by the Word that accompanies us” – declared Monsignor Maniago.
The archbishop concluded by launching an invitation to make this journey an “inner passage: from dispersion to the essential, from noise to the truth of the heart”. The group ended the day with a walk in the historic area of Beyoğlu and Galata, at the foot of the Tower of the same name.