Anatolia is a significant area for Christians and is considered holy and sacred for many reasons which include: St. Paul, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ, devoted himself to the dissemination and expansion of Christianity, was born in Tarsus. The Seven Churches mentioned in Revelations and are located in Anatolia; Ephesus (Efes), Smyrna (Izmir), Pergamum (Bergama), Thyatria (Akhisar), Sardis (Sart), Philadelphia (Alasehir), Laodicea (Denizli). Saint John lived and died in Ephesus. His grave and the church is in Selçuk, Izmir, nearby Ephesus.