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DAY 1
ISTANBUL
Arrive in
Istanbul, and transfer to your hotel. After a short tour briefing, the
rest of the day is free to rest, relax or walk around to explore the
city. Welcome dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [
D ]
DAY 2 ISTANBUL
We spend the
full day visiting the sights of Old Istanbul. We will begin at the
ancient Hippodrome which was the center of the civil activities
back in the Hellenistic and Roman times. At the Hippodrome the chariot
and horse races and athletic runs took place for the entertainment of
the people of Constantinople. We walk to the nearby Ibrahim
Pasha Palace which houses the Museum of
Turkish and Islamic Art where we will see an
impressive exhibit from the various periods of Turkish and Islamic art,
ranging in date from the 7th C. to the 19th. Then we proceed to the
Blue Mosque, famous for its blue tiles covering its interior
walls and also for its six minarets which is a unique feature of this
mosque. Nearby is Hagia Sophia Museum, the former
Cathedral of Constantinople, considered as the masterpiece of the early
Byzantine architecture. Hagia Sophia is renowned for its superb mosaic
decoration as well as its architectural style. Back in Byzantine Empire,
most emperors were crowned in this cathedral after a special ceremony.
After lunch we will visit the Topkapi Palace, residence
and administrative center of the Ottoman Sultans. In the grounds of the
Topkapi Palace are many courtyards surrounded by old buildings each
housing small museums with exhibits of jewelry, costumes, calligraphy
and various objects that belonged to the Imperial treasury of the
Ottoman Sultans. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( ISTANBUL ).
[ B L D ]
DAY 3 VAN
Morning
flight to Van. Van is located about 3 miles east of the lake
shore, however Van has its origin in Tushpa, the capital of the ancient
kingdom of Urartu, Tushpa had its citadel on a rocky outcrop on the edge
of lake. The lake Van is the largest in Turkey and navigable with its
depth in some parts reaching 330 feet. In the morning, we will begin our
tour with the Van Museum, which houses in the ethnographic
section, a nice collection of local crafts, rugs and kilims, in a
separate archaeological section, findings, statues and bronze objects
from the Urartian sites in the area. After a short drive along the lake
we will take the boat to the tiny island of Akdamar that
has on its hillside, an old 10th C. Armenian Church of the Holy Cross,
built by the rulers of the Armenian kingdom of Vaspurakan. The church is
renowned for its superb sculptures and carvings on its exterior walls
depicting scenes from the Old Testament. In the afternoon, we will take
an excursion to Cavustepe, a Urartian fortified city built on a
narrow ridge overlooking the surrounding plain below, the city was built
in the 8th C. BC. We will afterwards continue to the castle of Hosap
which sits alone in the midst of desolate hills above a stream of the
same name. The castle was probably built by several local chieftains in
the 17th C, and one of the most picturesque sites in Turkey. Returning
to Van, we will have time for walking in the local bazaar to look
for local crafts. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( VAN ). [ B
L D ]
DAY 4 VAN
Excursion to
Mt. Ararat. Today, we will head north along the Iranian border to
Ishak Pasha Palace, in the town of Dogubeyazit near the foot of
Mount Ararat, which was built in the 18th and 19th C., by Ishak Pasha
who was the local ruler in this area in Ottoman period. The palace is a
large complex built on a rocky outcrop with a nice view of the
surrounding area, and when it was built had probably more than 300 rooms
and halls. After the palace, we will stop to photograph the great
mount of Ararat one of the main themes in the Old Testament and
today it is the highest mountain in Turkey. Dinner and overnight at your
Hotel ( VAN ). [ B L D ].
DAY 5 VAN
Sightseeing
of Van. Boat trip to
Akdamar island in the Lake Van where a 10 C. Armenian
Church with rich ornate carvings on its walls occupies the hillside.
There is a nice view of the surrounding area from the top the Island.
Bus excursion to a traditional village, to meet local people and
families. Return for lunch at lakeside restaurant with folk dance
performance. In the afternoon, visit Urartian hilltop fortress at
Cavustepe
which was built in the 9th C. BC. As a last stop before the hotel, we
will visit the spectacular hill-top fortress of Tushpa
overlooking the lake Van, Tushpa was the capital of the ancient Urartian
kingdom and it is today covered by modern city Van. Dinner and overnight
at your hotel ( VAN ). [ B L D ]
DAY 6 URFA
Drive on a
scenic road through the mountains to Urfa. We will stop at the
Malabadi Koprusu, a beautiful stone bridge with its enormous single
arch on the Tigris river, built by the Artukids in 12th C. We will drive
on with photo stops to photograph villages, shepherds and people on our
way. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( URFA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 7 URFA
Modern
Urfa (officially Sanliurfa) was ancient native Orhai before Seleucus
the successor of Alexander the great changed its name to Edessa after a
city in Macedonia. Urfa is full of surprises, with its Arabic culture,
colorful people, old historical buildings and mosques, bazaars. Today,
we will begin at the citadel of the town where a crusader
fortress stands with two tall columns known to locals as the throne of
Nimrod. From top of the citadel, we will have a nice panorama of the
city which looks interesting with its boxy houses built of sun-dried
bricks in light beige color. Returning from the citadel, we will take a
walk in the beautiful flower-filled gardens along the Pools of
Abraham with their maze of canals full of thousands of carp fish
which are held sacred and fed by the local people. We will walk to the
Cave of Abraham where, according to local legend, the prophet Abraham
was born here. We will walk in the colorful bazaar of Urfa
located in the old city, where vendors sell almost anything you can
imagine. Particularly Gumruk Han which is a 16th C. Ottoman
caravanserai is an interesting place as a social gathering place for
local men who sit on low wooden chairs in a shady courtyard, chatting
and enjoying their tea. The rest of the day is at leisure. Those who
want to spend more time in the bazaar, they will do so as our hotel is
within the walking distance from the bazaar area. Dinner and
overnight at your Hotel ( URFA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 8 ADIYAMAN
Drive to
Adiyaman. Early morning departure for Mount Nemrut where we will
see colossal statue heads of the Gods and Antiochus around the king
Antiochus' burial mound. We will leave our bus in the town, and take
minivans up the mountain. It is astonishing to see a monumental burial
mound built 2,000 years ago, on the summit of a mountain with an
elevation of 6,000 feet. Antiochus was the king of Commagene kingdom in
this area from 69 to 34 BC. And before his death he ordered this
colossal burial mound which was built by the workers who carried up the
hill tons of apple-sized rocks and piled them over the his grave. The
king's tomb, as yet undiscovered, may lie somewhere beneath this pile.
The mound has two huge terraces (east and west) connected by footpaths
each holding the seated stone gods whose heads had fallen to the ground.
Also, the statue heads of colossal size scatter around the terraces. On
the way back from the mountain, we will stop at the Cendere Bridge,
over the river by the same name, one of the tributaries of Euphrates,
was built by the Roman legionaries and dedicated to the emperor
Septimius Severus. This almost original bridge is one of the best
examples of the Roman engineering. Drive to Urfa with photo stops on a
road along the Euphrates. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( URFA ). [
B L D ] Dinner and overnight at Hotel ( ADIYAMAN ). [ B L D ]
DAY 9
CAPPADOCIA
Drive on a
scenic road through the mountains to Cappadocia. Dinner and overnight at
your hotel ( CAPPADOCIA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 10 CAPPADOCIA
Morning
departure for the sightseeing of CAPPADOCIA. We will spend the full day
walking and driving around this fascinating volcanic area with
incredible formations, a superb work by the mother nature. We will begin
at the Pigeons' valley where there is a nice panoramic
view of the area, stopping at the Uchisar rock castle which was built
hollowed out of the rock, and used for defense purposes at the times of
danger. Next, we will visit the Goreme Open Air Museum, a large
open courtyard surrounded by rock churches decorated with frescoes and
murals. Cappadocia became at an early time monastic center built by St.
Basil who was the bishop of ancient Caesarea (modern Kayseri). We will
make a stop at the Pasabagi valley with fairy chimneys which are
conical formations eroded by the natural elements over the centuries.
Visit local craftspeople (Rug weavers, doll makers, pottery workshops).
We will visit Avanos, a town famous for its pottery, built on the
banks of the Red River of Turkey which flows through the town and brings
down red clay from the surrounding mountains for the potters who
transform it, on kick-wheels, to beautiful pots, vases, cups, plates.
Overnight at your Hotel ( CAPPADOCIA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 11 CAPPADOCIA
Visit the
Underground City at Ozkonak built by early Christians as a refuge
place to live in when the surrounding area was exposed to attacks by
Arabs. Drive on to Guzelyurt village ( ancient Calveri ), to
wander photograph and to see active village life. We will also see an
early church built for Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, now
serves as the main mosque of the village. We will take a walk around
Ihlara valley to examine the churches built into the cliffs. Dinner
and overnight at your hotel ( CAPPADOCIA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 12 KONYA
Drive to
Konya. Enroute visit Sultanhani a large Caravanserai which was an
ancient inn built in Selcuk Period in the 13th C. Dinner and overnight
at your hotel ( KONYA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 13 KONYA
Drive to
Konya. We will stop at Sultanhani to visit a Caravanserai of Sultanhan,
the largest and well preserved Seljuk monument built in the 13th C.
Sightseeing of Konya famous for its monastery of "Whirling Dervishes"
and early Selcuk-Islamic architecture. Visit Mevlana Museum which
is the memorial of Mevlana the famous Turkish philosopher and the
founder of the Whirling Dervish Sect. Proceed to Karatay Medrese,
the Islamic theological college from Turkish-Selcuk period (13th cent.),
now it houses a nice tile collection. Nearby is Ince Minare Medrese
another religious school from 13th C. and now is a museum of stone
works. We will have enough time to visit the bazaars of Konya where
vendors sell various hand-crafted items. Dinner and overnight at your
hotel ( KONYA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 14
PAMUKKALE
This
morning, we drive to Pamukkale. Early afternoon arrival at our hotel,
and have time to use natural geothermal pools. We will tour the
calcified pools of Pamukkale and the ancient ruins of
Hierapolis. Most of the cliffs formed by the geothermal waters are
as white as the cotton that gives Pamukkale its name, which in Turkish
means "Cotton Castle". The ancient city Hierapolis whose ruins are
scattered a above the calcium pools, is another well preserved site in
Turkey. It has been a popular spa center since the Hellenistic and Roman
ages. The view from the ancient theater towards the valley is
spectacular. According to tradition, St. Philip, one of the twelve
apostles was martyred here at this city, and a monumental martyrdom
built for him is there. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel (
PAMUKKALE ). [ B L D ]
DAY 15
KUSADASI
Today we
will journey to the Aegean coast of Turkey. Enroute, visit the ancient
city of Aphrodisias perfectly preserved Carian and Roman city.
Aphrodisias is a rare city built of entire marble, because the marble
quarries are so rich in this area. Aphrodisias had also produced the
finest sculpture in ancient times, because of the high quality marble
that was quarried from the surrounding mountains. The excavation of the
site was conducted by the archaeologist Kenan Erim who was a Turkish
professor from New York University and sponsored by the National
Geographic Society. The rest of the day, we drive through fig and olive
orchards to our hotel on the Aegean cost. Dinner and overnight at your
Hotel ( KUSADASI ).[ B L D ]
DAY 16
KUSADASI
Full day
sightseeing of well preserved sites of Ephesus. We begin with Ephesus,
the great city and metropolitan center of the Antiquity, whose extensive
ruins are among the best preserved in the world. As we walk down the
main street of Ephesus, we will visualize its ancient life and
buildings. Then we drive up to the Virgin Mary's House
claimed to be the true place where Mother Mary spent her last years
before she had died in this area. This is one the most important
pilgrimage shrines in the world. Up on the hill above the town Selcuk,
we will visit the Basilica of St. John built for the
apostle author of the book of revelations. Looking at the size of this
church, we can easily say that it was one the largest churches in its
time. Returning to the town Selcuk, we will visit the local Ephesus
Museum with a nice exhibit of the objects such as statues,
sarcophagi, busts, inscriptions, found during the excavations at
Ephesus. If time permits we will drive up to Sirince a
traditional village situated on a hill top. The village people still
produce embroidery and lace work and also a good place to taste some
local Turkish wine. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( KUSADASI
). [ B L D ]
DAY 17
AYVALIK
Drive to
Ayvalik. Enroute visit Pergamum, the capital of Pergamum Kingdom
and a great Hellenistic city with superb setting on the top of the
mountain that rises above the surrounding plain. We will walk around the
well preserved ruins of Pergamum. The view from top of the Acropolis
toward the Aegean sea is spectacular. We will stop at Asclepieum,
the famous ancient medical center where Galen, the famous physician of
the ancient world, practiced medicine. We will have some time in the
local bazaar of Bergama. Dinner and overnight at your hotel (
CANAKKALE ). [ B L D ]
DAY 18
BURSA
Drive to
Bursa. Enroute we will visit old villages practicing traditional crafts.
There will be chance to see how local people live in their homes and
villages. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( BURSA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 19
BURSA
City tour of
Bursa. Bursa is the city famous for its fine quality silk that had been
produced in this area since the Byzantine times. Bursa also represents
the early phase of the Ottoman architecture, as this city served as the
first capital for the Ottoman Sultans. Our visits in Bursa will include
the Green complex which was built by the Sultan Murat, Green
Mosque, Green Tomb and Green Medrese all
make up this large complex beautifully set today in a pedestrian area
closed to car traffic. The name Green for this complex of buildings
comes from the superb early Iznik tiles in green color. Then, we stroll
through the Covered Bazaar and Silk Market
where vendors sell various products from jewelry to textiles and also
many traditional folk arts and local crafts. Then we wander the winding
streets to see interesting old Ottoman Turkish architecture. Dinner and
overnight at your Hotel ( BURSA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 20
ISTANBUL
This
morning, after a short drive, we will take the ferry across the Sea of
Marmara and drive back to Istanbul. Visit Sadberk Hanim Museum
with a nice private collection of ethnographic and ancient items. After
the museum visit, cruise on the Bosphorus with private boat. You
will enjoy the water-front wooden houses built in Ottoman style. Dinner
and overnight at your hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [ B L ]
DAY 21 ISTANBUL
We will take
a short drive to the Spice bazaar, and have free time for
shopping in the Spice Market where you will find hundreds of spices and
herbs. Spice market was built by the Ottomans in the 16th C., and has
been used as the main market of spices and herbs since then. We head for
the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, where will have time for
shopping. In the grand bazaar which is an old ottoman bedesten built in
the 15th. C., and said to have about 3,500 shops under its roof, you
will find almost anything from souvenirs to jewelry, from textiles to
Turkish ethnographic items. Rest of the afternoon is at leisure, you may
want to stay in the grand bazaar or stroll through the streets. Special
farewell dinner with Turkish specialties. Overnight at your hotel (
ISTANBUL ). [ B L ]
DAY 22
TRANSFER TO AIRPORT
Check-out
and transfer to the airport for your morning flight back home. End of
Services. [ B ]
[ B ] :
Breakfast
[ L ] :
Lunch
[ D
] : Dinner |
