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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
ISTANBUL
Today, we
will be visiting the major Jewish sites and monuments of the city. First
in the morning, we will visit the old Jewish quarter of Balat
area, where we will take a walk to see one of the oldest Synagogues in
Turkey named Ohrida built by the Jewish settlers from the town
Ohri which is in the present day Macedonia. As we walk down the streets,
we will see the stars of David on the old buildings. Our walk will bring
us to more Jewish buildings and Synagogues. On the Golden Horn is a
beautiful house painted in white with fine decorative carvings that
belongs to a Jewish family. Not far away from here is the Balat
Jewish Hospital that had served the Jewish Community of Istanbul. We
proceed to another interesting area of Istanbul which was populated by
the Jewish people, Galata, famous for its Galata Tower
which is an impressive monument that stands out in the Istanbul skyline
as one looks from a distance. We will have a panoramic view of the city
from the top of Galata Tower. Later, in the same street, we will visit
the largest Synagogue in the city, Neve Shalom which is still an
active Synagogue that serves the Jews of Istanbul. We will be able to
see some more Jewish buildings in this area. Next, we will drive out to
the suburbs of the city to see an old Jewish Cemetery that
overlooks the Bosphorus. Driving down from the cemetery, we will get to
a charming town at Ortakoy, built on the banks of Bosphorus and having
in its narrow streets, the cafes, souvenir shops and an active Jewish
Synagogue.
Day 4
BURSA
Drive to
Bursa. This morning, after a short drive over the Bosphorus bridge,
we will take the Ferry across the sea of Marmara. Enroute visit
Nicaea ( modern Iznik ), where Constantine the Great summoned the
first council meeting, known as the Nicean Council, to set the
principles of Christianity. At Nicaea, we will visit the Constantine's
palace on the lake shore where sum 318 Bishops attended the council
meeting in 325. In the town center is the church of St. Sophia (Hagia
Sophia) which still has beautiful mosaic decoration on the floor and
some remains of frescoes on the walls. This is the Church where the
seventh ecumenical council had met upon the invitation by the Byzantine
empress Irene, in the year 787. We will also see the ancient roman
theater, city walls and gates that still stand in almost original as
they had been built. Continue to Bursa 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 5
IZMIR
Drive to
Izmir. 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. Arrive in Izmir, and we will take
a walk in the colorful bazaar of Kemeralti and visit the Beth
Israel Synagogue. We drive to the ancient fortress at Kadifekale
for a panoramic view of the city. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel (
IZMIR ). [ B L D ]
Day 6
IZMIR
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. Return to Izmir for Dinner and overnight at your
Hotel ( IZMIR ). [ B L D ]
Day
7 PAMUKKALE
Drive to
Pamukkale. Depart for the ancient city of Sardis which was the
capital of the Lydian Kingdom under the king Croesus. Here, at Sardis,
the Lydians invented the first money in the world. We will take a walk
around the site to see its ancient monuments such as, the Artemis Temple
in grandeur size, Gymnasium, shops (Solomon's paint shop and others) and
workshops and the ancient Synagogue which is one of the oldest surviving
synagogues in the world. Continue to Alasehir, the site of the ancient
Philadelphia, one of the seven churches of Revelations. Visit the
6th C. church of St. John. 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. Dinner and overnight
at your Hotel ( PAMUKKALE ). [ B L D ]
Day 8
CAPPADOCIA
Drive to
Cappadocia. Drive through lake district on to Konya, stopping along the
way for visits and photo shots. In Konya, we will visit the 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. Stop at
Sultanhani Caravanserai, an impressive Seljuk monument that served
as hotel and market place for travelers of the past. Dinner and
overnight at your Hotel ( CAPPADOCIA ). [ B L D ]
Day 9
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.
Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( CAPPADOCIA ). [ B L D ]
Day 10
ANKARA
Drive to
Ankara. Ankara is the capital and second largest city of Modern
Turkey today. Visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations where
we will see artifacts created over thousands of year by ancient
Anatolian peoples. The Museum was converted from an old Ottoman
Caravanserai and awarded as the museum of the year 1982. We will take a
walk in the old quarters and citadel of the city. We will also visit an
old Synagogue which points to a major Jewish population of the
city in the past. Then we will visit the Ataturk's Memorial built
for the founder of modern Republic of Turkey. Dinner and overnight at
your Hotel ( ANKARA ). [ B L D ]
Day 11
ISTANBUL
Morning
Flight to Istanbul. We will have time in the Spice Bazaar before we get
on the boat for our Cruise on the Bosphorus. Spice Bazaar is a very
colorful old market place built in Ottoman times, and still visited by
locals and tourists for the shopping of herbs, nuts and spices. Cruise
on the Bosphorus with boat. You will enjoy the impressive palaces
of the sultans, mosques, the water-front wooden houses built in Ottoman
style. Lunch in a nice fish restaurant on the Bosphorus. In the
afternoon visit the Asian side of the city, Beylerbeyi Palace
built for the Sultans in the 18th C. After a short drive on the Asiatic
side of the Bosphorus, we will visit a small nice town at Kuzguncuk,
which was a popular place for the Jewish community of Istanbul. A
Synagogue that still stands there proves this fact. Dinner and overnight
at your hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [ B L D ]
Day 12
ISTANBUL
Day at
leisure. Return to the Grand Bazaar or Spice market for last minute
shopping. Or wander the streets to meet people, take photos. Dinner and
overnight at your hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [ B ]
Day 13
TRANSFER
Check out
from the hotel and transfer to Istanbul Airport. [ B ]
[ B ] :
Breakfast
[ L ] :
Lunch
[ D ] :
Dinner |
