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 TO 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 VAN TO 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, 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 URFA TO 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 ADIYAMAN TO 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 CAPPADOCIA TO 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 KONYA TO 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 PAMUKKALE TO 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 the 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 KUSADASI TO 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 AYVALIK TO 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 BURSA TO 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. [ B ]
[ B ] : Breakfast
[ L ] : Lunch
[ D ] : Dinner |
