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 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 4 BURSA 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. Pergamum was one of the seven churches of the Revelations. 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. Dinner and overnight at your hotel. ( AYVALIK ). [ B L D ] DAY 5 AYVALIK TO PAMUKKALE
Drive to Pamukkale. In the morning, after a short drive, we will visit Thyatira, one of the seven churches of Revelations. Continue to the ancient city of Sardis, the capital of the ancient Lydian kingdom from 6th C BC and home of the famous king Croesus. During our walking tour of Sardis, we will see the marble court with a beautiful facade with marble columns, which was the imperial cult built for the Roman emperors, passing the large palaestra we will come to a large Jewish Synagogue built in Roman times, which was one of the largest synagogues ever built in the ancient ages, then we walk out to the ancient street lined with ancient roman and Byzantine shops. On the other side of the highway, we will see the great temple of Artemis built from the Hellenistic ages and offers a spectacular view having the acropolis of Sardis in the background. Stop at Philadelphia to see the church of St. John. Drive on to our hotel in Pamukkale. Dinner and overnight at your hotel. ( PAMUKKALE ). [ B D ] DAY 6 PAMUKKALE TO KUSADASI
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. A short drive from Pamukkale is Laodicea, another site of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Laodicea was founded in the 2nd C: BC by the Seleucid king Antiochus II Theos who named it for his wife. Laodicea is known as Laodicea-ad-Lycum, since there were many other towns named Laodicea founded by the Seleucid kings. Laodicea soon became a prosperous city after trading its fine quality purple-color wool. Drive to Colossae, though it is not one of the seven, but the city is mentioned in the book Colossians. Today there is not much to see at Colossae, other than a large mound which exposes some ancient theater and some ruins of the unidentified buildings. Continue to 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 7 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 8 KUSADASI TO ISTANBUL
Drive to Izmir. Izmir is the third largest city in Turkey and main port in the western part. Izmir occupies the site of ancient Smyrna, where the famous poet Homer was born in the 8th C. Smyrna is also one of the Seven Churches mentioned in the book of Revelation. Visit Kadifekale the hill-top Hellenistic fortress and the church of St. Polycarp the oldest church of Izmir. We finish our tour in Izmir with the Roman market place Agora. Evening flight to Istanbul. Dinner and overnight at your hotel. ( ISTANBUL ). [ B D ] DAY 9 ISTANBUL
This morning, we will cruise up the Bosphorus with private boat, sit on the deck and enjoy the nice traditional water-front houses built by the Ottomans in the last or in the turn of this century. We will disembark near 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. Farewell dinner at a special restaurant. Overnight at your Hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [ B D ] DAY 10 TRANSFER TO AIRPORT
Check-out and transfer to the airport for our morning flight back home. [ B ] [ B ] : Breakfast
[ L ] : Lunch
[ D ] : Dinner |
