Eastern Turkey Tour, Turkey tours

TOUR DETAILS
Eastern Turkey Tour, Turkey tours and the history of Anatolia

Tours in Turkey and the history of Anatolia

Day 1 Istanbul
After breakfast, a visit to the Sadberk Hanim Museum, a little known yet exquisite privately endowed museum. Lunch on the liquid history of the Bosporus, followed by a free afternoon. Overnight at the Hotel. (B,L)

Day 2 Istanbul
A day's visit to the Asian side of Istanbul & the Princess Island. These areas are sometimes missed by the tourist yet they present a totally different facet of Istanbul. We shall visit some of the most beautiful residential areas and take a boat to the leisurely resort of the Princess Island. Overnight at the Hotel. (B,L)

Day 3 Istanbul -Trabzon (Trebizond)
Transfer to Istanbul airport for a morning flight to Trabzon founded in the 8th century BC. A visit to the spectacular Sumela Monastery clinging to a cliff hundreds of meters high. After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit the 14 th Century monastery church of Hagia Sophia, built by Emperor Manuel i Comments. It is a combination of Christian and Muslim architecture. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 4 Trabzon
A day trip to Camlihemsin, a village deep in the magnificent Kackar Mountains, where we hope to encounter both the Laz and Hemsin people who still live in isolated communities. We return to Trabzon for dinner and overnight at the Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 5 Trabzon-Erzurum
A drive to Erzurum, the largest city in Eastern Anatolia. City walls and the fortress remind the visitor of the Turkish-Russian conflicts over the centuries. The elaborate stone carvings on the Cifteminareli Medrese dating from 1253 add to the fascination of Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman remains throughout the city. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 6 Erzurum-Kars-Dogu Beyazit
A drive through splendid mountain scenery leads to Kars, standing at an altitude of 1,750 meters. Kars is particularly famous for its distinctive kilims and carpets and it retains a strong heritage of folk-dancing. It is the ancient Armenian capital and we shall see some strikingly naturalistic frescoes at the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator. Our route takes us near Mount Agri, Turkey's most famous natural monument, an enormous volcano capped with ice and often shrouded in dark clouds. Its name is derived from Urartu. It is 5.137 Meters high and is believed to be the mountain upon which Noah's Ark came to rest. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 7 Dogu Beyazit-Van
Only 6 km from Dogu Beyazit is the site of the spectacular Ishak Pasha Palace, used to control the silk road. It has a mixture of architectural styles and was reputed to contain 366 rooms, one for each day of We continue to Van, the ancient Urartian capital. At the Rock of Van near the shore of the lake are long cuneiform inscriptions. Van is the market town for the Kurdish tribes who live in the mountains of extreme South-Eastern Turkey. Lake Van is Turkey's largest inland body of water. At 5500feet above sea level it is also one of the world's highest lakes. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 8 Van
We visit Van Museum, where we shall see ancient artifacts, including the gold and silver breastplates belonging to the Hurricane and Urartian Empires. A full day to explore the ancient remains of Van will enable us to catch sight of the famous cats of Van which are pure white and have one blue and one green eye. On an island in Lake Van, stands the 10th Century Church of the Holy Cross. Its outer stone walls are richly decorated with Old Testament scenes and characters. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 9 Van - Diyarbakir
Our drive south of Lake Van to Tatvan we visit Nemrut Crater Lake & continue to Diyarbakir. The River Tigris flows past the mighty black basalt walls (second only to the Great Wall of China). They are between 5.5 and 6 kms in length and with its 16 keeps and 5 gates give the city an ominous appearance. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 10 Diyarbakir - Mardin
Our journey takes us to Midyat and we visit the active Syriac-Jacobite Monastery of Mar Gabriel, dating from the 5th Century. Fourteen nuns and three monks occupy separate wings, as well as a fluctuating number of local lay workers, guests and students sent by Turkish emigrants to learn the Syriac language. and retie hazy cultural connections. We continue on to Mardin, where, froma distance, the golden stone of the houses, blend into the rock on which the city is built. Dinner and overnight at the. (B,L,D)

Day 11 Mardin
Mardin is an architectural 'treasure chest' with its ancient citadel, 14th and 15th century Islamic masterpieces. Views of the Mesopotanian Plain will entrance you. The deyr-az zaferan or "saffron monastery", so named for the yellowish rock from which it is built was founded in 493, and was, from 1160 until the 1920's, the seat of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch-until he relocated to Damascus. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 12 Mardin - Sanliurfa
Sanli Urfa was known as Ur in ancient times, and later as Edessa. Tradition relates that it was the birthplace of Abraham. Sacred carp swim in a quiet pool. The ancient vaulted bazaar captures the atmosphere of the exotic East. The afternoon is free for you to wander as you wish. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 13 Sanliurfa
A very early departure for Nemrut Dag's rugged peak. built in honor of Antiochus a Commegene ruler. On the way we visit Ataturk Dam which harnesses the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The Dam Lake has been planned to provide holiday and recreation facilities for the region. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 14 Sanliurfa
A free morning followed by an afternoon visit to the beehive-style mud houses of Harran. This is one of the most ancient continuously inhabited sites on Earth and is where Abraham and his wife Sarah spent some years. Here you will see the largest ancient Islamic University, the site of the Assyrian Temple of Sin (famous for its astronomers), city walls dating from the 8th century and an ancient citadel. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 15 Sanliurfa - Gaziantep - Antakya
On our drive to Gaziantep we briefly visit Birecik on the Euphrates, This is ancient Bronze Age country where 400 limestone tombs with jewellery, vases and other objects have been found.. The Museum, which we visit briefly, holds artifacts of every period of the area. Our journey continues to Antakya for dinner and overnight at the Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 16 Antakya
We visit the mosaic museum and the grotto of St. Peter, in the old Antakya with its maze of narrow streets. The Arabic-speaking resort town of Samandag and the Roman tunnel of Titus & Vespasiyanus presents further evidence of an ancient sophisticated society. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 17 Antakya - Adana
A visit to the Karatepe Arslantap National Park, with its fine neo-Hittite stone carvings on our way to Toprakkale Castle (the earth castle), Anavarza fortress city on top of a hill dominating the fertile plain built by the Romans. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 18 Adana - Istanbul
Our drive takes us to Tarsus, where St Paul was born almost 2025 years ago. We visit St Paul's well and the old houses of Tarsus before transferring to Adana airport for our flight to Istanbul. Overnight at the Hotel (B,L)

Day 19 Istanbul
Today, we explore the lively streets of "Old Istanbul". At the western end of the old city is Edirnekapi, where the ancient walls of Theodosius once marked the borders of Constantinople. Lunch will be at Zeyrekhane Restaurant, followed by a drive to the Balat district of the Golden Horn. A coffee break at the Pierre Loti Cafe will give photographers an unequalled view of the Golden Horn. Overnight at the Hotel. (B,L)

Day 20
Transfer to Istanbul Airport for your flight back home. (B)

(B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner) Reservation

INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE
- Hotel accommodation in superior tourist class hotels.
- Accommodation based on twin with private facilities.
- Continental breakast (B), Lunch (L) and course dinners (D) as per the itinaries.
- Airport / Hotel / Airport transfers.
- Modern air conditioned coach with reclining seats.
- Welcome drink.
- Hotel tips, local taxes and service charges.

NOT INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE
- Travel insurance.
- Any item of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone calls etc.
- Passport & Visa Costs.
- Airport taxes.
- Any items not mentioned in above-mentioned itinerary.