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EASTERN 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 Bosphorus, 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 Comnenus. 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 metres. 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
Metres 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
belongigng to the Hurrian 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 honour 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 2000 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 Constantinopole. 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) |
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