TURKEY TOUR
EASTERN TURKEY TOUR
TOUR MAP
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)
(B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)
INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE
 HOTEL ACCOMMODATION IN SUPERIOR TOURIST CLASS HOTELS.
ACCOMMODATION BASED ON TWIN WITH PRIVATE FACILITIES.
CONTINENTAL BREAKFASTS (B), LUNCH (L)
AND COURSE DINNERS (D) AS PER THE ITINERARY.
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.
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