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DAY 1 (SUN)
ARRIVAL - ADANA
Arrival at Istanbul airport and pass through
customs. Continue to the domestic terminal and
flight to Adana. Upon arrival in Adana transfer to
your hotel and overnight.
D.
DAY 2 (MON)
ADANA - TARSUS - ANTAKYA
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We will
drive to Tarsus and discover the rich religious
heritage of this town which is the birthplace of St
Paul. We will visit the Ancient road of Tarsus
and then St Paul’s Well and the
foundations of the house where he is
believed to have lived.We
will take a walk in the old district of with its
beautiful stone houses and continue to the ruins of
the Roman baths. We see the church mosque
which is one |
St Paul’s Well |
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of the oldest places of worship in
Tarsus and may have been the original cathedral of
St Paul. Although converted into a mosque this
church still has Christian religious frescoes. We
continue to the Tomb of the prophet Daniel
who is still buried deep under the ground. The grave
has not been disturbed as it was hidden under a
river and then to the Church of St Paul which
was built in the 5th century A.D and then
the Kirkkasik Bedesten (40 Spoons Bazaar)
which was built in 1579 and is now a center of
handiwork by local women artisans. We walk to the
Ulu Camii (great mosque) which was built at the
same and houses the remains of the famous poet and
doctor Lokman. We will pass by the old Turkish bath
with its oblong domes where it is said that the
legendary snake goddess Sahmaran was put to death.
We continue to Antakya and overnight.
B.L.D. |
DAY 3 (TUE)
ANTAKYA (HATAY) - GAZIANTEP
St. Peter’s Grotto and cave church |
Antakya on
the river Orontes was the one of the earliest
centers of Christianity and served as the
headquarters of St Paul’s mission from 47-55 AD. We
can see the Mosaic Museum (optional) and also visit
St. Peter’s Grotto and cave church which
marks the place where he preached and founded the
Christian community and the Charonian which
is an ancient carved stone bust that dates
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the time
of the Seleucid era (3rd
century BC)
and is said to have been carved to ward off the
plague. The hills above the grotto of St Peter are
riddled with secret tunnels which were an escape for
the early Christians. We will continue to
Gaziantep and overnight.
B.L.D.
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DAY 4 (WED)
GAZIANTEP - KAHTA |
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The artisans of Gaziantep are specialists in making
copperware and furniture inlaid with
mother-of-pearl. The city has a fortress with 36
towers originally constructed in the Justinian era
and later rebuilt by the Seljuks. We will visit the
Gaziantep Archaeology Museum with its
artifacts from Neolithic, Hittite and Roman times.
With the collection of impressive mosaics from the
ancient site of Zeugma (Belkis) this museum has
become one of the most extensive mosaic museums in
the world. See the Old town of Gaziantep with
beautifully carved stonework of doors and windows in
the old parts of town. We will leave Gaziantep and
pass the
Euphrates River
with a stop at Birecik which is famous for
the nearly extinct Bald Ibis,
We finally
arrive in Kahta and overnight
.B.L.D. |
DAY 5 (THU)
KAHTA - MT.NEMRUT - HARRAN - SANLIURFA
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Rise very early for the drive and the walk
up to the summit of Mount Nemrut,
which is the highest mountain (2150 m) in
Northern Mesopotamia. View a fantastic
sunrise from the East Terrace. Visit the
East and West terraces, fire altar, statues
of Apollo, Zeus, Hercules, Tyche and
Antiochus Epiphanes I, tumulus, reliefs
and the world's first horoscope. Descend
down the mountain through small villages and
beautiful scenery. Cross the Cendere
Roman Bridge - built by Septimus Severus
in the 2nd century AD and still in use! See
Karakus, atumulus of the royal
Commagene women. We return to the hotel for
breakfast then depart for Sanli Urfa,
visiting the Ataturk Dam on the way. We
visit the Mevlid Halil Mosque, then
the Cave of Prophet Abraham and the
sacred fish pool. |
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You will have a chance to wander in the Old
Bazaar. Drive to Harran - city of the
prophet Abraham. See the Islamic school and
curious beehive-shaped adobe houses.
Overnight in Sanliurfa
B.L.D.
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DAY 6 (FRI)
SANLIURFA - DIYARBAKIR - MARDIN |
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Today we see Gobekli Tepe, which is one of
the most incredible archeological discoveries ever.
With its T-shaped megaliths carved with strange and
delicate images, mostly of animals. Gobeklitepe is
at least 12,000 years old and is thought to be a
temple. Some are saying that it marks the site of
the Garden of Eden. We then depart for Diyarbakir
and will visit the old city,
surrounded by triple walls
made of black basalt originally dating to 394 A.D.
It is a city based on a Roman plan with four gates.
We visit the Caravanserai (Deliller Han)
which is now a hotel, the Ulu Mosque from the
Seljuk period. See people going about daily life on
their rooftops, drying fruits, and dung patties for
fuel. Continue to Mardin and overnight.
B.L.D. |
DAY 7 (SAT)
MARDIN - DEYRULZAFERAN
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Today we visit the city of Mardin, with its
golden stone houses that blend into the
hills. The houses are often decorated with
intricate carvings.This is a very lively trading center with people
coming from surrounding villages to buy and sell. We
will have a fantastic view of the Plain of
Mesopotamia. Visit the Syriac-Jacobite Monastery
of Deyrulzaferan. Overnight in Mardin.
B.L.D.
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Mardin's Stone
Houses |
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DAY 8 (SUN)
MARDIN - MIDYAT - HASANKEFY - VAN |
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The tour begins early after breakfast with the drive
to Midyat and see the old town with its
sandstone houses and the steeples of nine Syrian
Orthodox churches. Midyat is famous for its silver
filigree jewelry. We continue to the Monastery of
Mor Gabriel, where services are still held in
Aramaic. We return to lunch in Midyat where we may
dine in the restored Midyat Geluske Hani (caravansaray).
We continue to
Hasankeyf,
a picturesque ancient city located on
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the Tigris River which has become
inundated after the construction of the Ilisu
Dam and then drive to Lake Van, which is
ringed by mountains, and deep blue in color. It is
the largest lake in Turkey and lies at an altitude
of 1720 m. Overnight in Van.
B.L.D |
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DAY 9 (MON)
VAN - AKDAMAR
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We depart after breakfast and take a small boat to
visit the Akdamar Church, which is built on
an island in the lake. This church, from the 10th
century is carved with Old Testament scenes and
figures. We then visit the city of Van, which
was the Urartian capital. An imposing 9th
c B.C. citadel overlooks the town. Visit the ancient
Urartian site of Cavustepe and the famous
Citadel of Van. Overnight in Van
B.L.D. |
Akdamar Church |
DAY 10 (TUE)
VAN - DOGUBAYAZIT
Ishak Pasa Palace |
Today we will drive to Dogubayazit and have
lunch at the beautiful Muradiye
waterfalls. Dogubayazit is a small town
situated by Mount Agri (Mount Ararat). We
will Visit Ishak Pasa Palace, which
was built between the 17th and 18th
centuries by a local lord. It is a mixture
of Ottoman, Persian and Armenian
architectural styles. Overnight in
Dogubayazit 3* Hotel (best available).
B.L.D. |
DAY 11 (WED)
DOGUBAYAZIT - KARS
Weather permitting, we may have a nice view of
Mt. Ararat this morning. We will pass small
squat villages at the base of the mountain. We will
arrive in Kars and visit the ancient and
seemingly forgotten city of Ani with its
ruined churches. View of the valley and Arpa River,
which forms the border with Armenia. Overnight in
Kars.
B.L.D.
DAY 12 (THU)
KARS - ERZURUM
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Today we will drive to Erzurum. Erzurum is known for
copper crafting and its Oltu stone, which is a
unique black stone used to make jewelry and beads.
We will visit fine Seljuk monuments such as the
Ulu (Great) Mosque, the Cifte Minareli
Medrese and Uc Kumbetler (three tombs),
and see the richly decorated portal and tiled
minaret of the 13th century Yakutiye Medrese.
Overnight in Erzurum 4* Hotel.
B.L.D.
Kumbet |
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DAY 13 (FRI)
ERZURUM - TRABZON - ISTANBUL |
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Sumela Monastery |
Our journey will continue on to Trabzon with a visit
to the magnificent Sumela Monastery located
high on the cliffs in the Altindere National Park.
The church is covered inside and out with brilliant
frescos. We will also visit the St. Sophia museum
(restored 13th c Byzantine church with
its splendid frescoes). Transfer to airport for
return to Istanbul. Tour services end.
B.L. |
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TOUR PRICE: (IN EUROS) |
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HIGHLIGHTS OF
TURKEY: (TOUR CODE: RA12) |
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PER PERSON IN DOUBLE OR TRIPLE ROOM |
FLIGHT:
IST-ADANA-TRABZON-IST |
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT |
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2295 EUROS (4–5
PAX) |
+200 EURO* |
+325 EURO |
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1995 EUROS (6-10
PAX) |
+200 EURO* |
+325 EURO |
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**Domestic Flights are listed separately -
Prices are not valid during holiday or special
events periods or for private tour quotations
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INCLUDED:
All airport transfers
Accommodation in hotels as mentioned
Meals as mentioned only (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch,
D=Dinner)
Main museum entry fees
Transportation in non-smoking minibus with
professional English speaking guide, fuel, road
tolls and parking fees
Domestic Flights Istanbul-Adana/Trabzon –
Istanbul (Listed separately above, price is
approximate)
NOT INCLUDED:
International flights, drinks, porterage, tips
to guide and driver and items of a personal
nature. **Domestic flight price, listed
separately, is approximate.
OPTIONAL:
We
can arrange for pre- or post-tours or hotel
for those of you who want to see
more of Turkey.
Hotels Featured in this tour:
Adana:
Akkoc Hotel
or similar
Antakya:
Liwan Hotel,
Antik Grand
or similar
Gaziantep:
Ravanda Hotel
or Grand Hotel Gaziantep or similar
Kahta:
4*
Zeus Hotel
or similar
Sanli Urfa:
Rabis Hotel,
Arte Hotel
or similar
Mardin:
Yay Grand Hotel
or
Artuklu Kervansaray
or similar
Van:
4*
Buyuk Urartu Hotel
or
Tamara Hotel
or similar
Dogubeyazit:
Golden Hill Dogubeyazit or 3*
Sim Er Hotel
Kars:
4*
Sim Er Hotel
or similar
Erzurum:
Palan Hotel
or similar
*Hotel information is available on our website
at
Turkey Hotels.
Similar hotels may be
used if the featured hotels are not available at
the time of booking. |
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