EASTERN TURKEY
TOUR
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 Monast
ery
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 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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