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Highlights
of This Tour: |
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So spectacular are the ruins and
natural beauty of Western Turkey that
many travelers neglect to venture
out to the exotic and compelling sites
of the Southeast. Long before the
great Greek and Roman cities rose
up along the Aegean and Mediterranean
coasts, civilizations even more ancient
flourished in an area lying between
the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, known
as The Fertile Crescent. Much of what
was once northern Mesopotamia lies
in what is now Southeastern Turkey.
It is the land of the Hittites, Urartians,
Assyrians, and Sumerians, the birthplace
of Abraham, the site of the world's
first university, and the first Christian
communities - a rugged, breath-taking
land in which successive cultures
mingled with and influenced each other.
Today, we can only marvel at the
awe-inspiring landmarks and relics
bearing testament to millennia of
continuous habitation in a region
that was once the technological, scientific
and cultural center of the world.
Over the past decade, archeologists
have excavated stunning new finds,
including the unique Roman mosaics
of Zeugma, which have been carefully
preserved with the help of UNESCO.
With coastal Turkey such a magnet
for travelers, the Southeast, in particular,
is a region where our "insider"
knowledge and expertise enable travelers
with limited time to concentrate on
visiting the sites of greatest interest,
without the hassle of arranging for
guides, transport, meals, entrance
fees and accommodation. What's more,
we help you to become acquainted with
one of the timeless charms of the
region: its people. We arrange for
you to enjoy the local hospitality,
culture and cuisine - all of which
are legendary, even among Turks living
in other parts of the country.
As always, we arrange air-conditioned,
comfortable transport and professional
drivers, accommodations in top hotels,
knowledgeable, friendly guides and
an itinerary that helps you make the
most of your stay in Turkey. Relax,
and marvel at the glories of Southeastern
Turkey, the Gateway to Mesopotamia.
And leave the rest to us.
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Detailed
Itinerary: |
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1st Day...
Guests are greeted at Adana
Airport, from where we proceed
to Antakya (ancient Antioch),
one of the Roman Empire's foremost
commercial and trading centers
and the city where Saint Peter
established one of the world's
first Christian communities.
After we settle into our hotel
and enjoy lunch, our first stop
is the Sokullu Mehmet Pasa Caravanserai.
We then proceed to the Antakya
Archeological Museum, with its
near-immaculate Roman mosaics
and the cave church of Saint
Peter, the monumental facade
of which was built by the Crusaders
in the 12th century AD. Dinner
and overnight in Antakya
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2nd Day... After
breakfast, we make an early
start for Gaziantep, where we
tour the Gaziantep Archeological
Museum's collection of Hittite
reliefs, gold jewelry and priceless
mosaics recently discovered
in nearby Zeugma. After visiting
the castle, most remnants of
which dates to the Seljuk period,
we lunch on Gaziantep's distinctive
regional dishes, then explore
the timeless passages of the
historical bazaar, with its
rich variety of mother-of-pearl
inlaid objects, carpets, kilims,
spices, antiques, silver and
hand-embroidered headscarves.
Early in the evening we head
northeast to Adiyaman, where
we suggest everyone retire early,
because at 2:00 am you will
be awakened and taken to the
2,150-meter (7,500-foot) summit
of Nemrut Dagi for the sunrise,
one of the most beautiful anywhere
in the world. Overnight
in Adiyaman |
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3rd Day… By 5:30
in the morning, we will be gathered
on Mt. Nemrut waiting for the
first rays of the rising sun
to illuminate the magnificent
tomb built here by Antiochus
I Epiphanes (64-38 BC). The
massive stone heads, seated
statue of Apollo, Fortuna, Zeus,
Antiochus and Hercules, altar,
reliefs and 50-metre-high cairn
of small stones covering King
Antiochus's tomb gradually come
into view. You'll have plenty
of time to examine these breathtaking
works and ask questions about
their extraordinary origins.
As we descend to Adiyaman, we
visit Arsemeia, the capital
of the ancient Commagne kingdom,
Cendere Bridge, a Roman structure
still in use today, and Karakus
tumulus, surrounded by pillars
and believed to be the funeral
mound of King Antiochus's wife.
After breakfast and a rest back
at the hotel, we visit Ataturk
Dam, the centerpiece of Turkey's
GAP irrigation project, one
of the largest in the world,
then enjoy a tea break in an
authentic nomadic tent on the
shores of the massive man-made
lake.
Immediately after arriving
at our hotel in Þanliurfa, we
have lunch, then set off to
explore one of the oldest urban
areas in the world, a city that
retains its mesmerizing, exotic
character. As we visit the medieval
houses, narrow market streets,
the Cave of Abraham, believed
to be the prophet's birthplace,
and Golbasi, the site where
legend has it that Assyrian
tyrant Nemrut hurled Abraham
into a bonfire, you'll appreciate
the Middle Eastern flavor of
what is perhaps eastern Turkey's
most compelling city. After
getting a bird's eye view of
Sanliurfa from the Nemrut's
hill-top citadel, we return
to the hotel for dinner. Evening
entertainment is a Sirra Gecesi,
a traditional gathering at which
melodic folksongs are sung,
çig kofte (spicy steak tartar
meatballs) eaten and mirra (the
strong local coffee) drunk.
Overnight
in Sanliurfa |
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4th Day…
After breakfast, we drive south
to Harran, the last surviving
example of Syriac mud-built
houses, this town mentioned
in the Genesis has a history
stretching back over 6,000 years.
The ruins of a Crusader fortress
are visible on what was once
an Assyrian temple dedicated
to Sin, god of the moon, and
the remains of an Arab-built
Islamic university, the world's
first, are still evident. After
a tea break in one of the ubiquitous
bee-hive shaped houses, we drive
east to Mardin, a picturesque
town clinging to a sheer rocky
bluff and overlooking the Syrian
plains. After lunch in a historic
Mardin home, There, we visit
Kýrklar church, Deyrulzefran,
or "Saffran Monastery",
a Syrian Orthodox orphanage
founded in 439 AD and for centuries
the seat of the Syrian Orthodox
patriarch, and Kasimiye medresse.
Overnight
and dinner in Mardin. |
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5th Day…
After breakfast, first we tour
nearby Midyat, famed for its
ornately carved stone homes
and silversmiths. There, we
visit Mar Gabriel monastery,
a working community of Syrian
Orthodox nuns and monks who
will be happy to share with
you information about the area's
2,000-year old Christian past.
On the way to Diyarbakir, we
visit to Hasankeyf, which is
one of the most interesting
spot of the tour, a now-ruined
city built on the banks of the
Tigris, exploring its 12th century
palace, mosque and tombs. Then
continue to Diyarbakir, via
Batman, upon arrival visit to
Ulu Cami, one of Anatolia's
first grand Seljuk mosques,
and the black basalt walls enclosing
the largest city in Southeast
Turkey, a settlement that was
ancient thousands of years before
it fell to Alexander the Great.
Then have a dinner before taking
you to the airport, where we
say good-bye until we hopefully
see you on another tour. Overnight
in Istanbul. |
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