Sept 5 – ISTANBUL: Arrive in Istanbul on flight UA7629 and you will be transported to your hotel (TBD). Overnight in Istanbul.
Sept 6
- ISTANBUL|CAPPADOCIA: You will be picked up from your hotel at 8am and transported to Istanbul airport for your flight to NevsehirCAPPADOCIA: You will drive to Devrent Imagination Valley (a lunar landscape), Pasabaglari (the world-famous Fairy Chimneys), and then on to the famous town of Avanos, for a demonstration of pottery made according to the ancient techniques used by the Hittites.
You will have lunch in Urgup, a small village surrounded by rock homes and hotels. After lunch in Urgup’s Pide (pee deh) shop (open buffet, in a cave restaurant), you will drive to Uchisar rock-castle at Esentepe, for a panoramic view of Goreme Valley.
Later, you will visit a ranch where the horses rest in stables that were once cave homes and the world-famous Goreme Open Air museum (where you will witness churches, frescoes and a monastery, cut into the rocks.
Overnight at the Kayadam Cave Hotel in Urgup.
Sept 7
CAPPADOCIA: Ask for an early call! You will be picked up at 5.30 am for your Hot Air Balloon Flight. This is truly a once-in-a-life-time experience and there is no better way to see the distinctive landscapes of Cappadocia than by gently floating overhead in a hot air balloon. Your skilled pilot will skim the basket across fruit trees and rise up over the fairy chimneys, before ascending to great heights for breathtaking views. Upon landing you will celebrate your flight with a champagne toast! Return to your hotel for a homemade breakfast.
Your driver and Guide will pick you up from your hotel around 9.30 am and you will take a short scenic drive to Mustafapasa (formerly a Greek village called Sinassos.
A little later, you will have lunch at The Old Greek House (a 500 year old home now serving as an hotel and restaurant.) Also available to explore here is the Keslik monastery and Taskinpasa medresesi (an Ottoman theological school.) The village presents many interesting photo opportunites, from shepherds herding their sheep through the village, children playing in the streets, to beautiful, unusual and very beautiful home entrance doorways.
Later, you will drive to Soganli Valley (a traditional village) home of Cemil (a Greek-Orthodox church) and the small village of Ozluce, home of a little-known off-the-beaten- track underground city. These underground cities, of which there are many in Cappadocia, were largely used by early Christians as hiding places before Christianity became a legitimate religion. Ozluce underground settlement is different from the others in terms of its geological formation and architectural features.
Overnight in Urgup at the Kayadam Cave Hotel.
Try fishing in:
You will be provided with a hook and line to use. Note, though, fish will likely be "small."
Sept 8-
GAZIANTEP: After breakfast, depart from your hotel at 08:30. Drive to and visit Karatay Kervansaray. Stop at Kahramanmaras for lunch and a taste of its famous ice cream. Continue on to visit the world famous Gaziantep Mosaic Museum. This museum houses discoveries from Zeugma, an ancient city where floor mosaics from the Roman period were uncovered. We will also visit the old city castle, copper bazaar and have a cup of the famous Gaziantep pistachio coffee in a cave café. Don’t forget to visit the bazaar or sample the wares of Gaziantep’s famous Baklava shop (Baklava originates from Gaziantep).
Overnight in Gaziantep at Anadolu Evleri Hotel.
Sept 9-
SANLIURFA: Today you will drive to Sanli Urfa. Upon arrival, you may choose to walk through the local, covered bazaar or through the town to discover the many hidden treasures.
Overnight in Urfa at Manici Hotel.
Sept 10- SANLIURFA: Urfa, the birthplace of the prophet Abraham. Urfa has been occupied since the Babylonians followed by the Hurrites, Hittites, Assyrians, Greeks. We will visit nearby Harran and see the incredible beehive houses. Harran according to the Bible was the site where prophet Abraham spent a few years with his family before moving on to Israel, the promised land. We can also visit the holy sites at the Ainzelha, a lake with millions of fish. While in Urfa we will visit the cave where the prophet Abraham is said to have been born and visit a bustling sheep marketl. There are exceptional photo opportunities in this area. Drive and overnight in Mardin. Sep 11- MARDIN: In the morning visit Mardin. Mardin is very unique with its charming old, Arabic- style houses. This city played an important role in the early development of Christianity. We will also visit the Monastery of Deyr-az-Zaferan just outside of town, founded in 762 A.D. It was the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch for almost 800 years. This monastery is built on top of a 4000-year-old temple used by sun worshippers. We will also visit the Syriac church of Kırklar. Overnight in Mardin.
Sept 11
MARDIN: In the morning, visit Mardin, a very unique town with old, Arabic-style houses that is said to have played an important role in the early development of Christianity. You may also visit the Monastery of Deyr-az-Zaferan just outside of town, founded in 762 A.D. It was the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch for almost 800 years. This monastery is built on top of a 4000-year-old temple used by sun worshippers. You may also wish to visit the Syriac church of Kırklar.
Overnight in Mardin at Erdoba Evleri Hotel.
Sept 12- TATVAN: In the morning drive to Hasankeyf. The Batman river, spanned by the old Malabadi Bridge, draws the province's border with Diyarbakir, and then joins Tigris (Dicle) River passing through the land. Here is one of the main crude oil production centers of Turkey, and the refinery at Batman was the first in the country. Continue to Bitlis and stop in this picturesque town located in a narrow and deep valley for some great photo opportunities. Onto Tatvan, a small village on the edge of Lake Van. Overnight in Tatvan. Don’t forget to take in the sunset over the lake!
Overnight in Tatvan at Kardelen Hotel.
Sept 13-
VAN: Drive to Van. This ancient city was established in 13th century BC, when the Hurrites arrived. Thereafter, the Hittites, Urartians, Persian, Armenians, Macedonians, Romans and finally, in the 11th century, the Turks arrived. From here, we will take a ferry across the lake to visit
Prepared by Brenda Farrell, Renshaw Travel, Vancouver, Canada. www.exploreturkeytours.com Page 7
the finest Armenian architectural wonder - the Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island.
From there, we will take steps over to the huge Van Castle, a site from the days of Urartu, and see the hieroglyphs. You will be able to sense the spirit of the once-capital of Uartu, Tushpa. The salty waters of the great Lake Van are refereed to as 'the Sea' by the locals. Overnight in Van at Tamara Hotel.
Sept 14-
KARS: In the morning, drive along the Silk Road to Dogubeyazit (Mt. Ararat.) At the Iranian border we will see a ruggedly beautiful site known as the Crater Hole. You will have the opportunity to see Mt. Ararat from all sides. It is believed by some to be the resting-place of Noah's Ark; but to date no one has found anything that has been verified as the Ark. However, the search continues…
You will also have an opportunity to visit the Ishak Pasa Palace. A combination of mosque, fortress and palace, this complex originally had one room for every day of the year! Below the palace complex, you will also see the remains of Eski Beyazit, an Urartian City which flourished in 1000 BC.
Overnight in Kars at the Simer Hotel.
Sept 15-
KARS (Ani): An early morning departure from the hotel as we drive to obtain permission to visit Ani at the Turkish-Armenian border. After, we will drive 45 minutes to the medieval Armenian city of Ani, which lies mostly in ruins. Impressive, fortified walls still encircle the ruins of numerous churches, mosques and caravansaries. Enjoy a walk around the ruins while taking in the beautiful view to the Armenian border, imagining it as a city with one million people in its time! This city has experienced the cultures of Urartians, Armenians, Georgians, Mongols, Russians and finally, the Turks. Also, be sure to taste the famous Kars cheese when we visit the local cheese shops.
Overnight in Kars at Simer Hotel.
Sept 16-
ERZURUM: Today, we will drive to Erzurum. On the way, we will visit the Tortum waterfall and later, you will have a chance to learn about Erzarum’s Oltu ston. Generally black in appearance, this semi-precious stone may also have brown-black, grey or greenish hues.
One of the purest semi-precious stones in the world, Oltu stone carving is renowned around the world. The markets in Erzurum are flooded with Oltu stoneware in the form of exquisitely carved jewelry pieces, tie-pins, pipes and prayer beads.
To identify a genuine Oltu product, try to pierce it with a heated pin. A genuine stone will not yield to the pin. Also, genuine Oltu stone preserves the vapor when you blow on it. Overnight stay in Erzurum at Esdadas Hotel.
Sept 17-
ERZURUM|TRABZON: Erzurum rests at a base altitude of about 6600 ft. Here, the Hittites had already occupied the site for a millennium when the Armenians arrived around the 6th century. It became a Byzantine city starting with the Emperor Thedosius, followed by the Mongols and the Ottomans. In Erzurum we'll be able to witness the influence of all these civilizations at the various sites you may wish to visit: the citadel, Double Minaret Medrese (university), Ulu Cami (The Great Mosque) and Yakutiye Medrese with its outstanding minaret and carvings. From Erzurum we will drive five hours to Trabzon, with many stops along the way. This beautiful drive will follow the course of various rivers and mountain passes.
Overnight in Trabzon at Demir Grand Hotel.
Sept 18-
TRABZON (Sumela). Today, you will drive along the beautiful wooded coast of the Black Sea. This was the oft-forbidding coastline visited by Jason and the Argonauts and the scene of many of their legendary adventures. You may visit the Sumela Monastery and enjoy a picnic nearby. This monastery is from the Byzantine Era of Turkey's history. One of the remarkable features of this site is that it is carved into a cliff face! With lush, green vegetation throughout the region, this area is a very unique part of Turkey. Trabzon is an ancient Black Sea port with its recorded history dating back to 746 BC and it was one of the Silk Road ports. You will also see Boztepe where you will witness a panoramic view point over the city.
Sept 19 -
At 7:30am meet your guide in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Istanbul City Hotel.
Address: Millet Cad 187, Topkapi.
Today you can explore the historic areas of Istanbul. During the day you will see:
During your day, there will be time to visit additional locations. For instance, you expressed interest in taking a ferry ride along the Bosphorus. Should you wish to do this, I would recommend stopping in Ortakoy to explore the street market. Your guide will make suggestions according to your interests. There will be many opportunities for taking great photographs.
Your guide and driver will be at your disposal until 4:30pm. Own lunch today.
Overnight at the Holiday Inn Istanbul City
Sept 20 -
At 7:30am meet your guide in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Istanbul City Hotel.
Address: Millet Cad 187, Topkapi.
Today you will cross over the Bosphorus Strait into Asia Minor and explore the Eastern Black Sea Coast area. During the day you will see:
There will be many opportunities for taking great photographs. Your guide and driver will be at your disposal until 4:30pm. Own lunch today.
Overnight at the Holiday Inn Istanbul City
Sept 21 - Fly to Ottawa via Chicago
Sept 22 Fly Home