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Best of Eastern Turkey Tour (15 Days)
Duration: 15 Days / 14 Nights
Highlights: Istanbul, Adana, Antakya, Adiyaman, Mt Nemrut,
Urfa, Diyarbakir, Van, Mt Ararat, Kars, Erzurum, Trabzon
Departure Dates: April, June, July, August, September and
October
Note: All Turkey tour packages are modular and you can
use these itineraries as a starting point and we can help modify this itineraries
to accommodate your personal requirements and desires to find your perfect
holiday.
DAY 01 – Arrival to Istanbul
Welcome to Istanbul! You will be transferred to your hotel located in the
heart of the old city, Sultanahmet. The remainder of the day is yours free
to explore. Overnight Istanbul.
DAY 02 – Imperial Istanbul Tour
We spend the full day visiting the sights of Old Istanbul. We will begin
at the ancient Hippodrome which was the center of the civil activities back
in the Hellenistic and Roman times. At the Hippodrome the chariot and horse
races and athletic runs took place for the entertainment of the people of
Constantinople. We walk to the nearby Ibrahim Pasha Palace which houses
the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art where we will see an impressive exhibit
from the various periods of Turkish and Islamic art, ranging in date from
the 7th C. to the 19th. Then we proceed to the Blue Mosque, famous for its
blue tiles covering its interior walls and also for its six minarets which
is a unique feature of this mosque. Nearby is Hagia Sophia Museum, the former
Cathedral of Constantinople, considered as the masterpiece of the early
Byzantine architecture. After lunch we will visit the Topkapi Palace, residence
and administrative center of the Ottoman Sultans. In the grounds of the
Topkapi Palace are many courtyards surrounded by old buildings each housing
small museums with exhibits of jewelry, costumes, calligraphy and various
objects that belonged to the Imperial treasury of the Ottoman Sultans. Overnight
in Istanbul.
DAY 03 – Flight to Adana and travel on to Antakya
Morning flight to Adana. After a short drive we will arrive at Tarsus where
the apostle St. Paul was born and Antony met Cleopatra. Tarsus with its
Ottoman houses, rambling streets and some ancient monuments is a charming
town. Our tour in Tarsus will include the St. Paul's well, from which it
is believed that St. Paul drank water. We proceed to the Roman gate known
as Cleopatra's gate or St. Paul's gate, afterwards we will visit the Tarsus
Museum which is housed in the Kubad Pasha Medrese, an old Ottoman bedesten
from the 16th C. The museum has in its cells, many ancient artifacts, sarcophagi
and coins from Assyrian, Hittite, Roman and Byzantine periods, as well as
a rich ethnographical section from the Ottoman times. We will have some
time in colorful bazaar area for the shopping of traditional products of
Tarsus. We will drive through Adana, ancient Danunas, pleasantly laid our
along the banks of the Seyhan river. After the junction, near the town Dortyol
was the site of famous battle of Ipsus, a critical battle which took place
between Alexander the Great and Darius the Persian king in 333 BC. Before
Antakya we will drive by Iskenderun, ancient Alexandretta, a city built
by Alexander the great. Dinner and overnight in Antakya.
DAY 04 – Antakya to Adiyaman
Antakya was ancient Antiocheia on the Orontes or known as Antioch was founded
by the Seleucus I Nicator the king of Seleucus kingdom in about 300 BC.
Antioch, in the Roman ages, was one of the four largest cities in the world.
In the early Christian era, Antioch was an important center, and here Christians
came to be called by this name first time. During our city tour, we will
visit the Antakya's Archaeological Museum which has one of the largest collections
of Roman and Byzantine mosaics in the world. This museum is a testimony
to Antakya's glorious past. In addition to superb mosaics, there are also
fine marble sarcophagi with elaborate carvings, along with some statues
and other archaeological items. Later we drive out the suburbs of the city
to the Grotto of St. Peter. Saint Peter chose Antioch as the base for his
first mission among the unbelievers. St. Peter's church is tucked into the
face of a steep cliff. Although the facade of the present-day church comes
from the 13th C., the caves behind this facade housed some of the Christianity's
earliest liturgies. St. Peter's church may easily be the oldest working
church in the world, as St. Peter preached here and services are still held
here today. From the terrace of the church you can get a full panoramic
view of the city. Excursion to Harbiye which occupies the site of Ancient
Daphne where according to myth the nymph Daphne, pursued by Apollo, was
transformed into a laurel tree. Returning to the city center, we will take
a walk in the old quarters for possible shopping possibilities for traditional
products. Drive to Adiyaman crossing Euphrates, the great river of the Old
Testament which is the main water source for this part of Turkey and Syria.
Dinner and overnight in Adiyaman.
DAY 05 – Adiyaman to Urfa
Early morning departure for Mount Nemrut where we will see colossal statue
heads of the Gods and Antiochus around the king Antiochus' burial mound.
We will leave our bus in the town, and take minivans up the mountain. It
is astonishing to see a monumental burial mound built 2,000 years ago, on
the summit of a mountain with an elevation of 6,000 feet. Antiochus was
the king of Commagene kingdom in this area from 69 to 34 BC. And before
his death he ordered this colossal burial mound which was built by the workers
who carried up the hill tons of apple-sized rocks and piled them over the
his grave. The king's tomb, as yet undiscovered, may lie somewhere beneath
this pile. The mound has two huge terraces (east and west) connected by
footpaths each holding the seated stone gods whose heads had fallen to the
ground. Also, the statue heads of colossal size scatter around the terraces.
On the way back from the mountain, we will stop at the Cendere Bridge, over
the river by the same name, one of the tributaries of Euphrates, was built
by the Roman legionaries and dedicated to the emperor Septimius Severus.
This almost original bridge is one of the best examples of the Roman engineering.
Drive to Urfa with photo stops on a road along the Euphrates. Dinner and
overnight in Urfa.
DAY 06 – Urfa City Tour
Modern Urfa (officially Sanliurfa) was ancient native Orhai before Seleucus
the successor of Alexander the great changed its name to Edessa after a
city in Macedonia. Urfa is full of surprises, with its Arabic culture, colorful
people, old historical buildings and mosques, bazaars. Today, we will begin
at the citadel of the town where a crusader fortress stands with two tall
columns known to locals as the throne of Nimrod. From top of the citadel,
we will have a nice panorama of the city which looks interesting with its
boxy houses built of sun-dried bricks in light beige color. Returning from
the citadel, we will take a walk in the beautiful flower-filled gardens
along the Pools of Abraham with their maze of canals full of thousands of
carp fish which are held sacred and fed by the local people. We will walk
to the Cave of Abraham where, according to local legend, the prophet Abraham
was born here. We will walk in the colorful bazaar of Urfa located in the
old city, where vendors sell almost anything you can imagine. Particularly
Gumruk Han which is a 16th C. Ottoman caravanserai is an interesting place
as a social gathering place for local men who sit on low wooden chairs in
a shady courtyard, chatting and enjoying their tea. In the afternoon, we
will make an excursion to the ancient town of Harran, with its beehive-style
houses which hadn't changed much since ancient times. Harran is mentioned
in Genesis in the Old Testament, the patriarch Abraham was instructed by
the God to move along with his family to Canaan from Ur, on his way, he
dwelt here for a while. Harran is a fortified city with its defense walls
going all around the town, also when it was occupied by the crusaders, they
built a strong fortress which still stand there today. Harran has been an
important cultural center since the early times, and is claimed to have
the earliest University in the world whose ruins are still visible at the
site. We will return to Urfa, those who want to spend more time in the bazaar,
they will do so as our hotel is within the walking distance from the bazaar
area. Dinner and overnight in Urfa.
DAY 07 – Urfa to Van
Drive to Van. Today, we head east making spontaneous stops for photography.
We will drive by the city Diyarbakir built on the banks of the Tigris river.
After a few miles we will come to the Malabadi Koprusu, a beautiful stone
bridge with its enormous single arch on the Tigris river, built by the Artukids
in 12th C. We will drive on with photo stops to photograph villages, shepherds
and people on our way. Dinner and overnight in Van.
DAY 08 – Van
Van is located about 3 miles east of the lake shore, however Van has its
origin in Tushpa, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Urartu, Tushpa had
its citadel on a rocky outcrop on the edge of lake. The lake Van is the
largest in Turkey and navigable with its depth in some parts reaching 330
feet. In the morning, we will begin our tour with the Van Museum, which
houses in the ethnographic section, a nice collection of local crafts, rugs
and kilims, in a separate archaeological section, findings, statues and
bronze objects from the Urartian sites in the area. After a short drive
along the lake we will take the boat to the tiny island of Akdamar that
has on its hillside, an old 10th C. Armenian Church of the Holy Cross, built
by the rulers of the Armenian kingdom of Vaspurakan. The church is renowned
for its superb sculptures and carvings on its exterior walls depicting scenes
from the Old Testament. In the afternoon, we will take an excursion to Cavustepe,
a Urartian fortified city built on a narrow ridge overlooking the surrounding
plain below, the city was built in the 8th C. BC. We will afterwards continue
to the castle of Hosap which sits alone in the midst of desolate hills above
a stream of the same name. The castle was probably built by several local
chieftains in the 17th C, and one of the most picturesque sites in Turkey.
Returning to Van, we will have time for walking in the local bazaar to look
for local crafts. Dinner and overnight in Van.
DAY 09 – Van to Kars
Drive to Kars. On our way, we will visit Ishak Pasha Palace, in the town
of Dogubeyazit near the foot of Mount Ararat, which was built in the 18th
and 19th C., by Ishak Pasha who was the local ruler in this area in Ottoman
period. The palace is a large complex built on a rocky outcrop with a nice
view of the surrounding area, and when it was built had probably more than
300 rooms and halls. After the palace, we will stop to photograph the great
Mountain of Ararat one of the main themes in the Old Testament. As we drive
north along the foot of Mount Ararat, this great mountain will stay within
our view for hours, with its all mighty look and snow capped summit. We
will drive on along the banks of the Arpacay stream which forms the border
with Armenia. Dinner and overnight in Kars.
DAY 10 – Kars to Erzurum
Kars with its Russian imperial architecture is a charming city, it used
to be one of the dustiest and dirtiest cities in Turkey, however, the recent
years' work by the town municipality turned this city to one of the most
desirable places of visit, with its pedestrian streets closed to car traffic.
Kars is another old city whose origins go back at least to 8th C. BC. We
will begin our tour in the morning, with the Kars Museum which displays
exhibits a few finds from excavations of the ancient town of Ani, and some
more ethnographic items. We will journey to the ruins of the Armenian Ghost
town of Ani which is one of the most spectacular sites in Turkey. It is
situated right on the high banks of the Arpacay stream which forms the border
with Armenia. Ani was a sizable city in the medieval period, when it became
the capital of the kingdom of Armenia in the 10th C. We will enter the site
through the massive double walls and the Lion Gate, and take a walk around
the site to see its cathedral, a dozen churches with frescoes and murals
on their walls. Returning to Kars, we will drive on a scenic road along
the Aras River which was the major road between Anatolia and Iran. We will
stop at the 14th C. magnificent Mongolian Cobandede bridge, which spans
the Aras river and offers a nice photo possibility. We will arrive at Erzurum
in late afternoon. Dinner and overnight in Erzurum.
DAY 11 : Erzurum to Trabzon
Erzurum with a population of 300,000, is the largest and most important
city in Eastern Turkey. It is also one of the most popular ski centers in
the country. Erzurum is an old city with origins going back to Hittite era.
Erzurum has well preserved collection of monuments of the Mongol, Selcuk
and Ottoman Architecture and also colorful bazaars. During our city tour
of Erzurum, we will visit the Cifte Minareli Medrese (Medrese with Twin
Minarets-theological school), built by the Selcuks in the 13th C. This Medrese
is the largest of its kind in Anatolia and has very impressive portal gate
decorated with various motifs. We will walk to the right of the Medrese
to visit the Ulu Cami (Great Mosque), the oldest mosque in the city, built
in the 12 C. by the Saltukid dynasty. We will return to the town center
to see more famous monuments such as Yakutiye Medrese, built by the Mongol
military governor in the 14th C. Yakutiye Medrese has a striking external
features on its 20 foot-high-portal, with carvings of mixed motifs of plants,
stars, and two lions and an eagle. We will have time to stroll in the bazaar
area, where they sell jewelry mad from local Oltu stone (kind of jet stone)
which the city is famous for, and you will find more traditional products
like wool caps and socks, women's wool wraps and shawls. Enroute to Trabzon
we will visit the famous Soumela Monastery with its unique setting, hanging
from the face of the steep cliff. Soumela was supposedly founded first in
the 4 C., and re-founded in the 14th. C, by the Comneni dynasty of the Byzantine
empire. We will drive through the Pontic Mountains and Zigana pass which
was the major route in ancient times between the Black sea and hinterlands
as it is today. Dinner and overnight in Erzurum.
DAY 12 – Trabzon
Trabzon is an old city, with its earlier name Trebizond and ancient name
Trapezous. Trabzon today is a lively city with its ancient monuments, bazaars
and streets lined with shops, and colorful people. We will begin today with
the church of Hagia Sophia, beautifully situated in the western suburb outside
the city walls and overlooking the Black sea. Hagia Sophia is a great Byzantine
monument with its architectural style and well preserved paintings and frescoes
on its interior walls which present scenes from the New Testament. It was
first built probably in the 4th. C. On the site of a temple erected by the
roman emperor Hadrian, and it was rebuilt by the Comneni dynasty in the
13th C. In the garden of the Church, there is a small collection of Roman,
Byzantine and Ottoman funerary monuments and fragments of sculpture. We
will return to the town center to spend the afternoon in the colorful bazaar
crowded by locals where you can find almost anything such as gold, copper,
silver, textiles and local products. Dinner and overnight in Trabzon.
DAY 13 – Trabzon to Istanbul
We will take our morning flight back to Istanbul. We will cruise up the
Bosphorus with private boat, sit on the deck and enjoy the nice traditional
water-front houses built by the Ottomans in the last or in the turn of this
century. We will disembark near the Spice bazaar, and have free time for
shopping in the Spice Market where you will find hundreds of spices and
herbs. Spice market was built by the Ottomans in the 16th C., and has been
used as the main market of spices and herbs since then. We head for the
Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, where will have time for shopping. In the grand
bazaar which is an old ottoman bedesten built in the 15th. C., and said
to have about 3,500 shops under its roof, you will find almost anything
from souvenirs to jewelry, from textiles to Turkish ethnographic items.
Rest of the afternoon is at leisure, you may want to stay in the grand bazaar
or stroll through the streets. Overnight in Istanbul
DAY 14 – Istanbul
Today is at leisure, as our hotel is centrally located, you may wander around
the old town, or walk back to the Grand Bazaar. Special farewell in one
of the nice restaurants. Overnight in Istanbul
Day 15 – Transfer to Istanbul International Airport
Breakfast at hotel, check-out and transfer to Istanbul International Airport,
depending to your depature details.