Depart the USA. Overnight flight to Istanbul.
Arrival in Istanbul will be followed with a transfer flight to Ankara. We will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel for overnight.
Ankara, the ancient Ankuwash or the Angora, has been the capital of the Turkish Republic since 1923. In the morning, we will visit the Museum of Ancient Anatolian Civilizations, the best museum in Turkey for pre-classic exhibits. In the afternoon, we will travel to Gordion, the city of legendary King Midas and capital of the Phrygian Empire, where Alexander the Great cut the "Gordion Knot".
Today we travel south to the fascinating region of Cappadocia, stopping en route at the Hittite capital of Hattusas, which dates from 3,000 BC. Highlights include: the Great Temple, Lion's Gate, and the Citadel. At the famous Shrine of Yazilikaya you will see reliefs of 63 gods and goddesses carved on the rock walls. Then we will continue on to Cappadocia, whose unique landscape was created eons ago by volcanic eruptions.
The special composition of the rock in this fascinating area allowed the carving of underground cities where thousands of people lived. We will visit one of these underground cities and the Byzantine cave churches here, as well as Pasabagi with its unique "fairy chimneys". According to the legend, these odd-shaped rocks housed fairies that were capable of casting spells. We will climb the Uchisar Fortress for a panoramic view of the beautiful Goreme Valley; visit Urgup, known for its Selcuk and Ottoman historical works, its kilims, handicrafts, and local wines; and tour Avanos, which is famous for its pottery.
En route to Konya we will visit the Selcuk's Kervansaray (camel palace) where caravans stopped to rest along the trading route; we will also visit the world's first city, Catal Huyuk, which is at present under excavation. While in Konya, the city where Mevlana founded the Mevlevi Order of Whirling Dervishes, our tour will include: a visit to the Museum of Mevlana, the Karatay Medresesi with its beautiful display of Selcuk tiles; and the wood and stone Selcuk carvings of Ince Minare Medresesi.
Today we will travel to Antioch in Pisidia to explore its ruins. This was an ancient city with a diversity of religious backgrounds. Chosen by Emperor Augustus to be the second capital in Anatolia, St. Paul also used it as a base for proclaiming Christianity to Anatolia. We will visit the Church of St. Paul and the Temple of Augustus, then make a stop for lunch at lovely Lake Egirdir before continuing on to Pamukkale (ancient Hierapolis) to spend the night.
This morning we will explore Pamukkale before heading to Antalya via Aphrodisias. The cliffs of Pamukkale are covered with brilliant white mineral deposits, with pools of clear warm water fed by thermal springs, creating a unique and beautiful natural wonder. This site was a famous health spa in Roman times and is still in use today. You may soak in the pools and view the beautiful marble columns, toppled by earthquakes, that lie at the bottom; then explore the ruins of ancient Hierapolis with its theater, Temple of Apollo, colonnaded street, bath and its extensive necropolis. One of the most scenic drives we will take is the route through the beautiful Toros Mountains to the harbor city of Antalya on the Mediterranean, one of the few cities that enjoy an appealing mixture of ancient and modern worlds. En route to Antalya we will visit Aphrodisias, the city of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. This interesting site has very impressive ruins and beautiful marble statuary.
In the morning, we will visit the ancient sites of Perge and Aspendos, the latter has one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the world. In the afternoon, we will tour the Antalya Archaeological Museum, one of the finest museums in Turkey, containing exhibits ranging from the Stone Age to a 6th century relief of the Archangel Gabriel. There will still be time to explore Antalya's old city quarter where many fine examples of Ottoman architecture are being carefully restored, and walk along the ancient harbor.
A visit to the Lycian rock-cut tombs in Myra and a trip to the nearby Church of St. Nicholas, where the legend of our beloved Santa Claus began, are on our agenda today. Continuing along the Mediterranean coast we will visit Xanthos, once the capital and grandest city of Lycia, which is beautifully situated overlooking the Xanthos River.
This morning we will stop in Dalyan to view the ruins of the Carian city of Caunos and the Lycian Temple tombs carved dramatically out of the cliff above the Dalyan River. Dalyan is also famous as the breeding ground of the Caretta caretta, a rare kind of turtle, that lays its eggs and hatches its young on the beaches there, which are closed from June to September to accommodate the species. Then we will drive onto a peninsula which extends west into the Mediterranean Sea to the picturesque town of Datca to spend the night.
Today we will explore the city of Cnidus with its two magnificent harbors - one on the Aegean coast and the other on the Mediterranean. There are also two impressive theaters, and a statue of Aphrodite made by Praxiteles which is believed to be the first free-standing monument of a woman. This Aphrodite of Cnidus became the standard against which all subsequent representations of feminine beauty were measured. We will travel to the harbor city of Bodrum to spend the night.
Bodrum (ancient Halicarnassus). Strolling along the ancient harbor, we will come across many interesting shops to browse as we make our way to the Museum of Underwater Archaeology which is housed in the impressive Castle of St. Peter. The Museum contains many fascinating artifacts and restored shipwrecks from 1600 BC, retrieved from the dangerous waters along the peninsula. Then we will visit the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Traveling further along the coast today, we will stop to explore Euromos, which has a very picturesque Temple of Zeus, followed by three famous ancient cities that were once part of the Ionian League: Didyma, the religious center; Miletus, the business and cultural center; and Priene, the political center. We will continue on to Kusadasi, which has a beautiful location and houses a splendid boat harbor and fortress, for overnight.
Today we will explore the fascinating Hellenistic and Roman city of Ephesus including its beautiful theater, Celsus Library, Temple of Artemis one of the wonders of the ancient world and intriguing ruins. In the nearby charming town of Selcuk, we will tour the Museum of Ephesus where, among many artifacts, we will see a well-known statue of Artemis.
We will travel north along the Aegean coast today, with a stop to visit Sardis with its impressive synagogue, gymnasium-bath complex, and Temple of Artemis. Sardis is known as the residence of Croesus of "rich as Croesus" fame, and also the place where gold and silver coins first appeared. We will continue on to Pergamum, which has an interesting ancient medical center and acropolis, it is especially famous for its library, once one of the most extensive in the world. Pergamum is also famous for the origination of parchment, from which we derived our modern writing paper. We will spend the night in the seaside town of Ayvalik.
Today we will continue our drive along the northern Aegean coast, stopping at Assos, a very important city during the 4th century BC; it was a well-known center for the study of philosophy and natural sciences. Aristotle, who later became a tutor of Alexander the Great, taught here. The city was protected by a magnificent wall, one of the most impressive fortifications in Anatolia. The view from the Temple of Athena is particularly beautiful. Then we will visit Troy, the site of Homer's classic epic "the Iliad", where nine different layers of civilization have been uncovered and partially excavated.
In the morning we will cross the famous Dardanelles by ferry to Gallipoli, where we will visit some of the memorials to those who died in World War I during the famous Battle of Gallipoli. Then we will travel through Thrace (the European section of Turkey) along the Sea of Marmara to a fascinating cross-road city of Istanbul to spend the night.
Today we will explore Istanbul by walking to the Hippodrome, arena for political, cultural, and sports activities during Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman times, the Blue Mosque, famous for its Iznik blue tiles; and St. Sophia, the largest Christian church in the world for more than 1,000 years. Nearby is the Underground Palace, or Basilica Cistern, with its mystical atmosphere and marble columns surrounded with water. Finally, we will visit the most famous museum in Turkey, Istanbul Archaeological Museum, which is the part of the complex including Ancient Orient Museum and tile museum (kiosk) as well.
Our motor coach will follow the ancient city walls of Istanbul to the Chora Museum, which has the most beautiful mosaics in Turkey. Afterwards we will have a Bosphorus cruise between the continents to see some of the interesting historical buildings, as well as the fabulous palaces and villas that hug the shoreline. Later we will have a tour of the old and new city, including the Galata and Pera regions.
Depart for the USA.
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