Depart your home town today for an overnight flight to Istanbul.
Arrive in Istanbul. After you have cleared immigration and customs you will proceed to the domestic terminal for your flight to Gazinatep. Upon arrival in Gaziantep you will be met and transferred to your hotel for overnight.
This morning we will visit the Gaziantep Synagogue built in the10th century having burned completely and rebuilt in the 19th century to serve the community who had moved mostly from Aleppo. Extensive ruins remain of the several buildings: the midrash, the yeshiva, the house of worship and even a matzah oven. Then we will explore the copper and spice market, the most interesting market in Turkey. Gaziantep (ancient Aintap), is the pistachio capital of Turkey, and the city where the traditional Turkish foods of baklava and kebab originated. We will also visit the Museum, where the beautiful mosaics rescued from Zeugma are on display, the best Roman Mosaics in Turkey.
This morning we will drive to visit one of the most interesting and still active Antakya Synagogue in the old city that is a pivot of several religions and nationalities living side by side in peace and harmony. This synagogue may have been built in 1870 and continues to be in regular use. We will also visit the Archaeological Museum, famous for its mythological themes, Roman fishing and hunting mosaics beautifully displayed in natural light.
En route to Adana we will visit the Iskenderun (City of Alexander) Synagogue and walk around to see the diverse architecture of once a glorious city, where Alexander the Great and Darius the Great had their final battle which ended with victory for Alexander.
We will continue to Adana to visit the Adana Synagogue. Jews organized into an independent community as early as the 4th century here. After 1915 immigration from other Turkish cities and the Russian Revolution the first synagogue opened. Since 1987 the synagogue has been in a two story house with a courtyard.
This morning we will drive through the famous Cilician Gates as the ancient Silk Road travelers did, except they went on camels!
We will cross the Taurus Mountains for the Anatolian Plateau above 3,000 feet to the Cappadocia region and proceed to Ankara.
Ankara, the ancient Ankuwash or the Angora, has been the capital of the Turkish Republic since 1923.
In the morning, we will visit the Ankara Synagogue in the Jewish quarter. Jews of the Empire were granted rights by Caesar Augustus before the14th AD. Sephardic Jews arrived in the 15th century. The synagogue was rebuilt after the big fire 1834 which devastated the whole district. So it dates from after fire period, having a major restoration in 1947. In the afternoon we will visit the Museum of Ancient Anatolian Civilizations, the best museum in Turkey for pre-classic exhibits.
Our final destination today is Izmir, ancient Smyrna, which has had a large, prosperous Jewish community since the 15th century and there are several Jewish synagogues still in use. We will visit the Old Jewish quarter, the Senora (Sinyora) Synagogue, Dario Moreno Street. Several fires between the 16th and 19th centuries destroyed this synagogue. This one was built after 1841. Then we go to the large, active Bet (Beth) Israel Synagogue, built in 1907 after a petition to the Sultan.
Today we will explore the fascinating Hellenistic and Roman city of Ephesus which has a beautiful theater, Celsus library, and many intriguing ruins of once great city. We'll end up in Selcuk, in the Ephesus Museum to view the famous statues of Artemis amongst other works of art and antiques. In the evening we will return to Izmir.
Today we continue our drive to Sardis where synagogue ruins date back to the 2nd century AD Roman times. There we see the beautiful geometric wall designs and floor mosaics of the remains of one of the largest ancient synagogues. Then we will drive to Bursa for overnight.
Bursa, ancient Prusa and the first capital of the Ottoman Empire where the silk trade flourished during Byzantine and Ottoman times, has some fine Ottoman architecture. We will visit Gerush, built in the 16th century, restored after the 1855 earthquake and Mayor Synagogue, built by Sephardic Jews in the late 16th century. Damaged in 1855 by the earthquake, it was restored and reopened in 2001. We will visit the famous Green Mosque – Green Tomb as well as the silk market.
On our way to Canakkale we visit Troy, the site of Homer's classic epic "The Iliad", where nine different layers of civilization have been uncovered and partially excavated. In Canakkale we will visit old city which houses Mekor Hayim Synagogue recently beautifully restored and opened in 2005.
Today we will take a ferry to cross the Dardanelles for Gallipoli Peninsula for Edirne, ancient Hadrianopolis with its beautiful Ottoman buildings including mosque, bridges, Caravanserais and Bedestans.
Once we arrive in Edirne we'll start sightseeing the old city with the Kal Kadosh Agadol Synagogue built in 1907 following a fire in 1905. It consists of three buildings: the Great Synagogue, small places of worship, a school and administration combined. Because of snow and other natural causes, it is in need of restoration. We'll proceed to the Selimiye Mosque which was built by Sultan Selim II in 1575 and designed by Ottoman master architect Sinan.
This morning we will drive to Kirklareli, ancient Verissa to visit the Musa Synagogue going back to the 17th century. It is believed that the first Jewish settlers were Ashkenazi in the 14th century. The current synagogue was built on the site of the former structure.
Then we drive to Corlu to visit probably the most interesting synagogue mosque combination built as a synagogue in 1906 with its beautifully decorated ceiling by Italian craftsmen, it was converted into a mosque in about 1970, and is still in use. Our final destination today will be Istanbul.
Today we will explore Istanbul by visiting 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, there is the Underground Palace, or Basilica Cistern, with its mystical atmosphere and marble columns surrounded with water. Finally, we will tour the legendary Topkapi Palace, home to the Ottoman Sultans for more than 400 years. Overnight in Istanbul.
Our motor coach will follow the city walls to Balat. The first Jewish immigrants from Spain settled near Balat and Haskoy on the Golden Horn. We start our tour with a visit to the Ahrida Synagogue, the oldest in town, rebuilt in 1694 after the fire in 1660. Then we continue to the main Jewish quarter of Galata where we climb atop Galata Tower for a scenic view of the area. Reminders of ancient Spain (Toledo, etc.) architecture, style and Hebrew characters are all around. We will also visit the Neve Shalom Synagogue and the ornate Nissim Camondo staircase. Later proceed to the Asian side of the Bosporus for Kuzguncuk and its still active Jewish cemetery. Overnight in Istanbul.
This morning we will take a boat to the Princes' Island to see two synagogues. Buyukada is the most beautiful island in the Sea of Marmara and is a predominantly Jewish resort. We will visit the Hesed Le Avraam Synagogue, opened in1904 with some repairs in 1985.
Restaurants and shops predominate this special vacationers' community (no cars are allowed, all means of transportation you will see, are bicycles or horse-drawn carriages). Another interesting synagogue here is Beth Yaakov Synagogue in Heybeliada which opened in 1956.
Departure for home.
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