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Private guided tours
Tour Itinerary
Day 1 :
Transfer from the airport and drop off to the hotel. Afternoon
is at your leisure.
Day 2 :
Today we will see the ancient city walls then we will see
The
Saint Saviour- Chora Church which is covered with the entricate
golden mosaics inspired from the Bible and the life of Virgin
Mary, Jesus…Then we drive to see the
Eyüp Mosque and witness the
religious life and their ritual visits to tomb of beloved friend
of Prophet Muhammed, then we climb up to hill to have a
beautiful view over the golden horn in Pierre Loti Cafe.. After
your lunch we drive to the Patriarch Of Orthodox Christianity
and see the ancient restored church with the wooden building ..Then
we go to see the life of İstanbul citizens in
Taksim… We
guarantee that you will gain different perspectives of the life
of this fabulous city throughout the day..Transfer to Istanbul
Airport for your evening flight to Trabzon. Upon arrival at
Trabzon, transfer to your hotel and overnight.
Day 3 :
After breakfast you will have a city tour of Trabzon which is
historically and socio-culturally being the most important
centre of Eastern Black Sea Region and has a history of
approximately 5000 years, though its exact date of foundation is
unknown. We will visit the Mosque of Gulbahar Hatun, and
St.Sophia
Church. Afternoon is free at leisure.
Day 4 :
Morning excursion to the Sumela Monastery, built in the XIVth
century. It is the most important Byzantine monument of the
region and is situated on a cliff 1000 feet above the alley
floor and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Return to Trabzon for
dinner and overnight.
Day 5 :
Morning drive to Erzurum through the famous
Zigana Pass at an
altitude of 6500 feet. Afternoon sightseeing in Erzurum will
include the Yakudiye Medrese, the Ulu Mosque from 1179, the
Double Minaret Medrese which is masterpiece of Selcuk Art and
the Hatuniye Turbe. Dinner and overnight in Erzurum.
Day 6 :
Drive to Kars via Horasan and
Sarikamis. Arrival in Kars in
early afternoon and sightseeing the Citadel and
Church of the
Apostles. Dinner and overnight in Kars.
Day 7 :
Full-day excursion to Ani, located on the river that constitutes
the Turkish-Russian border. Ani was founded in the IXth century
and has many interesting remains such as the cathedral, city
walls and gates. On the way to Dogubeyazit enjoy the beautiful
scenery of Mt.Ararat. Many archeologists and biblical scholars
believe Noah's Ark landed on Agri Dagi (Mount Ararat) in eastern
Turkey Afternoon sightseeing in Dogubeyazit - which is believed
to be the Garden of Eden - including the citadel built at the
time of the Urartian Kingdom and the
Ishak Pasha Palace and
Mosque of the 17th century. Dinner and overnight in Dogubeyazit.
Day 8 :
After breakfast you will visit the Muradiye Waterfall. On the
road possible to see famous Ararat Mountain where old saying:
Noahs Ark situated at the top of the mountain. Then depart for
7000 years old Urartian city of Van, arrival and check in to
hotel, after lunch we have city tour, return to hotel and
leisure time.
Day 9 :
Before lunch, free time to enjoy the beautiful
Lake Van. After
lunch enjoy a half-day tour of Van. First visit the
Archaeological Museum which houses mainly Urartian remains. Then
drive to the Citadel of Van where you will enjoy the most
beautiful sunset over Lake Van. Dinner and overnight in Van.
Day 10 :
Drive to Gevas and take a boat to the Island of Akdamar. On the
Island, visit the Basilica built in 915. Return to Gevas and
drive to Cavustepe, an Urartian city, then to the river Guzelsu
to visit Hosap Fortress. Return to Van for dinner and overnight.
Day 11 :
After breakfast we will leave from Van to Mardin. On the way we
will stop for Hasankeyf. We will visit grottos, castle and
Hasankeyf 's bridge. Then We will visit another great monastery
which is called the Monastery of Mor Gabriel. We will continue
for Mother Mary Monastery which was built in the 1st century.
Overnight in Mardin.
Day 12 :
After breakfast we will explore for Mardin. This town had a
large Christian community and there are still some Syrian
Christian families and churches . On the out skirts is the
monastery of Deyruzaffaran in which Aramaic, the language of
Jesus, is still used as the liturgical tongue. The history of
Mardin, like that of Diyarbakir, involves disputes by rival
armies over dozens and dozens centuries. Syrian Orthodox
Christians settled in this area during the 1st century. We will
leave from Mardin to Diyarbakir. It will take 60 miles
countryside view trip. The Tigiris (Dicle) flows by the mighty
black walls of Diyarbakir. Considering that Mesopotamia, the
land between the Tigris and Euphrates valleys, saw the down fall
of the world's first great empires. We will visit the
famous
city's wall which is the second longest in the world after
China's Wall. It is 5 kilometers long and 8-12 meters high. Our
visiting will continue for Ulu Mosque which was converted from
church to mosque in 639. Dinner and overnight at Diyarbakir.
(B,L,D)
Day 13 :
After breakfast we will leave for Sanli Urfa. Our first stop is
Harran. Harran, 50 kilometers south from Sanli Urfa, is one of
the oldest continuously occupied settlements on the earth, with
its beehivelike mudbrick houses. Here was the
Temple of Sin (erroneously
called the first university ), famous throughout the ancient
world for its star readers and savants. It was in Harran where
Rebecca drew water for Isaac's servant, from where
Abraham decided to make his move into the land of Cannan. We will enjoy
with Halilurahman Mosque and
Ulu Mosque which was first built as
a synagogue then converted to a church called Kizil Church, and
then on the church, Ulu Mosque was built in 1175. Lodging in
Sanli Urfa. (B,L,D)
Day 14 :
After breakfast we will depart for Kahta. On the way you will
see Ataturk Dam. We have a fabulous countryside trip to
Nemrut
Mountain. On this summit lies a 2000 year old memorial sanctuary
for an obscure Commagene King, with huge statues of gods and
kings, their heads toppled by earthquakes and scattered on the
ground. Overnight in Kahta. (B,L,D)
Day 15 :
Breakfast and departure for Antakya, the biblical city called
Antioch, situated next to the Asi (Orantes) River in the fertile
plains surrounded with the high mountains . On the way we will
visit the Zeugma Ruins. The ancient city of
Zeugma, originally,
was founded by Selevkos Nikador, one of the generals of the
Alexander the Great, in 300 B.C. At that time the city was named
after the general and called Selevkaya Euphrates. And the
population in the city was approximately 80 000. In 64 B.C.
Zeugma was conquered and ruled by Roman Empire and with this
shift the name of the city was changed into Zeugma to mean
bridge-passage. Dinner and overnight in Antakya. (B,L,D)
Day 16 :
After breakfast we will visit Antakya - the city where the word
"Christian" was used for the first time. Its museum has one of
the richest Roman mosaic collection of the world. The major part
of the fantastic stone paintings were found during the
excavations in Antakya and around Daphne. Outside the city there
is the Cave of Saint Peter which was a church constructed in a
cave where the apostles gave their first preach and where the
Christian community settled down.On the way to
Adana we will see
Toprakkale Fortress. Dinner and overnight in Adana. (B,L,D)
Day 17 :
After our breakfast we drive to Cappadocia by passing through
the Taurus Mountain which is one of the important mountain chain
lined on the south of Turkey. On the way our first stop is to
have lunch near the waterfall on the Taurus Mountain skirts.
Then we continue our drive to Soğanlı Valley which is stil
keeping its wild nature and seems isolated from any modern
utilities in its misterious shape..We will walk along the valley
or drive by car in order to see some churches and see the real
village life and the handmade dolls sold by villagers…
Day 18 :
This morning we will visit the Uçhisar castle, the highest point
of the region where you can see all different valleys , rock
dwelling houses, wineyards and the pigeonaries on the landscape.. After
our castle visit , we walk in the village which is really so
rich with the volcanic houses…then we go to see the
undegroundcity of Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu on the south part of the
region.And we will have our lunch in a nice place…After that,
wego to visit the Göreme Open Air Museum where we will see the
beautiful frescoes dating back to 4-13. century A.D. On the way
we can stop in a carpetweaving rug palace to learn the history
of Turkish carpets from a local lecturer in Cappadocia region…Then
we can go to see the sunset on the panoramic view point
depending on the weather conditions…
Day 19 :
After breakfast, transfer to Kayseri Airport for your morning
flight back to Istanbul. Then enjoy a full-day tour of Istanbul.
Our first stop will be the Hippodrome, where chariot races were
held and competitive athletic events took place during the Roman
period. Then world famous St.Sophia - the great Byzantine
Basilica built in the 6th century - following the
Blue Mosque
famous for its six minarets and magnificent interior blue tiles.
Then you will enjoy a Bosphorus Tour by boat along the waterway
separating Europe from Asia. The shore is lined with old wooden
villas, palaces of marble, fortresses, and small fishing
villages. During the excursion you will pass the magnificent
Dolmabahce Palace, and further along, the parks and imperial
pavillions of Yildiz Palace. (B,L,D)
Day 20 :
Today you will visit the Topkapi Palace, the residence of
Ottoman sultans housing richness of 700 years. Later on you will
be browsing the Grand Bazaar. Free afternoon to explore the city
on your own and overnight stay in Istanbul. Tonight there will
be a farewell dinner. (B,L,D)
Day 21 :
Pick up from the hotel and transfer to the airport.
or Tailer mode tours can be arranged with respect to your
interests and requesteds, too.
Just
e-mail us about your tour. |
