EASTERN TURKEY
A Cultural tour of Turkey

Eastern Anatolia is a part of Turkey that has its own unique past. The region’s long and turbulent history has left monuments to its various civilizations: Byzantine monasteries and churches, Seljuk mausoleums and caravanserais, elegant Ottoman mosques and hilltop citadels. Our 15-day Eastern Turkey tour is an attempt at understanding the history and culture of this unique part of Turkey.

Day 01 Arrive Istanbul
Upon arrival meet with our representative and transfer to the hotel. Check in time starts from 1400 hrs. Dinner not included.
Overnight: Black Bird Hotel, Istanbul (1 night)

Day 02 Istanbul/Trabzon (Flight)
Morning flight to Trabzon, the main city of the Black Sea Region. Upon arrival, depart for the visit of the Byzantine Monastery of Sumela located hinterland in a breathtaking site, hanging on the face of a 1,200m / 4,000 ft high steep rock. Drive back to Trabzon where Alexios Comnenos founded the Independent Empire of Trebizond in the early 13th century. After lunch in the city, visit old Haghia Sophia Church (turned into a museum), decorated with wonderful 13th century frescoes which are the most beautiful from this period that can be seen in Turkey; the Panaghia Chryzokephalos (The Golden Head Virgin) which was the first church to be converted into a mosque (Fatih Camii) when the city fell to Mehmet the Conqueror; the old quarters of the upper town including the walls; the Russian Bazaar in the harbour. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Usta Park, Trabzon (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 03 Trabzon/Rize/Erzurum (Drive 259 miles)
Morning, you will head towards Rize, located in the middle of green tea plantations that make the wealth of the region. Continue to Hopa, near the Georgian border, and arrive in Artvin. After lunch, drive through the Coruh Valley characterized by beautiful wild landscapes all along the raging river which is suitable for rafting, and Georgian vestiges including castles and churches. Visit picturesque Ishan Village perched in the mountains. In this village, which was once an Armenian then a Georgian bishopric, stand the ruins of a 8-9th century cathedral and a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in 1006. Along Lake Tortum, you will continue to Erzurum, located on a plateau at an altitude of 1905 m/ 6,250 ft. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Polat Renaissance Hotel, Erzurum (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 04 Erzurum/Ani/Dogubayazit (Drive 186 miles)
Morning, visit the Seljuk monuments of Erzurum, large city of eastern Anatolia which has a reputation for beeing the coldest in Turkey: visit Cifte Minare Medresesi, the old school of theology with two minarets covered with tiles; Ulu Cami, the oldest mosque in Erzurum with its beautiful wooden dome; the "turbe" which are domed tombs. After lunch in Kars, continue to Ani, the ancient capital of the Bagratid Armenians, founded in the 9th century. Visit the site located on a plateau near the gorges of the Arpa Cayi which course has delimited the border between Armenia and Turkey. Drive back to Kars, a city with a stereotyped architecture left by the Russians and continue to Dogubayazit located at the foothills of Mount Ararat. This volcano that culminates at 5,165 m/ 16,945 ft and whose summit is always capped with snow, is the highest mount in Anatolia where Noah's Ark is thought to have landed after the Deluge. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Simer Hotel, Dogubayazit (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 05 Dogubayazit/Van (Drive 280 miles)
Morning, visit Ishak Pasa Palace where Persian, Armenian, Georgian, Seljuk and Ottoman styles have been mixed in an harmonious way. After lunch, drive along the Iran border through barren landscapes of volcanic stones. Stop at Muradiye Waterfalls for lunch. Continue to Van, the ancient Tushpa and the capital of the Urartu Kingdom. Van is located on the eastern bank of Lake Van,Turkey's largest (salted) lake. Visit the citadel from where there is a panoramic view over the lake. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Merit Sahmaran Hotel, Van (2 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 06 Van/Hosap/Akdamar/Van (Drive 100 miles)
Morning, drive to Cavustepe and visit the 8C BC Urartian citadel. Continue to Hosap village impressively crowned by a castle. From the top you will enjoy most astonishingly shaped landscapes. Drive back to Lake Van. After lunch in Gevas, boat excursion to Akhtamar island where stands the 10C Holy Cross Church whose facades are ornemented with beautiful reliefs depicting scenes from the Bible, Armenian king Gagik, animals and vine. Return to Van. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 07 Van/Tatvan/Bitlis/Diyarbakir (Drive 106 miles)
Morning, drive along the north shore of Lake Van to visit Ahlat and its interesting Seljuk cemetery with tombstones and mausoleums whose architecture is different from those in Central Anatolia. Lunch in Tatvan. Continue to Bitlis and stop in this picturesque town located in a narrow and deep valley. Arrive in Diyarbakir, a big city located near the right bank of the Tigris River (Dicle) and named "the Dark" because of its black basalt walls which are one of the best examples of medieval military architecture. Visit the impressive city walls and the Grand Mosque which includes many re-used building materials from the Byzantine and more ancient periods. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Class Hotel, Diyarbakir (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 08 Diyarbakir/Hasankeyf/Midyat/Mardin (Drive 165 miles)
Morning, drive through the oilfield area of Batman. Arrive in Hasankeyf, located at the end of an impressive large gorge formed by the Tigris River, in the middle of which stand the huge piers of the Old Bridge. Visit the capital of the Artukids in the 12th century, the Roman ruins of ancient Cephe set on top of the cliff from where the view over the region is splendid. Continue to Turbadin Plateau where a Syriac-Jacobite community lives, and visit the old town of Midyat, a small treasure of architecture. After lunch, visit Mar Gabriel Monastery and the Church of the Virgin Mary in Anitli. Continue to Mardin that rises in tiers on the mountain slope and overlooks the vast plains of Mesopotamia. You will stroll through the alleys and stairs of the town to discover its typical houses and monuments such as Sultan Isa Medrese, the Great Ulu Camii Mosque, the buildings of the Post-office. Also visit the Syriac-Jacobite Deyrul Zaferan Monastery located outside mardin. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Buyuk Hotel, Mardin (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 09 Mardin/Harran/Urfa (Drive 185 miles)
Morning, drive to recently discovered Gobeklitepe mound. Continue to Harran, visit this village whose houses are called beehive-houses because of their most surprising cone-shaped roofs, and the ancient city where Abraham is said to have spent several years of his life. Arrive in Urfa for lunch. Discover the "City of the Prophetes" whose past is rich and eventful: you will see Abraham's Caves; Balikli Gol, a large pool full of sacred carps with the mosques reflected in its waters; the busy and colorful bazaar and the "hans" with their different guilds; the old quarter and traditional corbelled houses. Drive back to Urfa. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Harran Hotel, Urfa (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 10 Urfa/Nemrut Dag/Kahta (Drive 126 miles)
Morning, depart for Kahta. On the way, stop at Ataturk Dam built on the Euphrates River. A full day to explore Eski Kahta: you will see Karakus Tumulus, a burial sanctuary; Cendere Bridge, erected by the XVI Legion in the honour of Roman Emperor Septimus Severus; Arsameia on the Nymphaios (Eski Kale) with its cult monuments and reliefs. Then you will drive inside the National Park of Nemrut Dag to start the ascension of Mount Nemrut, the highest mountain (2150 m / 7,000 ft) in northern Mesopotamia, on top of which, in the 1C BC, Antiochus I king of Commagene erected a sanctuary where he was venerated like a god, and where he was buried. You will visit the breathtaking site with its monumental statues located on terraces from where you will watch, according to the season, an unforgettable sunrise or sunset. Drive back to Kahta. Lunch during the visits. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Nemrut Hotel, Kahta (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 11 Kahta/Halfeti/Zeugma/Gaziantep (Drive 210 miles)
Morning, depart for Halfeti located at the bottom of a picturesque canyon hollowed by the Euphrates. Boat ride to explore the canyon, Rumkale Fortress and the valley submerged by the rising waters from Birecik Dam. After lunch at Birecik, proceed to the ancient Roman city of Zeugma, the most famous crossing spot on the Euphrates for the caravans of the "Silk Road" and the military convoys of antiquity. Beautiful mosaics have been brought to light inside Roman villas but the site is today partly submerged by the waters of the dam. Continue to Gaziantep, the Turkish pistachio capital. Visit the old quarters surrounding the fortress, and the Archaeological Museum where the superb Roman mosaics from Zeugma are displayed. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Ravanda Hotel, Gaziantep (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 12 Gaziantep/Antakya/Adana (Drive 186 miles)
Morning, drive to Antakya, the ancient Antioch whose people lived in exuberant luxury and where the disciples of Jesus were called "christians" here for the first time. After lunch, visit the Mosaic Museum which displays one of the richest collections of Roman and Byzantine Mosaics in the world. Also visit the Grotto of St Peter where the Apostle Peter is believed to have preached, and which has been designated by the Vatican as a place of pilgrimage. Drive through the Plain of Issus (Dortyol), whereAlexander the Great crushed Darius III's Persian army, overlooked by the Fortress of Toprakkkale built by the Crusaders. Continue through the rich agricultural plain of Cilicia to Tarsus, the birthplace of St Paul and the home to one of the first Christian churches in Asia Minor: visit St Paul's Well, Ulu Cami Mosque, Eski mosque, the Gate of Cleopatra crossed by the Egyptian queen and Mark Antony when they met in Tarsus. In the evening, arrive in Adana, Turkey's fourth largest city. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Cukurova Surmeli Hotel, Adana (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 13 Adana/Tarsus/Karatepe/Kayseri (Drive 240 miles)/Istanbul (Flight)
In the morning, depart through the National Park of Karatepe to visit the open-air museum of Karatepe, a 8C BC Neo-Hittite site which is a beautiful open-air museum that has been left intact after the excavations, with its statues, hieroglyphic inscriptions and reliefs. Continue north to the city of Kayseri for a flight to Istanbul. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Black Bird Hotel, Istanbul (2 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 14 Istanbul
Day at leisure in Istanbul. Lunch and dinner are not included. (B)

Day 15 Depart Istanbul
Transfer to the airport. Check out time is by 1100 hrs. (B)

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Departure Dates
2010 English Speaking Departures May 14 & Sep 17
Inclusions
Tour Price Includes Tour Price Does Not Include Hotel Accommodation as mentioned or similar Any airfares Meal Plan as mentioned (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner) Airport/Departure Taxes All sightseeing and transfers by private transportation Insurances / Visas / Tips Services of local English speaking guides   Entrance fees to museums and sites included in the itinerary
Tour Price
We accept payment in US $ (US Dollars), CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent EURO (for clients outside North America). Bestway Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection. Once full payment has been received, and no modification has been made to the tour itinerary, we will honour that rate. For complete payment procedures, please download Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf Note: to read this file you must have Adobe Acrobat.
Departures Double Occupancy Single Room Supplement 2010 US $ 2650 US $ 495
Estimated International Airfare - International airfare is NOT included in this tour
Canada - West Coast N/A USA - West Coast US $ 1600 Canada - East Coast N/A USA - East Coast US $ 1400
Participants
This tour operates on a minimum of 02 & a maximum of 20 persons
Notes
Customised Itinerary If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you. Foreign Language Departures Please contact us for information on French, German, Italian and Spanish speaking departures. You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com or call us at 604.264.7378. Residents of U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1.800.663.0844.