<strong>Turkey - April 25, 2013</strong>

April 25th: Depart Cape Town

April 26th: Arrive Istanbul, Turkey. Transfer to your hotel. 

Overnight...     

April 27th: After breakfast at the hotel we have a ½ day tour of Istanbul visiting the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, and the grand bazaar.

Free afternoon to lunch as you like and explore the bazaar.

Overnight Istanbul... Hotel Megara breakfast

April 28th...Early transfer to the airport for our 7am flight to Ankara. We meet our guide at the airport. Drive to Anatolian Civilizations Museum. We will see Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemel Ataturk, and have a brief lecture on the transition from the classical Ottoman Empire to modern Turkey. Our drive to Cappadocia is a picturesque trip along the Salt Lake. A visit to the Kaymakli Underground city which was dug in early Hittite times. It was expanded over the centuries as various armies plundered the area. Before the Roman Empire accepted Christianity as it’s official religion early Christians took shelter in the underground cities to avoid pagan persecutors. 

Overnight Cappidocia... Hotel Sofa      breakfast and lunch

April 29th: We visit Devrent Valley, and Monks Valley (Pasabagi). We will see some of the most striking fairy chimneys in Cappidocia with twin and even triple rock caps. Proceed to Avanos, a town well known for it’s pottery in Anatolia. After lunch we continue onto Goreme, an open air museum. It contains the finest of the rock cut churches with beautiful frescos whose colour in many retains it’s original beauty.

Overnight Cappadocia...breakfast and lunch

April 30th: A morning of hiking through the green Ihlara Valley, along the stream visiting churches along the way. A stop in Bellisirma for lunch, then onto Selime for some panoramic views.
Overnight Cappidocia... breakfast and lunch

May 1st: Drive to Konya to visit the Mausoleum of Mevlana, the world famous mystic figure also known as Rumi. Learn about Sufism and mystical Islam. Proceed to Pamukkale.

Overnight Pamukkale...Hotel Pam Thermal breakfast, lunch and dinner

May 2nd: Unique in the world Pamukkale’s terraces are made of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by water from the hot springs. Pamukkale is recognised as a world heritage site together with Hierapolis. Hierapolis was founded as a thermal spa early in the second century BC. In Hierapolis we visit the temple of Apollo, Theatre, Plutonium, Nymphaeum, Necropolis and Nartyrium. In the afternoon a tour of Aphrodisias. This city was named after Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love. We visit the Temple, of Aphrodite, the Theater, the Stadium, the Agora, Hadrian’s baths, the Odeon, and the Bishop’s Palace.

An optional swim in Cleopatra’s warm pool among the broken columns is ment to be divine.

Overnight Kusadasi...Hotel Efe breakfast and lunch

May 3rd: A full day tour of Ephesus which was an important center for early Christianity from AD 50. From AD 52-54 Paul lived in Ephesus. Ephesus contains the largest collection of Roman ruins in the eastern Mediterranean. Only an estimated 15% has been excavated. In Ephesus we see the Artemis Temple, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. We see the Library of Celus, Basicilica of St. John, Ephesus Museum, the Odeon, the Temple of Hadrian, the Temple of Domitian, and the Temple/Fountain of Pollio. The theatre is believed to be the largest outdoor theatre in the ancient world. 
After Ephesus a visit to the House of the Virgin Mary. Tie your wishes to the wish wall.

Overnight Kusadasi...breakfast and lunch

May 4: Drive to Sirince, an ancient Greek village. The village was settled when Ephesus was abandoned in the 15th century. Most of what one sees today dates from the 19th century. We have lunch in a house and observe women preparing local foods. We wander the streets where local women sell handicrafts, olive oil and hand made soaps. Leatherware, embroidered linens, and jewelry stalls are plentiful. Dried fruits, nuts and pomegranate sauce can also be found on every corner. There are small stands selling fresh squeezed orange and ruby red pomegranate juice that is wonderful. The village is also famous for it’s wine and you have the opportunity to visit a wine house.

We spend the night in an old village house in Sirince.

Overnight Sirince... Hotel Kirkinca breakfast and lunch

May 5: Early departure for Pergamum, the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamum in the Hellenistic period. This is one of the seven churches addressed in Revelation. We visit Asclepion, Temple of Serapis, Library of Pergamum, and the theatre. In the afternoon we travel onto Troy which is best known for it’s focus of the Trojan War.

It is described in the Greek Epic Cycle, and especially in the Iliad by Homer of Smyrna.

Drive onto Canakkale.

Overnight Canakkale... Hotel Helen breakfast and lunch
May 6:  After breakfast we proceed to Istanbul. On arrival we transfer to our hotel. Remainder of day at leisure.
     Overnight Istanbul... Hotel Megara Breakfast
May 7th: Before embarkation on our Bosphorus Cruise we visit the Spice Bazaar or Egyptian Bazaar. It is the second largest covered bazaar after the Grand Bazaar. Filled with spices, saffron, a huge variety of Turkish Delights, nuts, and dried fruits. Outdoors it is surrounded with garden specialties and local doctors claiming success with leaches which are kept in large jars. The fragrance is of the exotic east.
We board our ferry boat to travel up and down the Bosphorus, the entrance to the Mediterraean. Standing at the head is Maiden’s tower, said to have been first constructed in 340 BC.  Ottoman Palaces, citadels, centuries old mansions line the shores of the Bosphorus on the European and Asian shorelines. Remainder of day at leisure.
     Overnight Istanbul...breakfast
May 8th: Istanbul free day. Optional walk through the underground Cistern. A visit to the Topkapi Palace, or wander through the narrow streets of the Sultanahmet. Peruse the shops in new Istanbul.
     Overnight  Istanbul...breakfast
May 9th: Another day to explore the vast city of Istanbul. You will be amazed at how much there is to see here.
     Overnight Istanbul...breakfast
May 10th: Our flight back to Cape Town departs at                 and arrives at
     Breakfast


Cost R32,800
~~~
A R4,000 deposit holds you a place on the tour.

***Note all breakfasts, 8 lunches and 1 dinner is included.


