Ancient Turkey escorted small group history tour

We will come to the hotel individually and have a welcome briefing on the itinerary and your Turkey trip and enjoy a welcome dinner.

Today we will take a field trip to discover the ancient world treasures of Istanbul, the sprawling metropolis where Europe and Asia collide. The city has a rich and textured history that dates back over 3000 years. Originally named Lygos, it was colonised by the Greeks in the 7th century BC, and was known as Byzantium until AD 330, when it was made the new capital of the Roman Empire and renamed Constantinople. The city grew to be the largest in the western world during late antiquity. After the Muslim conquest in 1453, Constantinople became the capital of the Ottoman Empire. It was finally renamed Istanbul when the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923.

Our itinerary starts with an escorted tour to the Hippodrome Square, built by the Romans in the 2nd century AD as the site of horse racing and chariot racing. It was the centre of the city’s social life during the Byzantine period. We then visit the Hagia St Sophia Church, constructed by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in 1532 and considered the pinnacle of Byzantine architecture. It was the world’s largest cathedral for over a thousand years. Over the centuries it has served as a Greek Orthodox Church, a Roman Catholic cathedral and an imperial mosque.

Finally we visit the Blue Mosque, a beautiful structure built between 1609 and 1616 by Sultan Ahmed during the Ottoman reign to house his tomb. The Mosque features six spectacular minarets, the culmination of two centuries of Ottoman empire mosque development.

We return to our hotel in time for dinner.

After breakfast, our tour guide we visit the Topkapi Palace, a 15th century structure built not long after the Muslim conquest to house the Ottoman sultans. Next we head to the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest markets in the world. Another relic of the Ottoman empire, the Bazaar was originally constructed as part of an initiative to stimulate economic activity in Constantinople. Its earliest trade was in textiles and jewels.

Finally, before returning to our hotel, your small group tour visits the Underground Cistern Basilica, the largest of the several hundred cisterns that lie beneath the city. Originally built in the 6th century AD, the cistern was repeatedly renovated and eventually provided water to many of the city’s grand buildings, including the Great Palace of Constantinople and the Topkapi Palace.

This morning we will take a cruise along the Bosphorus strait, the narrow stretch of water that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Along the coast there are many beautiful waterfront houses, most of which were built during the Ottoman period. The Bosphorus and the Dardanelles form the Turkish Straits, separating Asian Turkey from European Turkey. As part of the only sea route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, the Bosphorous straits have been commercially and militarily important for millennia. Their significance was one of the main reasons the Romans chose to build their new capital there in 330 AD. On this cruise we will view both the European and Asian shores of modern day Istanbul.

This morning we leave Istanbul and we head to the capital of Turkey and visit the Anatolian Civilization Museum. On arrival in Ankara you will have some free time to explore the city on our own or join the local guide for a short walk. Our local tour guide will give you information regarding restaurant options in the area for dinner tonight.

Ankara was the headquarters of Kemal Ataturk’s Turkish nationalist movement, who sought to wrest control of Anatolia from the victorious Allies after the First World War. After the Turkish War of Independence, Ankara replaced Constantinople as the capital of the new Republic of Turkey. The city is divided between old and new sections. The old ancient city section features many Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman buildings.

Today’s itinerary is for a full day escorted tour to Boğazkale, the ancient civilization capital of Hittite Empire and named Hattusas. The settlement dates back over 6000 years. The Hittites established their empire in Anatolia around 1600 BC. They constructed huge fortifications around Hattusa, and our first stop is at the Lion’s Gate, one of only six passages into the ancient city. The gate gets its name from the two lions on either side of it, carved out of huge blocks of stone, and intended to scare away evil spirits from the city.

Our next stop is at the Tunnel King’s Gate, or ‘gate in the ground’, a 70 metre long passageway underneath the city walls. We then visit the Citadel, which served as the seat of the Hittite kings. Situated at the highest point of the ancient city, it offers stunning views of the surrounding landscape. Finally, we visit the Grand Temple. Built in the 14th century BC, the temple stood as a dedication to the Hittite gods, and only rulers and priests were granted entry.

We drive back late afternoon, arriving back at the hotel in time for dinner.

This morning we depart for Cappadocia, a beautiful, otherworldly region of central Turkey. Before leaving Ankara we visit the Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk.

Cappadocia was once the homeland of the Bronze Age Hittites, who knew it as Hatti. Later it was ruled by Persian kings, Romans and Ottomans. The area contains several underground cities, once used as refuges by persecuted Christians and ancient cave dwellers. However, Cappadocia’s most arresting attractions are its ‘fairy chimneys’, large rock spires that rise from the earth like mushrooms, formed over millions of years by the erosion of volcanic rock. We arrive at our hotel in time for dinner.

For those who wish, there is an optional hot air balloon ride early this morning. (Additional cost. This activity is weather dependant and may not be possible at the time, please check with the tour manager).

Today we visit Goreme Open Air Museum, a vast complex of ancient monasteries carved into the rocky landscape. Once a Byzantine monastic settlement, by the 17th century it had become an important pilgrimage site. We then head to Love Valley, euphemistically named for its distinctive rock structures. Finally we visit Uchisar, a natural citadel full of stairs, tunnels and passages, located at the highest point in Cappadocia. The top of Uchisar Castle provides a fantastic view of the surrounding region.

Today we visit more breathtaking Cappadocian landscapes. After breakfast we head to the Kiliclar Valley, which features some of the most beautiful rock structures in all of Cappadocia. We then move on the Pasabag, where giant pillar-like fairy chimneys rise from the earth. Sometimes known as Monks Valley, its chimneys once housed hermits who sought to distance themselves from the world. On our way back to the hotel we visit Pigeon Valley, named for the many pigeon houses carved into the rocks. Pigeons were once used in the region as message carriers, though few remain today.

This morning we depart for the Ilara Gorge, a 100m deep canyon formed over thousands of years by the Melendiz River. It is estimated that around 80 000 people once lived in the Ilhara Valley. These days it is one of the best hiking spots in Turkey. We enjoy a pleasant morning walk along the valley floor next to a fast-flowing stream. We’ll have a mid-morning stop for morning tea of gozleme and fresh orange juice. We get back on bus and make way to Saralti to visit the underground city, with 3 levels that can be visited (there are 7 in total). We continue on to Konya where we visit the Sultanhani Carevanserai. We also visit Mevlana Museum which is better visited in the late afternoon as there are fewer people and less hostility from the locals who view it as a shrine, not a museum. The museum is the mausoleum of Rumi, a 13th century Persian Sufi mystic, poet and Islamic scholar. His ‘Masnavi’, written in the city of Konya, is thought to be one the greatest poems in the Persian language.

Today we have an early morning departure to Çatalhöyük, was a very large Neolithic and Chalcolithic proto-city settlement in southern Anatolia, which existed from approximately 7500 B.C. to 5700 B.C. It is the largest and best-preserved Neolithic site found to date. In July 2012, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If time permits, we’ll also stop to visit Eflatun Pinar (Plato’s Spring), an idylkic stone pool monument build by the Bronze Age Hittites.

Today we have a full-day field trip to two ancient Anatolian cities. The first escorted tour is to Perge. This was one of the most important cities in the premodern civilisation of Pamphylia. The earliest traces of continuous settlement in the city date back three millennia. After initially coming under Persian influence, the city fell to the armies of Alexander the Great in 334 BC. Its most famous resident was the Greek mathematician and astronomer Apollonius. In 188 BC Perge came under Roman rule, and rose to become one of the greatest cities in Asia Minor. The ruins of this ancient city include a theatre, a temple and a palaestra. Perge’s acropolis dates back to the Bronze Age.

The second escorted tour today is to the ancient city of Aspendos, another Greco-Roman stronghold in ancient Pamphylia. Aspendos is famous for having one of the best preserved theatres of antiquity. Built in 155 AD by the Greek architect Zenon, it provided seating for up to 12,000 spectators. The city boasts a basilica, and 15km of a Roman aqueduct. It was one also one of the first cities to issue coins, a practice that began around 500 BC.

After Aspendos we return to our hotel for dinner.

Today we take a morning visit to the award-winning open air Antalya Archaeological Museum. The museum is one of the largest in Turkey, displaying over 5000 pieces of art and archaeological objects. Antalya is one of the most fertile archaeological regions in the world, will many sites boasting evidence of uninterrupted occupation from earliest man to modern times. After we finish at the museum we will take a leisurely half-day cruise around the local bays. There will be an opportunity to go for a swim in the beautiful blue waters of the Mediterranean. We then return to our hotel for dinner.

This morning we depart Antalya for the world heritage site of Hierapolis-Pamukkale. Pamukkale, meaning ‘cotton castle’ in English, is a remarkable natural site famous for its dazzling thermal pools. Thick white layers of travertine and limestone cascade down the hillside, the result of the mineral-laden underground hot water springs in the area. Calcium deposits from the springs’ water created these white waterfalls over thousands of years. We visit the thermal spa of Hierapolis, established by the kings of Pergamon in the 2nd century BC.

This morning we drive to Aphrodisias, named after Aphrodite (or Venus), the Greek goddess of love. In Roman times, Aphrodisias was famous for its sculptures and the sculptors who made them. White and blue grey marble was quarried in large quantities from the slopes around the city. The city was destroyed by a large earthquake in the 7th century.

A highlight of the visit is the stadium, which once seated over 35,000 people and is the best-preserved of its period in the world. We will also see the Hadrian Baths, erected in honour of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who visited the city while travelling through Anatolia. Other attractions include the theatre, the Agora (Greek for ‘gathering place’ or ‘assembly’) and the Archaeological Museum – where many Aphrodite statues are on display. We arrive back at our hotel with plenty of time for dinner.

We head this morning to visit the ruins of ancient Ephesus, the cradle of early Christianity. There we visit ancient Ephesus with its terrace houses, the Archaeological Museum and the Temple of Diana/Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We also visit the Virgin Mary’s house.

Today we visit the picturesque rural Turkish village of Sirince, nested at the top of a mountain and surrounded by peach trees and vineyards. We will visit some local houses to gain an understanding of life in a typical Turkish village. We will watch the local women cooking their traditional cheese pastry and stroll through the small open-air bazaar. We then return to to our hotel in Kusadasi, a beach town on Turkey’s Aegean coast. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure.

After breakfast we will depart to visit St John’s Basilica. Next we will proceed to Izmir (Smyrna) city; here we will visit the ruins of ancient Agora. Next we will head to our hotel which is located in the heart of Izmir, a lovely seaside area with many attractions along the coast all within walking distance. Izmir also known as Smyrna in ancient times, it boasts 4000 years of recorded human history, and has since been occupied by the Greeks, the Romans and the Ottomans. Today it is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara.

Today we will drive to Sardis, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia and one of the most important cities of the Persian and Roman empires. We start the day with a visit to the Artemis Temple and the oldest synagogue of the ancient world, which became a gymnasium during the Roman era. In the afternoon we visit the local museum and the Agora. Dinner tonight is at individual arrangements, with many delightful restaurants within easy walking distance of our hotel.

This morning we drive to Pergamon, a city built by one of the generals of Alexander the Great. We will view the Acropolis, the steepest theatre of the ancient world. We carry on to visit Asclepion, the ancient healing centre. Today, it is possible to see the ruins of the ancient healing centre and view the sites used for techniques such as Sacred Water, Herbs and Ointments, the Sun Bath, the Theatre for Music, and those used for social events. We carry on to ancient Troy where we will take in its legendary sights and view the replica of the wooden horse. Troy was the setting for the Trojan War, described in Homer’s Iliad. We arrive at our Çanakkale hotel in time for dinner.

From our hotel in Canakkale we board a ferryboat to cross the Dardanelles Straits. From here we head to the Gallipoli (Gelibolu) Peninsula and ANZAC Cove, the site of the epic eight-month military confrontation during the First World War. Following the shoreline of the Sea of Marmara, we arrive back in cosmopolitan Istanbul. Tonight we come together for our farewell dinner.

The tour ends after breakfast.