Visit two cities that claim to be the original Eden. Gaze upon Noah�s Mt. Ararat. Travel to Abraham�s land of Harran, to cities of Peter and Paul, and to modernity in Antalya, all backdropped against magnificent scenery in this ancient land.
Itinerary
August 5:Depart Chicago on a regularly scheduled airline.
August 6:Arrive in Istanbul, transfer to a flight to Trabzon on the Black Sea. Founded in the 7th century BC, a part of the Roman and Byzantine empires, Trabzon achieved elegance under the Commeni and was conquered by Mehmet in 1461. Four star Hotel Grand Zorlu.
August 7:
In the morning we will tour the city. Its oldest Byzantine church is St. Anne, taking its present form in 867. The Fatih mosque (camii) was originally the Panagia Chrysokephalos (the golden-headed virgin), so-called because of the gilded copper plates that covered the dome. Hagia Sophia, erected on the site of a temple to Hadrian, was converted to a mosque, but in 1963 Prof. Talbot Rice completed a restoration of the wonderful frescoes, and the building is now open as a museum.
In the afternoon we will visit the Sumela Monastery, resting precariously on a rocky ledge a thousand feet above a rockbound torrent. Founded in 386, honored by Justinian, Mehmet II guaranteed its rights and privileges. It continued to be honored into the twentieth century when in 1916 it was abandoned in the face of advancing Russian troops, was next abandoned in the �exchange of peoples� in 1923, and was left to the mercy of vandals until 1961 when it came under the Turkish Government Forestry Service. We return to our four star Hotel Grand Zorlu.
August 8:Our air conditioned bus takes us for a morning drive to Erzurum, a city of a quarter million. In addition to its university, there is a school for carpet weaving, and it is a center for the creation and sale of Oltutas jewelry. The great architectural glory of the city is the Cifte Minareli Medrese, built in the 13th century. Our three star Hotel Dilaver is the best in a city not known for luxury hotels.
August 9:Another morning at leisure as the beautiful countryside rolls by. By early afternoon we near Kars, from which we will visit the ruins of Ani, once a capital city of the Armenian kingdom. During its golden age at the end of the first millenium, its fame, power, and beauty rivaled that of Constantinople, and a 14th century author wrote of Ani as the city �in which were wont to be a thousand churches.� The ruins of many great Armenian churches still stand in Ani. Our hotel in Kars is the three star Karabag.
August 10:
Traveling from Kars to Van gives us some great views of Mount Ararat. On the high plain are the flat roofed mud brick summer houses used by the farmers and herders who retreat to far-removed villages with the onset of the early winter. On the way we will also visit the ruins of the elaborate Ishak Pasa Palace. In Van we will stay at the four star Buyuk Urartu.
In the morning we will visit the city of Van with its 9th century BC citadel castle with cuneiform inscriptions paying homage to Xerxes. In the 8th century King Menua built aqueducts and irrigation systems creating a region so renowned for its fertility that �some scholars suggest that the description in the Bible of the Garden of Eden may be based on the time of Menua.� In the afternoon we take a short voyage on Lake Van to Akdamar Island with its ancient Armenian church of the Holy Apostles. For lovers of cats, the Van cat (a protected species) has thick white fur and one blue and one green eye. But since you can�t buy a Van cat, perhaps you would be interested in a Van kilim. Again, our hotel is the Buyuk Urartu.
August 12:
En route to Diyarbakir we visit Ahlat with its striking conical shaped mausolea, the largest of which was built in the 13th century. In Diyarbakir the Tigris first becomes navigable. The walls were built by Constantine II and rebuilt many times. The view from the Mardin tower is much favored, especially as the evening shadows move slowly over the valley of the Tigris and the Esfel gardens until they reach the city. Popular local legend also claims the Garden of Eden for Diyarbakir.
Two of Diyarbakir�s many mosques are of special note: the Ulu Cami is one of the oldest in Anatolia and one of the holy places of Islam. It occupies the site of the Church of St. Thomas, where Muslims and Christians worshipped in the same building until 770 when it was destroyed by an earthquake. The Behram Pasa Camil, built in 1572, is the largest mosque in the city, remarkable for its beauty of proportion and tile decoration. Diyarbakir also has two functioning Christian churches; the small Keldani Kilise is used by the Chaldean Christians of the Syrian rite in communion with Rome, and the Meryem Ana Kilise, the Church of the Virgin Mary, which is part of a large monastic foundation dating back to the third century, is now used by the Syrian Orthodox community of Diyarbakir. Our hotel is the four star Buyuk Kervansaray.
August 13:We now head for Sanli Urfa, occupied since the second millenium before Christ, as the capital city of Edessa. Under King Agbar the Great (177-212) it became the first Christian kingdom before the end of the third century. The city boasts Abraham�s birthplace, the Pool of Abraham, and a 12th century mosque on the site of the Church of St. Stephen, on the site of a previous Jewish synagogue.
Genesis 11:31 tells us that Terah took his son Abraham from Ur to go to the land of Canaan, �but when they came to Harran, they settled there.� Architecturally, Harran is most famous for its beehive houses. The Roman emperor, Julian the Apostate, worshipped at the temple of Sin, the moon god, in 363. Harran was also home to the Sabeans and also housed an early Islamic University. Our four star hotel, the Harran, is nonetheless in Sanli Urfa.
August 14:Today we head for Antakya, known as Antioch in New Testament times. �The concept of a universal church whose members called themselves Christians began in Antioch.� Once surpassed in power only by Rome and Alexandria, Antioch enjoyed the ministries of Peter, Paul and Barnabas. Antioch was also the city of Ignatius and the birthplace of St. John Chrysostom. Little is left of the power and wealth of Antioch, except as it is reflected in the extravagant Roman and Byzantine mosaics in the Archaeological Museum. We will certainly visit the Church of St. Peter. While its present fa�ade dates only from the eleventh century, its floor mosaics date to the fourth. Small Catholic and Syrian Orthodox communities continue in Antakya. Our hotel is the four star Buyuk Antakya.
August 15:
If we have not yet had time to visit the marvelous Archaeological Museum, we will do so first thing in the morning. Then we will depart for Tarsus. Visited by Sennacherib (705-681 BC), Xenophon, Alexander the Great, Cicero and Julius Caesar, its most romantic visitors were Cleopatra and Mark Antony (41 BC) (Some of us will remember Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra sailing into the harbor on her royal barge.) Forty-six years later (after the original, that is), Saul (Paul) was born into this large and wealthy city, noted for its learning and its large Jewish community. A well at which St. Paul purportedly drank is shown to tourists, and a 16th century mosque, the Ulu Cami, stands on the site of the cathedral of St. Paul. For all that, the Ottoman houses, rambling streets, and flower-filled gardens are a photographer�s paradise.
As we continue along the beautiful coastline, we will see the Armenian castles at Kirkalesi, one ashore, and the other on a tiny island offshore. We will enjoy our stay at the four star Beach Hotel Altinorfoz.
August 16:We begin our journey with a visit to the impressive ruins of the Church of St. Tekla, a woman who gave up family to follow Paul and preach the gospel. While the coast boasts many castle fortresses, that of Anamur is an extensive ruin. Our destination is the popular coastal resort city of Alanya, which boasts a great walled fortress with thirteenth century towers and an eleventh century Byzantine monastery and church. We will stay on the beach at the four star Club Alantur.
August 17:The drive along the Turquoise Coast is filled with beauty at every turn, but we must stop at the great theatre of Aspendos, the best preserved in all of Turkey. If we are very lucky, we might we able to attend a performance there. In Antalya our hotel is the luxurious five star Hotel Talya.
August 18:The luxury of the Talya, overlooking the sea, is a great place to relax � but Antalya has too many points of interest to allow us to rest for long. We must venture out to see mosques, minarets, a gate built to honor the visit of the emperor Hadrian, a Roman building of the second century, and an extensive museum before visiting the old quarter of the city or returning to enjoy our five star hotel Talya for a final afternoon and evening.
August 19:Fly to Istanbul. The four star Hotel Mercure is located in the �European� quarter of the 19th century with the embassies of the great nations. The America Church is still housed on the grounds of the Netherlands Embassy. Enjoy poking around in this fascinating international quarter of Istanbul.
August 20:Full day city tour visiting the Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace. Enjoy the views from the four star Hotel Mercure.
August 21:Visit the wonderful Kaaiye Church with biblical stories told in glittering mosaics and frescoes, walk beside the city walls which protected the city for a millenium, and cruise on the Bosphorus with its views of Istanbul old and new. Have a restful night in the four star Hotel Mercure.
August 22:Transfer to the airport for the outgoing flight.
Cost for tour, including air fare from Chicago, all transfers and transportation, air conditioned bus, hotels, admission fees, all meals, August 5-22, double occupancy $2,990 Single supplement $330.
ALTERNATE: BLUE VOYAGE EXTENSION
August 19:Drive to the seacoast city of Fethiye or Mamaris (still to be decided) and embark on one of Turkey�s famous gulets�broad-beamed teak boats with double cabins with private facilities. Gulets travel either under sail or by power, depending on the wind. Evenings are spent anchored in coves. Meals are prepared on board by the crew. Excursions ashore are offered, but one can also sun and swim instead.
August 26:Disembark, transfer to airport for flight to Istanbul and to the States.
Cost for the Blue Voyage extension is still somewhat in question. If twelve persons wish to go, we can charter an entire gulet from one of Tansu�s friends, cost Aug. 5-26, $3,110 all meals included. Sharing a gulet with others would be bring the cost down to $2,990. Therefore it is important that you indicate your interest early.
Persons who would wish both Blue Voyage and Istanbul, can do so by arrangement.
