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Exploring the ancient past and living cultures of the Aegean (10 Days/9 Nights)
Day 1: Arrival at Istanbul Airport
Day 2 : In the morning we start strolling through the streets of the Old city center-Sultan Ahmet-which has a unique series of historical
monuments. Our visit includes the Hippodrome (The Square of Horse
Games), Saint Sophia (the Byzantine Basilica-greatest of all Byzantine
buildings), the excellent museum of Islamic and Turkish art in the
Ibrahim Pascha Sarayi, Mosque of Sultan Ahmet I (Blue Mosque) and Spice
market. Here, you can start to taste and smell delicious Turkish
delights, spicesand herbs Day 3 : This day is spent concentrating on the old heart of Istanbul,
beginning with the Topkapi Palace (The Cannon Gate) which was the
center of the administration and residence of the Ottoman Sultans.
Continuing, we visit a remarkable colonnaded cistern, Yerebatan Sarayi,
built in the 6th century AD. After exploring the remains of the ancient
Hippodrome we also visit a beautiful 15th century Ottoman Mosque Sokulu
Mehmet Pascha built by the great architect Mimar Sinan. We finish the
day at the Covered Bazaar, which is like a small city with its various
buildings, avenues, streets and squares.
Day 4 : After an early breakfast, we depart for Gallipoli and Troy . We
enjoy the landscape of the Marmara region driving towards the Gallipoli
Peninsula. We have our lunch at Gallipoli and enjoy a short walk by the
town harbour. After visiting the World War I museum and Ansac cove, we
take a ferry to cross the Dardanelles and arrive Çanakkale. We
continue to drive to the legendary city of Troy and then to our
hotel at Behramkale (ancient city Assos).
Day 5: In the morning we explore the ancient city Assos, remarkably
the ancient theatre, the city walls and the breath taking temple of
Athena. Then we proceed to the ancient capital of the Attalid Dynasty,
Pergamum and the ancient hospital Asklepion. In the afternoon, we
drive to Izmir for overnight.
Day 6: After breakfast drive to Selcuk town, and visit the temple of
Artemis, Ephesus and its archaeological museum. In the late afternoon,
we can go to a pretty mountain village near Selcuk called Sirince, a
charming, rustic, cobble-stoned village cradled in hills of olive and
cherry trees, and have dinner in a local tavern. Overnight at Selcuk
Day 7: After breakfast, visit the ancient sea-trading cities of Priene,
Miletos and Didyma. Priene is the best preserved Hellenistic town in
Turkey with a great location on the mouth of the River Meander. It is a
'must-see' and one of the oldest completely planned town from the 3rd
century BC. Miletos is the birth place of Philosophy and its renowned
philosophers - Thales, Anaximenes, and Anaximandros - in the 6th and
5th centuries BC. Didyma, one of the most important oracle centers of
antiquity, has the best preserved Hellenistic temple dedicated to
Apollo. We will end our day in Lake Bafa and visit Heraclea under
Latmos with it splendid city wall. Overnight at Selcuk.
Day 8: After early breakfast, we leave Selcuk and start driving to the
picturesque towns of the Aegean namely Birgi (probably 14th century
but with beautiful 18th/19th century houses) and Tire (impressive
Islamic architecture in the town's old quarter). If time permits, we
also visit the capital of the Lydian kingdom ancient Sardis and its
well preserved temple of Artemis. Then we continue to drive to Bursa
via Balikesir and stay for overnigt.
Day 9: After breakfast we start our day visiting the early mosques and
markets of the Ottoman Empire namely Ulu Camii, Green Mosque, Koza Han
(Silk market) and Covered Market. Then we continue to Iznik (ancient
Nicea-the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea, the first
and seventh Ecumenical councils in the early history of the Christian
church). In the late afternoon we take a ferry from Yalova to Istanbul
Day 10: Transfer to Istanbul International Airport for the Departures
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