CULTURAL EXPLORATION TOUR OF TURKEY

Day 01   Arrive Istanbul
Your tour guide will meet you at Istanbul Airport after the customs and baggage claim with an “TUTKU TOURS” sign. Meet and transfer to the hotel for a welcome briefing and dinner. Overnight in Istanbul. (D) 

Day 02   Istanbul
Discover the Byzantine and Ottoman treasures of Istanbul. Visit the Royal TOPKAPI PALACE, home of the Ottoman Sultans, the UNDERGROUND CISTERN BASILICA, the BLUE MOSQUE, unique with six minarets, the Roman HIPPODROME SQUARE and the ST.SOPHIA CHURCH which is considered one of the worlds greatest architectural marvels and the GRAND BAZAAR. Return to the hotel. Tonight we will have a “Special Lecture” by a local professor from Bosphorus University during dinner at the hotel. (B,D) 

Day 03   Istanbul - Troy – Canakkale
Drive to GALLIPOLI, through the European lands of Turkey. Gallipoli is a site of the 1^st World War. Cross the Dardanelles Strait by ferryboat. Visit ancient TROY, see its legendary walls and the replica of the wooden horse. Dinner and overnight in Canakkale. (B,D) 

Day 04   Gallipoli – Canakkale
Full day in Gallipoli area. Visit Anzac Cove, Lone Pine, Gallipoli Museum. During our visit to Gallipoli, we will have a “Special Lecture” by a local professor from Canakkale University. Dinner and overnight in Canakkale. (B,D) 

Day 05   Pergamon – Izmir
First visit to Asklepion, the ancient Healing Center, served as an hospital. Famous pharmacist Galenos lived and died at this hospital and teached his first healing technics to the local people here. Galenos is considered as the "Father of Pharmacy". Galenos has accepted the principles and ways of treatment of Hippocrtaes who lived about 700 years earlier then him. At his home, he had a drugstore in which he prepared his herb based medicine which was called "Polypharmacy". He had medicine for almost every illness. His therapy based ointment "antidote" contained at least 70 different types of ingredients. He said "You will never endanger the life of the patient during the therapy". In this Asklepion "Faith" came first for the therapy. Today, it is possible to see the ruins of the ancient healing technics such as Sacred Water, Herbs and Ointments, Sun Bath, Theater for music and social events.

Then we will visit the Acropolis, a city built by one of the generals of Alexander the Great. We will see the steepest theater of the ancient world, the Temple of Trajan, the city walls, and more. Dinner at hotel. Overnight in Izmir. (B,L,D) 

Day 06   Sardes – Izmir
Drive to SARDES (rev:3-1-6) capital of ancient Lydia. Visit the Temple of Cybele which later became a church, the famous SYNAGOGUE from the third century, the Gymnasium and the new excavation area. See the Golden River Pactalos. Return to Izmir for afternoon visit to the new Izmir History and Art Museum in International Fair area. Dinner at the hotel. Tonight, we will have a “Special Lecture” by a local professor, from “9 September University” during our dinner. Evening is free. Overnight in Izmir. (B) 

Day 07   Ephesus – Kusadasi
Leave for EPHESUS, cradle of early Christianity (rev:2-1-7). Visit the HOUSE OF THE VIRGIN MARY, the ancient Ephesus, the ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM and the TEMPLE OF DIANA which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi. (B,L,D) 

Day 08   Sirince Village – Kusadasi
Visit the small Turkish Sirince village located on top of a mountain. See the authentic houses, we vill visit the inside of the local houses to experience the village life in Turkey. See the local women cooking cheese pastry, walk at the small open air bazaar. Then, we will return to Kusadasi for dinner and overnight. (B,D) 

Day 09   Aphrodisias – Hierapolis – Pamukkale
Drive to Aphrodisias, the city of Aphrodite or Venus, the goddess of love. The archaeologists named the city Aphrodisias because they found so many statues of her here. The New York University is leading and supporting the excavations financially. We will see the Stadium which seated 35,000 people and is the most well-preserved in the world, the Hadrian Baths, the Theater, the Agora and the Archaeological Museum where many Aphrodite statues are on display. Proceed to Pamukkale, the Cotton Castle. See the white travertine’s; there are underground hot water springs in Pamukkale. This water contains many minerals including calcium. The calcium deposits formed the white Pamukkale hill over thousands of years. The city of Hierapolis in Pamukkale was a spa center during the Roman period. There are still tourists coming to Pamukkale for its hot spring waters. Dinner at the hotel. Swimming is available at the indoor or outdoor hot spring pool of the hotel. It is said that this water is good for the eyes, for the stomach. (B,D)  

Day 10   Pamukkale – Antalya
Drive to Antalya. Full day excursion to the ancient Pamphylian, Hellenistic and Roman cities of PERGE and ASPENDOS and to the award winning ANTALYA ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM. Dinner and overnight. (B,L,D) 

Day 11   Antalya Boat Tour
After breakfast drive to Antalya Marina to take a leisurely Boat Tour from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Swimming is available. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B,D) 

Day 12   Antalya - Konya – Cappadocia
Early departure to KONYA. Visit the Mevlana Museum, 13th century Whirling Dervish Monastery. After lunch continue to CAPPADOCIA where nature has scoured surrealistic moonscape shapes and where the persecuted Christians dug underground cities and churches during the 9th century. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia. Tonight, an OPTIONAL Folk and Belly Dance Show at one of the cave restaurants in Cappadocia. (B,D) 

Day 13   Cappadocia
Full day Cappadocia visit, including Goreme Open Air Museum, Avanos the pottery making town, the natural citadel of Uchisar and the underground city of Kaymakli. Tonight, we will have a special Dinner and Show at an outdoor cave restaurant in Cappadocia. (B,L,D) 

Day 14   Cappadocia
Optional HOT AIR BALLOON trip in the early morning (06:00-08:00am). Full day Cappadocia visit to the Ihlara Valley. Walk along the valley and see painted rock churches. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia. (B,L,D) 

Day 15   Cappadocia – Ankara
Morning sightseeing in Cappadocia. After lunch, visit the Agzikarahan Caravanserai from the Selcuk period. Drive to Ankara, the capital city of Turkey, via Salt Lake. Evening at leisure. Overnight in ANKARA. (B,L) 

Day 16   Ankara – Hattusas (Bogazkale) – Ankara
Departure in the morning. After driving 208 km. arrive in Hattusas that was the capital of the Hittite Kingdom for a long time. Before visiting the main capital proceed to YAZILIKAYA to see the open air sanctuary as the sun light comes on the bas-reliefs direct in the morning. Then lunch in a small restaurant in the town nearby. After lunch visit to the capital of Hattusas with Lion’s Gate, Tunnel, King’s Gate, Citadel and Grand Temple. Then drive back to Ankara. (B,L) 

Day 17   Ankara – Bursa
Visit the ANATOLIAN CIVILIZATION MUSEUM and the MAUSOLEUM of Kemal Ataturk in Ankara. Drive to BURSA. Dinner and overnight. (B,D)  

Day 18   Bursa – Iznik – Istanbul
Visit the Green Mosque, the Green Tomb and Bursas colorful Silk Bazaar. Then, drive to Iznik. Visit the Iznik Foundation. Worldwide famous Iznik Tiles reached their zenith in the 16th-17th centuries during the Ottoman period, but due to several reasons, their productions and the related know-how totally vanished in the 18th century. As a result of many years of research and experiments, Iznik Foundation rediscovered the process of production as well as the recipe for materials and started to produce, using the traditional way of making, these extraordinary tiles. Iznik quartz tiles are the result of extremely difficult production methods which, when carried out successfully, is realized with an extra-white undercoating, very hard glaze, and under-glaze decorations. See the different Iznik Tiles styles such as:

      -          Dates Tree (contemporary)
-          Miniature Style
-          Çintemani Style (contemporary design of old paterns)
-          “S” Tulips – Tulips in a windy field, 16th century design
-          Sazyolu Style (original design used in the 15th and 16th centuries)
-          Ottoman Galleon

Drive to Istanbul. Rest of the day is free at leisure. Overnight in Istanbul. (B) 

Day 19   Istanbul
Morning visit to the Spice Bazaar and take a Boat Tour along the Bosphorus, seeing both European and Asian shores of Istanbul. Then, walk from Pera to Taksim Square. See the Galata Tower, built by the Geoese circa AD 500 and used by the Ottomans as a watch tower, Philately Shops, The Galata Mevlevi Lodge (Galata Mevlevihanesi) or as it is also known the Kulekapı Mevlevi Lodge which is now serving as a museum, is one of the institutions which reflect the culture of the era in the best possible way, the Tunnel, which is the second subway of the world (after London), and the Istiklal Caddesi (Beyoglu). Tonight, Farewell Dinner at an outdoor Seafood Restaurant. (B,D) 

Day 20   Istanbul - End of the Tour
Escorted transfer to Istanbul airport for flight back. End of our services. (B)

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