Exploring the Mediterranean Heritage of Turkey

              
 

Exploring the Mediterranean Heritage of Turkey
May 4 - 22, 2012

 
 

   A fascinating, informative tour arranged
for The Canadian Institute
for Mediterranean Studies

 
   
  


  
   Straddling the worlds of Europe and Asia, the ancient and the modern,
Turkey, a cradle of civilization at the crossroads of the world,
has always been a fascinating blend of east and west.
We'll hug the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and explore its influences
on the culture and history of the country on this custom-designed tour.

Please join us and see a side of Turkey you may never have seen before! 		  
  


  
   Your Executive Worldwide Travel Tour Itinerary

  
  


  
 
Friday, May 4 - Depart Ottawa to Istanbul via Montreal and Munich on Lufthansa Airlines.

Inflight meals.

Saturday, May 5 – Istanbul – Antalya

Arrive at Atatürk Airport, Istanbul, meet your guide and transfer to your domestic flight to Antalya.

Upon arrival in Antalya, check in at the 5-Star Dedeman Hotel. All rooms will have a sea view.
Dinner & overnight Dedeman Hotel. (D) 		 



  



Sunday, May 6 – Antalya

After breakfast at the hotel, depart for Antalya’s renowned Archaeological Museum whose different rooms display a variety of pottery, coins, mosaics, sculptures, costumes, sarcophagi and numerous artifacts found in nearby caves.

After lunch, visit the ruins of Perge and Aspendos. 

Perge reached its heights under the Romans and Alexander the Great.  Today, what remain are the ruins of a great theater, a stadium, and the colonnaded main street.

Aspendos dates back to the time of the Hittites, yet the only visible remains are from the Roman Period. The restored theater at Aspendos is said to be the best in all of Turkey. Although it is impossible to determine the exact seating capacity of the theatre, it is said to have seated between 10,000 and 12,000 people. In recent years, concerts given in the theatre as part of the Antalya Film and Art Festival, have shown that as many as 20,000 spectators can be crowded into the seating area.

The theatre at Aspendos is also famous for its magnificent accoustics. Even the sligtest sound made at the centre of the orchestra can be easily hear as far as the uppermost galleries.

Dinner & overnight Dedeman Hotel. ( B,L,D)

  


  
Monday, May 7 – Antalya

Breakfast at Hotel.
Free morning.

After lunch, visit Termessos, one of the best preserved archaeological sites in Turkey. Located on a natural plateau flanked by two mountains, it is the only town that Alexander the Great never managed to conquer.

Termessos, after a gradual decline, was finally abandoned in the 5th century. Some of the remains found there are the walls, the Hadrian's triumphal arch, the cisterns, the theater, the gymnasium, the agora, the odeon and the heroon.

Among the tombs which are scattered far and wide can be seen those of Alcates, Agatemeros and the Lion decorated sarcophagi, which are extraordinary.

Dinner & overnight Dedeman Hotel. (B,L,D)













Tuesday, May 8 – Antalya – Fethiye

After breakfast check-out and drive to Fethiye.

 Visit Myra and St Nicholas Church in Demre, lifelong home of St. Nicholas. After lunch take a boat to Kekova. Cruise along Simena, Lycian sarchopagi and the sunken city. See Kaleköy, a small village with the partly sunken ruins of Aperlae and a castle. Access to the village is possible only by sea.

Disembark at Üçagiz village to take a bus to the remarkable archaeological site at Xanthos, a UNESCO World Heritage site. See the old Lycian Acropolis which was remodelled during the Hellenistic and Byzantine periods, and a very beautiful theatre that dominates the Roman agora.

This entire area is marked with great Lycian funerary monuments rising up spectacularly from the ruins.

Dinner & overnight at Oyster Residence Hotel in Fethiye. (B,L,D)





 

Wednesday, May 9 – Fethiye – Gemiler Island and Olüdeniz

After breakfast at the hotel, take a boat trip to Gemiler Island and Olüdeniz.

The Byzantine ruins of five churches built between the fourth and sixth centuries AD remain on Gemiler Island as well as other ecclesiastical buildings and over fifty Christian tombs. Modern archaeologists believe that the island may be the location of St. Nicholas' original tomb. We will walk up to St Nicholas Church in Gemiler.

After lunch, sail to Olüdeniz, known as Blue Lagoon.   

Dinner & overnight at Oyster Residence Hotel in Fethiye. (B,L,D) 		  



  Thursday, May 10 – Fethiye – Dalyan - Bodrum

After breakfast check-out and drive to Dalyan.

Take a small boat to Caunus, an ancient city of Caria, a few kilometers west of the modern town of Dalyan. See the Caretta-caretta beach and the royal graves on the rocks and enjoy free time visiting the town.

Lunch at Dalyan. Drive to Bodrum in the afternoon.

Dinner & overnight at Manastir Hotel in Bodrum. (B,L,D)		   



 

Friday, May 11 – Bodrum

Explore Bodrum’s spectacular sites and medieval history including a visit to St. Peter’s Castle, built in the early 1400s by the Knights of St. John, and the Museum of Underwater Archaeology.

After lunch, visit the theatre and the ruins of the tomb of Mausolus, the origin of the word mausoleum, built between 353 BC and 350 BC, and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

This monument was ranked the seventh wonder of the world by the ancients, not because of its size or strength but because of the beauty of its design and how it was decorated with sculpture or ornaments.

Dinner & overnight at Manastir Hotel in Bodrum. (B,L,D 		  



  Saturday, May 12 – Bodrum – Kusadasi – Sirince

After breakfast, check-out and drive to Heracleia, established as a center for the mining of marble in 350 BC by people forcibly relocated from the Gulf of Latmos by the command of Mausolos of Caria.

Visit Bafa Lake and Miletus. Situated at the mouth of the Meander in the south of the province of Ionia in Western Anatolia, the ancient city of Miletus was the oldest and the most powerful of the twelve Ionian cities in Asia Minor. It also founded over ten colonies on the shores of the Marmara and the Black Sea, while its commercial activities extended as far as Egypt.

Time permitting, visit the Kusadasi Olive Oil Museum. Lunch en route.

Dinner and overnight Kirkinca Hotel in Sirince. (B,L,D)

  



 

Sunday May 13 Sirince- Ephesus-Sirince

After breakfast, visit the house where the Virgin Mary is believed to have spent her last days.
Lunch near Ephesus.
After lunch, visit the ancient city of Ephesus, the best preserved Greco-Roman City in the world.

Ephesus contains the largest collection of Roman ruins in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Library of Celsus, the façade of which has been carefully reconstructed from all original pieces, once held nearly 12,000 scrolls.

Visit Ephesus Museum as well as a local farm producing handcrafts, nomadic rugs, kilims and carpets.

Dinner and overnight Kirkinca Hotel in Sirince. (B,L,D

   



  Monday, May 14 – Sirince – Çesme

After breakfast, check-out from your hotel and drive to Odemis and nearby Birgi, well known for its classic Selçuk and Ottoman architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. Visit looms, an old Ottoman house and the small historical mosque.

After lunch in Birgi, visit Urla & Çesme’s Olive Oil Factories and viticultures.

Dinner and overnight Sisus Hotel in Çesme. (B,L,D)

  



 


Tuesday, May 15th, Çesme

After breakfast, explore Alaçati and wineries.

Alaçati, located on the western side of the Çesme Peninsula, known as the Turkish Riviera, is a traditional Mediterranean town famous for its architecture, vineyards and windmills.

Lunch at a winery.

After lunch, visit Seferihisar, site of the ancient city of Teos.

Return to Çesme, with free time to see the sights of the city.

Dinner and overnight Sisus Hotel in Çesme. (B,L,D)

   



  Wednesday, May 16 – Çesme – Ayvalik

After breakfast, check-out and transfer to Ayvalik, with stops at Foça, Pergamum and Asclepion en route.

Lunch at Saglam Restaurant near Pergamum.

Continue on to Bergama, modern-day site of the ancient city of Pergamum, with its Acropolis built on a conical hill rising 1,000 feet above the surrounding valley.

Visit Asclepion, and the Sanctuary of Asclepius, the god of healing.

Check in at Halic Park Hotel Cunda Island in Ayvalik.
Dinner and overnight Halic Park Hotel Cunda Island in Ayvalik. (B,L,D)

  



 

Thursday, May 17 – Ayvalik boat trip

After breakfast, take a boat trip around the many little bays and islands around Ayvalik.

Lunch at a traditional West Coast Island restaurant.

After lunch enjoy free time in Ayvalik.

Dinner and overnight Halic Park Hotel Cunda Island in Ayvalik. (B,L,D 		  



  Friday, May 18 – Ayvalik – Istanbul

After breakfast, check-out and visit Adatepe Olive oil factory for a tasting of freshly baked thick crispy village bread dipped into equally fresh ‘extra virgin olive oil.’

You may also see a demonstration of pure olive oil soap making, and take home some samples of both olive oil and soap.

Continue on to Troy; (Homage to Homeros).

After lunch, cross the Dardanelles by ferry.

Arrive in Istanbul and check-into the Golden City Hotel.
Overnight Golden City Hotel in Istanbul. (BL)

  



 





Saturday, May 19 – Istanbul – Old City Town

After breakfast, our tour of Istanbul begins with a visit to the Sultanahmet Area, including the Ancient Hippodrome, one of the largest chariot race grounds of the Byzantine Empire. Egyptian Obelisk and a Bronze Sculpture of three entwined serpents from Delphi still survive.

Walk to the Blue Mosque, a triumph of harmony, proportion and elegance. The mosque was a part of a complex also including tombs, fountains, kitchens, and a bath.

Visit St Sophia, the Church of Divine wisdom and a testament to the sophistication of the 6th Century. In addition to admiring the architecture, you will also view the wonderful mosaics in the upper galleries.

Lunch in a Turkish restaurant.

After lunch, descend underground into the Basilica Cistern constructed in 532 AD by Justinian. See the Medusa head column bases at the far end.

Proceed to the magnificient Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Sultans for almost three centuries.

In the Treasury section, you will see breathtaking displays, including the 7th largest diamond in the world, the “Spoonmaker’s Diamond.”

Visit the colorful Harem, the private domain of the Sultan’s family.

Overnight Golden City Hotel in Istanbul. (BL) 		  



  Sunday, May 20 - Istanbul

After breakfast, visit Dolmabahçe Palace, the third largest Ottoman palace in Istanbul and one of the most glamorous palaces in the world.

Then enjoy a pleasant cruise on the Bosphorus Sea in a private motor-boat. See magnificent palaces, old seaside mansions and impressive fortresses.

Lunch at a restaurant on the Bosphorus.

After lunch, visit Sadberk Hanim Museum on the Bosphorus, a private museum founded by the Koç family. Rare objects collected over the years, costumes and artifacts reflecting the lifestyles of past centuries, valuable fabrics, and gold, silver and porcelain wares are on display
.

Continue on to the Egyptian Bazaar, the second largest covered market in Istanbul and the best place to buy Turkish delight, dried fruit, exotic spices and herbs.

Overnight Golden City Hotel in Istanbul. (BL)



  



 




Monday, May 21, Istanbul

After breakfast visit the Church of St. Saviour in Chora. Built in the 11th century, the walls are decorated with beautiful mosaics and frescoes.

Continue on to the famous Grand Bazaar, the largest and oldest covered Bazaar in Turkey with more than 4,000 shops. A variety of Turkish handicrafts, Oriental carpets, rare jewels and inexpensive souvenirs are all sold in small shops next to each other.

Lunch at a traditional Turkish restaurant. Afternoon at leisure.

Farewell Dinner at one of the best local fish restaurants. Overnight Golden City Hotel in Istanbul. (BLD)

Tuesday, May 22 – Istanbul – Departure

Check-out and transfer to the Atatürk Airport for flight to Canada. 		  



   Travel Agency: Executive Worldwide Travel
Agent: Jean Sheikh, C.T.C.
(613) 236-5555
Or 1-800-267-5552
Registration No.: 1892605

 For more details on this tour or to request a brochure,
please feel free to contact us at 613-236-5555
or email Jean Sheikh at [email protected].
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