CIVILIZATION ROOTS IN ANATOLIA

ISTANBUL – NEVSEHIR – GAZIANTEP – URFA

DAY 1: IN THE MORNING, MEETING WITH THE LUNAR LANDSCAPE OF THE REGION, STARTING WITH THE ROCK FORMATIONS BEYOND IMAGINATION IN DEVRENT VALLEY; WALKING IN ZELVE OPEN AIR MUSEUM: A JOURNEY IN THE PAST WITH ITS TROGLODYTE HOUSES; VISIT PASABAG- THREE-CONED FAIRY CHIMNEYS” WHERE THE VOICE OF WIND MIXES WITH THE “SONGS OF FAIRIES”. LUNCH IS IN AVANOS, THE CENTER OF TERRA COTTA WORK OF ART SINCE 3000 BC. IN THE AFTERNOON VISIT THE FAMOUS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE GOREME OPEN AIR MUSEUM AND SEE THE BEST EXAMPLES OF BYZANTINE ART IN ROCK-CUT CHURCHES WITH FRESCOES AND PAINTINGS. DEPENDING ON THE PERIOD OF THE SEASON, GOREME OPEN AIR MUSEUM VISIT TIME CAN BE ALTERED TO AVOID CROWDS OF TOUR BUSES.

DAY 2: ( OPTIONAL HOT-AIR BALLOONING EARLY IN THE MORNING ) RED VALLEY, WITH ITS FABULOUS VOLCANIC ROCK FORMATIONS, IS IN THE HEART OF CAPPADOCIA BUT AWAY FROM THE TOURIST CROWD. ROCK-CUT HERMIT CHURCHES WITH FRESCOES AND PAINTINGS FIT WITH THE VALLEY’S MEDITATIVE ATMOSPHERE, REMAINED INTACT SINCE THE BEGINNING. OUR LOVELY HIKE WILL START FROM A BEAUTIFUL PANORAMIC POINT PRESENTING US GREAT LIGHT IN THE MORNING FOR PICTURES.AFTER THE HIKE, WE GIVE A REFRESHMENT BREAK IN CAVUSIN VILLAGE WHICH WILL BE COMPLEMENTED BY A VISIT TO THE FIRST CHURCH OF THE REGION; JOHN THE BAPTIST. AFTER LUNCH, A 20-MINUTE DRIVE WILL TAKE US TO THE LEAST VISITED UNDERGROUND CITY; OZKONAK WHICH WAS DISCOVERED BY A VILLAGER WHILE HE WAS LOOKING FOR THE WATER DISAPPEARING FROM HIS IRRIGATION SYSTEM IN HIS FIELD. UNLIKE OTHER UNDERGROUND CITIES, OZKONAK HAS DIFFERENT VENTILATION AND SECURITY SYSTEM. OVERNIGHT IN CAPPADOCIA.

DAY 3: AFTER AN EARLY BREAKFAST, WE’LL DEPART FOR GAZIANTEP WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE AMAZING MOSAIC MUSEUM WHICH BECAME AFTER THE DISCOVERIES OF ZEUGMA. PASSING THROUGH NIZIP AND BIRECIK, LUNCH BREAK AT GAZIANTEP WHICH IS FAMOUS FOR ITS KEBABS AND BAKLAVA. ARRIVAL TO URFA AND OVERNIGHT.

DAY 4: EARLY DEPARTURE FOR GOBEKLI TEPE – AN ONGOING EXCAVATION AND KNOWN TO BE THE EARLIEST TEMPLE OF HUMAN BEING (DATED BACK 13000 YEARS AGO), A HILLTOP SANCTUARY ERECTED ON THE HIGHEST POINT OF AN ELONGATED MOUNTAIN RIDGE SOME 15 KM NORTHEAST OF THE TOWN OF URFA. AFTER THE VISIT, DRIVE TO URFA CENTER TO SEE ABRAHAM’S CAVE AND THE HOLY POOL. LUNCH AT A NICE LOCAL RESTAURANT; DRIVE TO HARRAN TO SEE THE INCREDIBLE BEEHIVE HOUSES. HARRAN- ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE- WAS THE SITE WHERE PROPHET ABRAHAM SPENT A FEW YEARS WITH HIS FAMILY. OVERNIGHT IN URFA.

DAY 5: DEPENDING ON ARRIVAL WE WILL CHECK INTO THE HOTEL OR START THE TOUR DIRECTLY. AFTER BRIEF INFORMATION ABOUT MT. NEMRUT AT THE HOTEL, OR AT LUNCH; WE WILL LEAVE FOR NEMRUT PASSING THROUGH STILL FUNCTIONING CENDERE BRIDGE BUILT BY SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS IN THE 2ND CENTURY, THEN TO TUMULUS TOMB OF KARAKUS, ARSEMIA AND CONTINUE DRIVING TO THE PEAK TO GET TO THE TOP OF NEMRUT FOR THE STUNNING SUNSET VISITING EAST -WEST GALLERIES. DRIVE BACK TO THE HOTEL AND OVERNIGHT .

DAY 6: TRANSFER TO AIRPORT FOR YOUR FLIGHT BACK HOME VIA ISTANBUL .