GOBEKLITEPE – HARRAN

DAY 1 – ISTANBUL FLY URFA
TAKE THE EARLY MORNING FLIGHT TO URFA ARRIVING BEFORE MID-DAY AND DIRECTLY DRIVE OVER TO GOBEKLITEPE TO VISIT THE OLDEST MAN-MADE PLACE OF WORSHIP IN THE WORLD , DATING BACK AN INCREDIBLE 11,500 YEARS. THE SITE STUNNED ARCHAEOLOGIST WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED AND ITS SHEER EXPANSE AND CRAFTMANSHIP IS OVERWHELMING WITH EXQUISITE STONE CARVINGS OF PEOPLE WITH PEOPLE , LIONS , FOXES, SNAKES AND BIRDS WHICH ARE THE OLDEST KNOWN ART IN THE WORLD. TAKE AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE IN THE SITE OF GÖBEKLITEPE WITH YOUR PRIVATE GUIDE WHO WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE LATEST INFORMATION ABOUT THE SITE AND ITS NEW DISCOVERIES. AFTER GOBEKLITEPE VISIT DRIVE TO THE HISTORICAL CITY OF SANLIURFA. AFTER A LUNCH BREAK IN A LOCAL RESTAURANT, YOU WILL BE VISITING THE NEW SANLIURFA ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM WHERE THE FIRST EXHIBITION STARTS WITH THE POINT ZERO IN HISTORY WITH THE GÖBEKLITEPE FINDINGS. AND AS YOU WALK THROUGH THE MUSEUM YOU WILL BE TRAVELLING IN TIME ARCHEOLOGICALLY UP TO ROMAN PERIOD. THE MUSEUM CONSIST OF TWO SEPARATE PARTS , ALMOST LIKE A MUSEUM WITHIN A MUSEUM, SINCE THE DISCOVERY OF HALEPLI GARDEN MOSAICS ARE WITHIN THE MUSEUM GARDEN’S PREMISES YOU WILL ALSO BE VISITING THE MOSAIC MUSEUM IN ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION OF DISCOVERY. THE MUSEUM VISIT WILL TAKE AT LEAST 2 HOURS.

AFTER THE MUSEUM VISIT YOUR GUIDE WILL TAKE YOU TO THE CITY CENTER AND GIVE YOU THE BASIC ORIENTATION ABOUT THE CITY.

CHECK/ IN TO YOUR COMFORTABLE HOTEL IN URFA DINER AND OVERNIGHT.

DAY 2 – URFA FLY ISTANBUL
AFTER THE BREAKFAST , YOU GUIDE WILL COME TO PICK YOU UP AND YOU WILL DRIVE TO HARRAN AND DISCOVER ITS ANCIENT ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY, ITS FORTRESS AND ITS CHARMING CONE SHAPE MUD  HOUSES. HAVE TEA IN A COMFORTABLE BEEHIVE MUD HUT AND DISCOVER HOW THE LOCALS LIVED IN THOSE HOUSES.

MENTIONED IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS, HARRAN IS BELIEVED TO HAVE ONCE BEEN HOME TO THE PROPHET ABRAHAM. THE SITE OF THE FIRST ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY IN ANATOLIA, HARRAN ALSO BOASTS THE REMAINS OF AN 8TH CENTURY MOSQUE, A CITADEL AND SOME 300 YEAR OLD BEEHIVE MUD HOMES.

RETURN BACK TO SANLIURFA TO EXPLORE THE CITY AND ITS AMAZING MARKETS FURTHER BEFORE TAKING THE EVENING FLIGHT BACK TO  ISTANBUL.