IZMIR CITY BREAK

DAY 1 –FLY –IZMIR
TAKE THE EARLY MORNING FLIGHT FROM ISTANBUL TO IZMIR. YOU WILL DIRECTLY DRIVE TO SELCUK WHICH WILL TAKE ABOUT AN HOUR. EPHESUS IS A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE AND ONE OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION. YOU WILL SEE THE REMARKABLY PRESERVED WIDE MARBLE STREETS , FLANKED BY COLUMNS, TEMPLES AND FOUNTAINS. CELCUS LIBRARY, HARBOR STREET , AGORA, FOUNTAIN OF TRAJAN, STREAM BATHS OF SCHOLASTIC , GREAT THEATRE WHICH IS STILL USED FOR PERFORMANCES OF SPECIAL EVENTS WILL SURPRISE YOU BY HOW WELL THEY HAVE BEEN PRESERVED.  NEXT THE HOUSE OF VIRGIN MARY WILL BE VISITED WHERE SHE HAS THOUGHT TO SPENT HER FINAL YEARS.

ON RETURN TO IZMIR, YOU WILL STOP IN SMYRNA AGORA ANCIENT CITY WHICH WAS BUILT ON THE NORTHERN SLOPE OF PAGOS MOUNTAIN DURING HELLENISTIC PERIOD IN THE 4TH CENTURY BC. THREE-PART AGORA WHICH IS PRACTICALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF IZMIR CONSIST OF BASILICA, COURT ROOMS AND 28 STORES.

VISIT THE KEMERALTI MARKET PLACE WHICH IS WALKING DISTANCE TO AGORA. IZMIR’S BAZAAR DISTRICT AND ONE OF THE LIVELIEST PARTS OF THE CITY HOME TO A HUGE HISTORIC MARKET WITH TURKISH COFFEE SHOPS, TEA HOUSES AND RESTAURANTS AS WELL.

DINNER AND OVERNIGHT  IN IZMIR.

DAY 2 – IZMIR – FLY ISTANBUL
AFTER BREAKFAST CHECK OUT OF THE HOTEL AND DRIVE TO SARDIS, THE CAPITAL CITY OF THE ANCIENT KINGDOM OF LYDIA, AND SEE THE CHURCH WHICH WAS BUILT ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS, THEN TO THE FAMOUS SYNAGOGUE FROM 3RD CENTURY, THE GYMNASIUM AND THE NEW EXCAVATION AREA. CONTINUE TO ALASEHIR WHERE THE ANCIENT PHILADELPHIA CHURCH IS LOCATED. WALK THE STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA AND SEE THE REMAINS OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION.

AFTER THE TOUR DRIVE DIRECTLY  TO IZMIR AIRPORT TO TAKE THE FLIGHT  TO ISTANBUL