Türkiye, Istanbul

From Cappadocia to Mesopotamia: Anatolian Heritage Tour 4^*

When you arrive in Kayseri, our team will welcome you and take you to the hotel. Before dinner, the tour manager will present the itinerary and provide all the necessary programme information. Guests will then enjoy dinner at the hotel, followed by an overnight stay.

Welcome gift: Nazar Boncuğu (Turkish Blue Eye)

The Nazar Boncuğu is a glass bead that is believed to protect its wearer from the evil eye. It is very common in Turkey. Look around and you will see countless examples of it hanging from cars and rear-view mirrors, attached to rucksacks, worn as necklaces or bracelets, pinned to the clothes of babies and young children or hung above the doors of restaurants, hotels, shops and flats.

After breakfast, we will set off to explore Cappadocia's famous valleys. This unique place is renowned for its exceptional natural rock formations. A long time ago, volcanic eruptions caused lava to flow and solidify on the Earth's surface, creating tuff rock. Over time, erosion sculpted these rocks into the famous 'fairy chimneys'.

But it's not just the landscape that makes this place so special. The Hittites carved the soft tuff stone to turn this fairytale setting into homes, stables, shops, churches, hospitals and much more besides. Early Christians dug out caves and adorned the walls of these rock chapels with frescoes depicting biblical scenes. Remarkably, some of these frescoes have survived to this day, bearing witness to the skill and religious fervour of the faithful.

We will visit Göreme, Uçhisar, Kaymaklı and Paşabağ, before heading to Avanos. Here, we will have the opportunity to purchase pottery made using the traditional foot-powered potter's wheel technique, which has been practised in the region for thousands of years. We will have dinner and spend the night at the hotel.

After breakfast, we will set off for Adana. En route, we will stop in Tarsus, the birthplace of Saint Paul. We will visit the house where he was born. Tarsus was once one of the richest Roman cities. Cleopatra and Mark Antony also stayed there. Tarsus is also home to one of the three famous American schools in Turkey.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Adana.

After an early breakfast, we will depart for Antioch on the Orontes. This city was founded by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, in 300 BC. Over time, Antioch (now Antakya) evolved into a vibrant melting pot of Hellenistic and Eastern cultures. This prosperous city welcomed new ideas and populations from various regions of the ancient world. These characteristics encouraged the inhabitants of Antioch to be open to accepting a new religion, brought by Saint Paul, Saint Peter and Saint Barnabas.

It was in Antioch that, for the first time in history, pagans were admitted into the Church. It was also in the Church of Saint Peter in Antioch that the disciples of Christ were first called 'Christians'. We will visit the Cave of Saint Peter, a cave church which is considered to have been the gathering place of the early Christians.

During the Byzantine Empire, the city grew in importance and developed rapidly into a thriving centre of the Eastern Church. Our tour will include the Museum of Antioch, which houses an impressive collection of mosaics and was reconstructed as a monumental building in 2015.

Next, we will head to Daphne and Seleucia in Pieria to explore the rock tombs and the Tunnel of Titus. From there, we will travel to Iskenderun (ancient Alexandretta), which was founded by Alexander the Great after his victory at Issus. In 1097, it was conquered during the First Crusade and incorporated into the Principality of Antioch.

Dinner and overnight stay will be in Iskenderun.

After breakfast, we will set off for Şanlıurfa (the ancient city of Edessa). En route, we will pay a brief visit to the Gaziantep Mosaic Museum, where we can admire new discoveries from Zeugma (Seleucia on the Euphrates), one of the four main cities of the Kingdom of Commagene in the 1st century BC. Opened in 2013, this museum is now the world's largest mosaic museum.

After these visits, we will continue on to Şanlıurfa. Along the way, we will stop to take photos in front of a reservoir on the Euphrates River. Şanlıurfa, formerly known as Edessa, is a city in Upper Mesopotamia. Historically, it was also a major city in the Fertile Crescent, a region stretching from the Mediterranean coast to Upper Mesopotamia. It was conquered during the First Crusade and became the County of Edessa, one of the 'Latin States of the East'.

While we are there, we will visit the Crusader fortress and the nearby Halil Rahman Mosque, which, according to Muslim tradition, is the birthplace of Abraham. We will have dinner and spend the night in Şanlıurfa.

After breakfast, we will check out of our rooms and set off for Harran. This city in Upper Mesopotamia is mentioned in the Bible, in the Book of Genesis (XI, 31–32; XII, 4–5). Today, Harran is a village famous for its beehive-shaped houses. It was here that Abraham spent several years of his life. The Temple of Sin, considered the first university, was also located here. It was renowned throughout the ancient world for its astrologers and scholars who specialised in observing the stars.

The importance of the Moon, astrology and astronomy to the peoples of Mesopotamia is evident from the fact that their Magi meticulously studied the phases of the Moon in an attempt to predict the future. Thales of Miletus probably learned to predict solar eclipses from them. Harran is also mentioned in Genesis (Chapter II) as the location of the Garden of Eden, which was crossed by the rivers Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel and Euphrates.

From Harran, we will travel to Göbeklitepe, which is located 18 kilometres northeast of Şanlıurfa city centre, near the village of Örencik. The site was discovered in 1963 during a joint survey conducted by the universities of Istanbul and Chicago and identified as 'V52 Neolithic Site'. Following excavations begun after 1994, its true importance became apparent, revealing that Göbeklitepe was a religious centre dating back some 12,000 years.

After visiting Harran, we will drive to the city of Adıyaman.

Dinner and overnight stay will be in Adıyaman.

We will leave very early in the morning for Mount Nemrut, where King Antiochus I of Commagene had a colossal funerary sanctuary built on top of the 1,920-metre-high mountain. Sixteen giant statues, each around 10 metres tall, were erected in honour of Greco-Persian deities and the Persian ancestors of King Antiochus. The east and west terraces feature a central courtyard surrounded by monumental statues of lions, eagles, and other symbolic figures. The colossal seated deities include representations of Apollo, Hermes, Zeus and Heracles.

Watching the sun rise over the Euphrates River from the summit of Mount Nemrut is an unparalleled experience. The panoramic views from the eastern and western terraces make it easy to see why Antiochus chose this exceptional location for his final resting place.

After this visit, we will continue on to the city of Diyarbakır.

Dinner and overnight stay will be at a hotel in Diyarbakır.

This morning, we will visit Diyarbakır (formerly Amida), a city with a history dating back to the Hurrian Kingdom of Mitanni around 1500 BC. Over the centuries, the city has been ruled by many civilisations, including the Urartians, Assyrians, Persians, Alexander the Great and the Seleucids. The Arabs later conquered it and renamed it Diyar Bakr ('land of copper'). In 1085, it came under the control of the Seljuks and was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in 1515.

Highlights of our visit will include the basalt ramparts, which are one of the finest surviving examples of medieval military architecture; the four ancient city gates; the Ulu Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque; and the 17th-century St Mary's Church.

In the afternoon, we will drive to Mardin (formerly Marida), which is located on the southern slope of a mountain. There, we will visit its 1,500-year-old monasteries. During the visit, we will explore the Mor Gabriel, Mor Yakup and Deyrülzafaran monasteries, the former Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate, the Great Mosque, and Mardin's magnificent houses, which are famous for their elegant stone masonry.

Dinner and overnight stay in Mardin.

We will set off early in the morning for Hasankeyf, via Nusaybin and Midyat. The latter has a medieval atmosphere, with narrow, fortified stone houses.

After breakfast, we will head to the airport for our flight to Istanbul. We will spend half a day exploring this fascinating city.

Bosphorus Cruise: This boat trip along the strait separating the Asian and European continents offers unobstructed views of Dolmabahçe Palace, several old Ottoman wooden houses, and the opulence of the Ottoman era.

Spice Market: This large, ancient stone building, which houses around 400 shops and the Pandeli restaurant upstairs, was built in 1664. This covered gallery was originally part of the complex of the nearby mosque, the Yeni Cami (the ‘New Mosque’), whose construction began in 1597 but was not completed until several decades later. Since its inception, the Spice Market has specialised in the sale of exotic spices and herbs. Today, these charming little shops continue to sell spices, as well as dried fruits, nuts, seeds and Turkish delight. Some shops are gradually transforming to offer jewellery and other high-value-added items.

The winding streets behind the spice market lead to the Grand Bazaar. These narrow and often bustling alleys are lined with shops offering fascinating items to discover and purchase.

After breakfast, we will begin our full-day guided tour of Istanbul. We will start with the Blue Mosque, famous for its blue Iznik tiles (formerly Nicea) and unique for its six minarets. After the Blue Mosque, we will walk to the Hippodrome, which was the centre of sporting events (chariot races and athletic competitions) as well as the political life of the ancient city.

From the Hippodrome, we will walk to Hagia Sophia, located just opposite the Blue Mosque. Originally built as the Church of Holy Wisdom, it remains one of the greatest architectural masterpieces in the world. The Byzantine Emperor Justinian had it built in the 6th century as a basilica.

In the afternoon, we will continue with a visit to Topkapı Palace, the former imperial residence of the Ottoman sultans. Today, the palace rooms house collections of the imperial treasury, Chinese porcelain, weapons and sacred relics (King David's sword, Moses' staff, Joseph's turban and relics of St. John the Baptist).

We will end the day with a visit to the Grand Bazaar, the largest oriental bazaar in the world, with around 4,000 shops selling antiques, jewellery, gold, carpets, leather goods and many other treasures.

Unique moment: during our visit to the Grand Bazaar, we will enjoy Turkish coffee at Şark Kahvesi, a 400-year-old Turkish coffee shop. A wide variety of Turkish coffees and teas are available there.

Dinner and overnight stay will be at the hotel.

After breakfast, we will be transferred to the airport for our departure flights.