Odysseys Unlimited

Day 1: Depart U.S. for Istanbul, Turkey

Day 2: Arrive Istanbul We arrive in Turkey’s cultural and spiritual heart today and transfer to our hotel located near Taksim Square, the heart of modern Istanbul. As guests’ arrival times may vary greatly, we have no group activities or meals planned; on our own we can explore the area surrounding our hotel or simply relax. Dinner tonight is on our own.

Day 3: Istanbul Today we encounter Old Istanbul, beginning with the ancient Roman Hippodrome, home of the 3,500-year-old obelisk brought from Egypt in 390 CE. We continue on to the renowned Museum of Turkish & Islamic Art, housing priceless artifacts from the 8th to 20th centuries. Next we visit Hagia Sophia, the 6th-century church that was Christendom's most important before becoming a mosque in the 15th century. A museum since 1935, Hagia Sophia today stands as the greatest surviving example of Byzantine architecture. We return to our hotel late this afternoon, and this evening we take a short walk to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner of traditional Turkish fare. B,D

Day 4: Istanbul This morning we tour the Blue Mosque, with its 20,000 blue Iznik tiles, and six signature minarets; and splendid Topkapi, the medieval palace of Ottoman sultans that today is one of the world's richest museums. After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit the Grand Bazaar, housing some 4,000 shops, and the exotic Spice Market. Then we take a private cruise on the Bosphorus, the waterway that separates Europe from Asia. We stop in the village of Ortakoy, known for its trendy art scene, cafés, and boutiques. Later this afternoon we return to our hotel and the remainder of the afternoon and evening is at leisure; you have your choice of many excellent restaurants for dinner on your own. B,L

Day 5: Istanbul/Gaziantep Mid-day we fly to Gaziantep (“Antep”), one of the world’s longest continuously inhabited cities and center of Turkey’s pistachio cultivation and bakklava production. Upon arrival we tour Gaziantep’s Zeugma Mosaic Museum, featuring a stunning collection of well-preserved mosaics unearthed from the city of Zeugma. Underwater now due to dam construction, Zeugma once was known as a "second Pompeii" for the wealth of ancient relics unearthed here. We dine together at our hotel tonight. B,D

Day 6: Gaziantep This morning we visit the Gaziantep City Museum for an enlightening orientation to the city and eastern Turkey. After lunch in a local restaurant, we visit the semi-enclosed bazaar and several workshops in this city known especially for its handcrafts. Gazantiep is reputed for its copper crafts, shoemaking, stonework, and embroidery. Also a renowned center of Turkish cuisine, prized for dishes based on Armenian and Assyrian cooking as well as Arab and Turkish influences, Gaziantep boasts many acclaimed restaurants. We dine in one tonight and also enjoy a Turkish cooking lesson. B,L,D

Day 7: Gaziantep/Urfa Leaving Gaziantep, we coach to Halfeti for a cruise on the Euphrates, the 1,700-mile waterway that fed the development of ancient civilization. We pass Rumkale Castle, a strategically sited fortress dating to the Assyrians; and see the “ghost towns” abandoned by the construction of a dam. After disembarking we continue on to Urfa, notable in both the Old Testament and Islam. Late afternoon we reach our hotel in the city’s old town. B,L,D

Day 8: Urfa/Harran We drive this morning to Harran, where Abraham is said to have lived on his way to the Promised Land. In antiquity a major Assyrian center of culture and commerce, Harran today is an important archaeological site and hardscrabble village. We visit the ruin of the cultish Moon Temple and also see the city’s adobe “beehive” houses which were inhabited as recently as the 1980s. Returning to Urfa, we visit the Halil-ul Rahman mosque, built on the site where Abraham was thrown into a fire that turned into a pool; the atmospheric marketplace in the old city; and Gobekli Tepe, site of the oldest place of worship yet discovered (since this is an active archaeological dig, entry may or may not be possible). Tonight we dine at a local restaurant overlooking Urfa’s ancient city walls. B,L,D

Day 9: Urfa/Mt. Nemrut/Adiyaman We depart early this morning for the three-hour drive to the UNESCO site of Mt. Nem­rut, the presumed 1st century BCE mountaintop burial site of Antiochus I, with temples, altars, terraces, and decapitated statues of ancient gods – and their heads – scattered about. Having withstood both time (two millennia) and attempted destruction by iconoclasts, the colossal 26- to 33-foot high statues evoke a very distant and storied past. We walk to the summit, where we enjoy a picnic lunch in this spectacular setting, then tour the archaeological site and museum here. B,L,D

Day 10: Adiyaman/Cappadocia Another early morning as we depart for the daylong journey to Cappadocia, arriving late this afternoon. B,L,D

Day 11: Cappadocia Centuries of volcanic eruptions dumped mud, ash, and lava here that was later sculpted by rain and wind into whimsical cone, needle, and chimney formations in which early Christians built thousands of churches in the Goreme Valley. They also built the “rock city” of Uchisar, and the underground village of Kaymakli, all of which we explore on today’s tour. B,L,D

Day 12: Cappadocia Today’s touring features the vast Zelve Valley complex of caves laced with dwellings, churches, and public spaces where villagers lived until just 40 years ago; the amazing fairy tale chimneys at Pasabag; Urgup winery; and the medieval Ottoman town of Avanos, where we watch craftspeople as they fashion pottery and weave rugs. B,L,D

Day 13: Cappadocia/Hattusha/Ankara Leaving Cappadocia this morning we travel to the Hittite site of Hattusha, former capital of the Hittite empire dating to the 2nd millennium BCE and known for its thoughtful urban layout. We tour this UNESCO site then continue on to Ankara. B,L,D

Day 14: Ankara This morning we visit the Ataturk Mausoleum, honoring the founder of the Turkish Republic, Kemal Ataturk; and the notable Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, which chronicles the history of Asia Minor. Our afternoon is at leisure before tonight’s farewell dinner at our hotel. B,D

Day 15: Depart for U.S. Early today we fly to Istanbul and board our flight to the U.S. B

Please note: This trip involves considerable walking on uneven or cobblestone streets and at sites of ancient ruins. You should be in good physical condition to enjoy the tour to its fullest.