Cappadocia & South EasternTurkey

EasternTurkeyTours

Exceed your expectations Email: info@easternturkeytour.org

The tour starts in Cappadocia, the region of central Turkey famousfor its bizarre rock formations produced over time by the elementsin an ancient volcanic region. First seriously exploited by the ancientHittites many of the weird rock formations were excavated andmined to produce homes, fortresses and even underground cities.Cappadocia, its name derived from its Persian description “Land ofBeautiful Horses” once covered a large part of central Anatolia andwas the eastern most part of the Roman province of Asia Minor.Now it refers to the area around Nevsehir and due to itsextraordinary heritage of early Christian Churches, carved from therocks and adorned by remarkable frescos, it was awarded the statusof a World Heritage Site by UNESCO

Day 1Devrent Valley, Zelve Open Air Museum and Monk's Valley

(Pasabagi) where you will see the famous “fairy chimneys.” After

lunch we carry on to the Goreme Open Air Museum with its

monastic communities and churches carved from the soft volcanic

rock. We will finish the day with a view of Pigeon Valley and the

fortress of Uchisar which, like all the ancient buildings in this

region, is carved in the most spectacular fashion from the living

rock. At its summit are the (now empty) tombs of the ancient

rulers of the region.

Overnight in Nevsehir or Urgup .

Fairy Chimneys Cappadocia

The Fairy Chimneys and Uchisar in the distance

Monestary dining table carved fromthe rock in Goreme

Day 2Visit the old Christian Village of Cavusin before continuing on to visitthe underground cities of Kaymakli and Derinkuyu. These ancientcities, of which there are many, are a unique feature of theCappadocian region. Derinkuyu, discovered only in the early 1960sis believed to predate even the Hittites and was expanded over timeby the different peoples of the area to produce what we see today.Extensively developed in the late Roman and Byzantine periods theunderground cities were a refuge in times of war which could besealed from the world above and could accommodate in its 8 - 12subterranean levels up to 2000 families. Many of these undergroundcities were connected by a lengthy tunnel system and it appears thatDerinkuyu and Kaymakli, about 8 kilometres apart, were likewiseconnected by a tunnel.

We finish the day with a walk along the Ihlara Valley Canyon and avisit to the Selimiye Monastery. Once again, carved from the rockand commanding a prominent vantage point over the start of theIhlara Valley, the Selimiye monastery complex boasts numerousdormitories and kitchens, a seminary, chapels and a cathedral.

Overnight in Nevsehir or Urgup.

Ihlara Valley

Within Derinkuyu

Views from inside Selime Monastery

Day 3We leave the Land of Beautiful Horses and weird rock formationsand head out across Turkey's hinterland, along the ancient Silk Roadvia Kayseri and stopping at Karatay Han before proceeding to MtNemrut in Adiyaman. The magnificent funerary monument at thepeak of Mt Nemrut stands as a testament to an ancient king'sambition. At 2234 metres in elevation this monument was lost tomemory for nearly 2000 years. It was constructed to cover theremains of King Antiochus I Commagene and was intended toensure his place both on earth and in the memory of men as well asin the heavens along side the Gods of antiquity. On two sides of amassive tumulus on the summit of Mt. Nemrut are platforms thatface the rising and setting sun upon which rest statues of the kingalong side the Gods, his heavenly family. Of little importance in life,King Antiochus I has achieved immortality in our time; hismonument is one of those few places on earth that truly deserve tobe described by the word “enigmatic.” We will watch the setting ofthe sun alongside the King. Overnight in Khata.

Kayseri, old and new

Karatay Han

The funurary monument at the summit of Mt. Nemrut, Adiyaman

Day 4From Khata we continue to the massive Ataturk Dam and on to Urfa,the ancient city of prophets. Ancient footprints truly mark this partof Turkey; Urfa was the birthplace of the biblical patriarch Abraham.We will visit the cave and shrine where tradition tells us Abrahamwas born. Nearby are the sacred pools of Abraham filled with sacredcarp that are fed by the many pilgrims who visit this holy site and inthe late afternoon we will visit Harran with its famous beehivehouses and which was mentioned in Genesis as the place whereAbraham lived. Genesis 11.13: “And there took Abram, his son, andLot the son of Aran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, thewife of Abram his son, and brought them out of Ur of the Chaldees,to go into the land of Chanaan: and they came as far as Haran, anddwelt there.”

Over night in Urfa.

Sacred pools of Abraham

The Beehive houses in HarranThe mosque complex around the cave where Abraham was born

Harran

Day 5We depart Urfa and proceed to the ongoing archaeological dig atGobekli Tepe. Although not widely known amongst the generalpublic Gobekli Tepe is probably one of the most importantarchaeological sites in the world and is rewriting textbooks witheach passing season; the remains of the oldest temple structure yetdiscovered are gradually being revealed. The site is believed to datefrom about 11,000 BC which means that not only does it predatethe Pyramids of Egypt and Stonehenge but also writing. In manyrespects, what is being revealed here simply should not be; we seestanding stones adorned with carvings of animals and symbolsexecuted with great skill and an enduring sense of mystery. Thestones are arranged in circles enclosing what are evidently sacredspaces; and more and more of these remarkable stone circles cometo light each year.

From Gobekli Tepe, Hill of the Navel, we continue to Diyarbekir.Diyarbekir is another ancient settlement and at 5000 years old isone of the oldest cities in the world. An overwhelmingly Kurdish cityDiyarbekir is famed for its ancient city walls; built by the Romans thecurrent walls, built of massive black basalt blocks is, after the greatwall of China, the longest continuous defensive wall in the world.Located on the highest navigable point on the great River EuphratesDiyarbekir has more historic mosques, churches and other historicbuildings than any city in Turkey after Istanbul. It has Armenian,Syriac, Kurdish and Arabic quarters each with its own distinctivestyle as well as many Seljuk buildings.

Overnight in Diyarbekir.

One of the many stones of Gobekli Tepe depictingwildfowl and a wild boar.

The dig at Gobekli Tepe

The Defensive walls of Diyarbakir

Day 6Mardin: located on a high hill overlooking the plains of southernTurkey and Syria. After breakfast, we will visit Deir-Al-Zafaran (theSaffron Monastery), centre of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchy and stillan active monastery. The site of the Saffron monastery has been asacred place for many hundreds of years an, in fact, the buildings wesee today are built over an ancient temple to the Sun which is datedto about 1000 BC and which forms an essential part of themonastery building's foundation- all of which is supported by thetemple's roof which is, essentially, a flat arch.

After lunch drive to Hasankeyf, situated by the Tigris River; soon tobe submerged under the flood waters of a new dam on the Tigris,Hasankeyf has hundreds of caves, hidden waterways, tombs, alarger and smaller Palace, as well as ruins of the Great Mosque.AfterHasankeyf we will drive to Tatvan. Dinner and overnight Tatvan.

Hasankeyf on the river Tigris

The old streets of the cave city of Hasankeyf

The great mosque, Hasankeyf

The Saffron monastery

Day 7On the south eastern shore of Lake Van we find Nemrut Mountain(not to be confused with Nemrut Dagi in Adiyaman) rising aboveTatvan. This mountain is one of the biggest complete calderas in theworld and is named for the ancient King Nemrud. The volcanic conewas believed to have originally been much higher, possibly 4450meter before its eruption. The last time it was active was in 1440 BCalthough there is thermal activity today. There are five lakes withinthe crater, and the larger two, which we will visit, are strikinglydifferent. The Cold Lake (13 sq.kms) has an average depth of 100meters; the Hot Lake has a visible amount of steam rising from itsthermal springs. The heat may reach up to 60 degrees centigrade insummer. There are also thermal ponds around the lake as well asseveral hot springs scattered around the crater floor and hot blowholes, lava cones and many caves. There is a population of bears,many wild tortoises in the crater and carp to be found in the largecold lake. We will picnic by the Crater Lake and stroll around thecrater itself. For those who arrive between June and September wewill see and visit with the nomadic people who spend their summersaround Nemrut Crater Lake.

On to Van via Akdamar Island where we visit the beautifully restored10th C Armenian Church of the Holy Cross, or Sourp Khach; built asa part of a palace and religious complex between 915 and 921 bythe Armenian King Gagik Ardzruni. Although it is one of the bestknown examples of Armenian architecture, it is also unique in thatthere is no comparable example in terms of the reliefs and decorativefeatures that adorn the exterior of the building. From Akdamar wecontinue to the city of Van, where we will spend the night.

The hot lake in the crater

Nomadic people around Nemrut Crater Lake

Seljuk tomb, Gevas, Lake Van

Day 8On to Dogubeyazit via the waterfall at Muradiye. The road toDogubeyazit contains numerous views of Mt. Ararat, with it'spermanently snow capped peak rising above fertile plains.

Just outside Dogubeyazit, Ishak Pasha's pleasure palace sits on a hillto the east of the old town over looking the plains of Ararat, the finalresting place of Noah's Ark and the setting place for the BabylonianEpic of Gilgamesh. In Dogubeyazit, we visit the spectacular IshakPasha Palace 1685 -1784 with unique fusion of architecture fromSeljuk, Ottoman, Georgian, and Armenian/Persian styles. Even in itsruined state the opulence and originality of art and impeccable tastecoupled with the ambition of its owner instantly grasp theimagination. Out on the remotest reaches of the empire, far fromcentral authority in Istanbul its creators produced provincial palacethat could rival any in the empire. Built as the seat of thegovernment in the province of Mount Ararat in Eastern Anatolia andas his residence in about 1784 by the semi independent KurdishPasha, Ishak, and his son, the complex is an example of Seljukrevival with many Turkish Baroque elements. Situated on a rockyoutcrop overlooking the Ararat plateau, the palace is divided in thetraditional Ottoman manner into three sections: the first is servicecourt; the second is the selamlik (or greeting) court; and the third isthe haramlik (private) court. The splendid decorative programme isan eighteenth century interpretation of the twelfth-thirteenthcenturies' Seljuk styles, and is all executed in exquisite stone carving.The building was looted by Russian forces on a number of occasionsin the 19th century and during the First World War; the huge gilded

Continued overleaf

Muradiye Waterfall

View across the plains with Mt. Ararat in the distance

Ishak Pasha’s pleasure palace

gold gates that adorned the palace were stolen by Russian forces in1917 and are now at the entrance of the Hermitage Museum in St.Petersburg. Overnight in Dogubeyazit.

Day 9Return to Van to visit the bustling commercial centre of the city andto see carpets being made by local girls for the markets of Istanbuland beyond. The city and the eastern part of Lake Van are dominatedby its ancient 3000 year old mud brick Urartian citadel. We will taketime to explore these rich ruins and watch the sunset over Lake Vanwith Mt Nemrut Crater in the distance to the west and snow cappedMt Suphan to the North West.

Overnight in Van.

The 3000 year old Urartian citadel, atop Van castle rock

Inscription on Van Castle Rock

“A Great God is Ahuramazda, the greatest ofGods, who created this earth, who created thesky, who created man, who created happinessfor man, who made Xerxes king, one king for all,one ruler for all.

I am Xerxes, the Great King, the king of kings,king of all kinds of people with all kinds oforigins, king of this earth great and wide, theson of king Darius, the Achaemenid.

May Ahuramazda and the other gods protect me,my kingdom and what I have made.”

Day 10 Van city tour and depart.

The shore on Lake Van with the snowcapped mountains in the distance

The ‘boat train’ from Van to Tatvan

Cappadocia & South EasternTurkey

EasternTurkeyTours

Exceed your expectations Email: info@easternturkeytour.org

Visit: www.easternturkeytour.org