The Rise and Fall of Empires a History of Western Turkey by Land and Sea 28
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The Love Boat gulet The Rise and Fall of Empires A History of Western Turkey by Land and Sea 28 May – 12 June 2022 3 nights Istanbul – 11 nights cruising on a gulet – 1 night Bodrum The Roman amphitheatre in Pergamum This fascinating tour and cruise delve into Travel from the fascinating, multi layered city the history of Turkey with a focus on the of Istanbul to Bodrum, taking an 11-night great empires that rose and fell in this area cruise on a beautiful gulet on the way. Visit - in particular, the great Ottoman Empire. key sites in both ancient and modern history, Noted historian and writer Giles Milton - including Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy, Pergamum, author of Paradise Lost, which follows the Izmir, Ephesus and Didyma, and deepen your last days of the Ottoman Empire, especially understanding of this part of the world during the fall of Smyrna - will be your speaker the last days of the Ottoman Empire, which during this journey. Giles will combine his coincided with the establishment of modern knowledge of Turkey, the fall of Smyrna and Turkey. Cruise along a less-visited part of the Winston Churchill with his personal skill at spectacular Aegean Coast, anchoring in small bringing history to life. Giles will be joined coves and visiting idyllic villages and islands en by skilled and experienced specialist guides route. from Turkey; Yavuz Özdeniz and Kenan Çelik. Tour Leader Giles Milton will be a specialist speaker on this cruise. Milton is the internationally best-selling author of nine works of narrative non-fiction including Nathaniel’s Nutmeg, Big Chief Elizabeth, Samurai William, The Riddle and the Knight, White Gold, Paradise Lost, Wolfram, Russian Roulette, Fascinating Footnotes from History. His most recent work is Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. He is also the author of three novels. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages and have been serialised on both the BBC and in British newspapers. Two are currently under option for film. Milton’s works of narrative history rely on personal testimonies, will also be joined by specialist guide, Kenan diaries, journals and letters to tell the story of Çelik, one of Turkey’s leading experts on the key moments in history, recounted through the Gallipoli Campaign of World War One, who eyes of those who were there. has been a guide to the battlefields of the Gallipoli Peninsula for more than 25 years. He Milton will be accompanied by a full-time was formerly a lecturer in English language national guide, Yavuz Özdeniz. Mr Özdeniz and literature at the Onsekiz Mart University has been guiding since 1983 and is highly in Çanakkale. Kenan was awarded the Order of respected for his knowledge of historical and Australia in 2000, in recognition of his services current affairs. He has appeared on BBC radio to Australian history, becoming the first Turkish and in Arthur Frommer’s travel magazine. He citizen to receive this award. The Temple of Athena in Behramkale (Assos), with Lesbos visible behind Itinerary 28 May – 12 June 2022 B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner 3 nights Istanbul – 11 nights cruising on a gulet – 1 night Bodrum underground Roman cisterns. Wander through the fragrant spice bazaar and Istanbul end in the Grand Bazaar, a labyrinth 1 of colourful stalls and shops selling Gebze everything from kilims to coffee pots. Stop at one of the numerous tea houses and try 2 Çanakkale Bursa your hand at bartering with some of the Bozcaada Assos world’s experts. Pergamum Eve: Enjoy a welcome dinner with the group. Ayvalik Turkey Foca Day 3: Istanbul (Mon, 30 May) B L Çeşme Izmir Am: Explore the Istanbul of the Ottoman Court Kusadasi with a visit to Topkapi Palace, the residence Aegean of Ottoman sultans for almost four Sea Didyma centuries and a dazzling display of royal 3 Bodrum Islamic architecture. Pm: Enjoy a local lunch. Take a cruise along the Bosphorus past Beylerbeyi Palace, an imperial summer residence during the late Ottoman era, and end at the Pera Palace Hotel. Eve: At leisure in Istanbul for dinner Day 4: Istanbul / Çanakkale Day 1: Istanbul (Sat, 28 May) D (Tue, 31 May ) B L D Pm: Istanbul is the only city in the world that Am: Drive to Çanakkale, often known as spans two continents and is a rich blend Gallipoli. of cultures and influences encompassing Pm: Visit the ruins of ancient Troy, an thousands of years. Arrive and transfer to UNESCO-listed World Heritage site in the your hotel. hills of Hisarlik in modern-day Turkey and visit the new Troy Museum. Day 2: Istanbul (Sun, 29 May) B L D Eve: Board the gulet and have dinner onboard. Am: Sightseeing tour of historic Istanbul. Visit the Blue Mosque, a triumph of harmony, Day 5: Çanakkale / Kabatepe proportion and elegance. Built in 1603, (Wed, 1 June) B D the ‘blue’ of the mosque refers to the Am: Visit the Maritime Museum, which includes superb Iznik tiles that line the walls. Tour ships from Gallipoli campaign. the Hippodrome and the spectacular Pm: Sail past the British and Turkish memorials underground Roman cisterns nearby. Visit to Kabatepe. Visit the war museum. one of Byzantine Istanbul’s most imposing Eve: Dinner on the gulet. sights, the Aya (or Hagia) Sophia. Its huge arching dome, encrusted with exquisite Day 6: Kabatepe (Anzac Cove) / Bozcaada mosaics, appears to stand unsupported (Thur, 2 June) B L D thanks to ingenious engineering. Am: Early morning excursion to Anzac Cove to Pm: Continue to visit the spectacular visit the beach and walk to the site of the battlefield and Casualty Clearing Station by Levantine merchants. Number 1 with specialist Gallipoli guide, Pm: Enjoy lunch in the bay. Option to disembark Kenan Çelik. Continue to the Australia and and explore Assos and the ruins of its New Zealand memorials and Lone Pine ancient city and an early temple to Athena, cemetery. Cruise from Anzac Cove. which was founded by settlers from Lesbos Pm: Depart for Bozcaada island and see its in the 1st millennium BC. Sail to Ayvalik majestic castle. The form of the existing past Lesbos, where the Australian and castle dates back to Sultan Mehmet the British hospital ships were based in WWI Conqueror’s time, when it was rebuilt and WWII and the home of Sappho. on the ruins of that castle used by the Eve: At leisure to have dinner in Ayvalik, a Phoenicians, Genovese, and the Venetians charming town full of historic stone (1455). During the reign of Mahmut II, it houses, narrow cobblestone streets and was almost completely rebuilt and has fishing boats. kept its appearance ever since (1815). Disembark and explore this former Greek Day 8: Ayvalik / Foca (Sat, 4 June) B L D island, known for its vineyards, and sample Am: Tour the spectacular ruins of Pergamum, some local wines. which towers one thousand feet above the Eve: Dinner at harbourside restaurant ashore city with superb views of the countryside with local wine. in all directions. This great Greek city was once a centre of commerce, culture Day 7: Bozcaada / Assos / Ayvalik and medicine, famed for its intellectual (Fri, 3 June) B tradition and its grammatical and medical Am: Option to further explore Bozcaada and school. Its most famous son was Galen, visit the small fort. Cruise to the small who studied medicine and philosophy port of Assos (Behramkale), once here and became known as the greatest renowned for the indigo that was traded physician of ancient times. Visit the The Blue Mosque in Istanbul Bozcaada Castle magnificent Acropolis and the Aesclepion, Day 11: Çeşme / Kuşadasi (Tues, 7 June) B L which was the first complete health spa Am: Sail along beautiful coastline to Kuşadasi, the world had known. the coastal gateway to Ephesus. Pm: Enjoy a local lunch and drive to Foca to Pm: Lunch on board the gulet. At leisure to board the gulet. explore Kuşadasi at your own pace. Eve: Dinner onboard the gulet and overnight Eve: At leisure for dinner in Kuşadasi. in Foca. Day 12: Kuşadasi (Wed, 8 June) B L D Day 9: Izmir (Sun, 5 June) B L D Am: Visit the great ancient site of Ephesus. Am: Sail to Izmir, the modern-day The best-preserved classical city in incarnation of ancient Smyrna, and hear the Eastern Mediterranean, this site talks on Smyrna and the evacuation. is unmatched in its sheer magnitude, Pm: Lunch on board the gulet. Disembark at encompassing a theatre, library and Izmir and visit the historic gymnasium. Ephesus’s history stretches Levantine suburb of Bournabat, home of back thousands of years and it possessed the grand Levantine families. one of the Wonders of the Ancient World Eve: Dinner at a classical Levantine restaurant. in its magnificent Temple of Artemis. Most of the surviving ruins belong almost Day 10: Izmir / Çeşme (Mon, 6 June) B L exclusively to its golden Roman age, Am: At leisure. when it replaced Pergamum as the capital Pm: Lunch on board the gulet. Sail to the clear and became the first great metropolis waters and sandy beaches of of Asia. Visit the restored Basilica of St Çeşme, overlooked by magnificent Çeşme John, the amphitheatre and the Library of Castle, built in 1508 by the Ottoman ruler Celsus. Wander the streets of one of the Beyazit II. greatest cities of the ancient world and see Eve: At leisure for dinner in Çeşme. ordinary homes decorated with mosaics and frescoes. the ancient Greek city of Miletus, which Pm: Enjoy a local lunch. Visit the village of was the most important city of the Ionian Seljuk, the Archaeological Museum and the League.