JOIN TURKEY Photography Turkish& Culture September 8-25, 2021 Tour Leader: Mark Meulemans Join me in this magical trip through Turkey, enjoy the enchanting coasts and get submerged in its ancient history. 'No prior expertise in photography necessary' organized by TURKEY: Photography & Turkish Culture / September 8-25, 2021 MARK MEULEMANS elgian born, living in Turkey Cappadocia Bfor several years, he is the photographer behind the the awarded cultural travel website Sep 10 Fri Istanbul – Cappadocia slowtravelguide.com After the breakfast visit to Spice Bazaar, take a private Boat Tour along the Bosphorus, seeing the European and Asian shores of Istanbul including “Turkey is a vibrant, unique place to Bosphorus Bridge, Beyoglu streets and Galata Tower. Transfer to Istanbul be, especially for those interested in Aiprort for fly to Kayseri. Meet at Kayseri airport, drive to Cappadocia, where photography. It will be a cultural exchange, and I think you’re nature has scoured surrealistic moonscape shapes, and the persecuted going to be amazed at how special the experience is. Christians dug underground cities and churches during the 9th century. Check-in to your hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia. (B,D) I love traveling and photographing here. Turkey is a country with generous, friendly people, great food and drinks, timeless architecture and a rich history. I will assist and guide you in an Antique Sites Tour part 2 easy way through several photo techniques and advise you how to approach different sceneries. Sep 11 Sat Cappadocia Optional: Hot Air Baloon Ride (05:30 am – 07.30am). Back to the hotel for Join me in this magical trip through Turkey, enjoy the berakfast. Visit the Goreme Open-Air-Museum with its fairy chimneys and enchanting coasts and get submerged in its ancient history.” dozens of cave churches decorated with unique frescoes depicting various scenes from the Bible, the natural Citadel of Uchisar, the pottery town Avanos. Overnight in Cappadocia. (B,D) Sep 12 Sun Cappadocia After breakfast, visit the underground city. Then visit the Onyx Factory, the monastic Zelve Valley with cave houses and cave churches and the local wine factory. Overnight in Cappadocia. (B,D) Sep 13 Mon Cappadocia - Konya Istanbul Drive to Konya. You will first visit Mevlana Mausoleum in Konya’s city center. Then visit the Archaeological Museum and its important inscriptions mentioning Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. Then drive to Catalhoyuk, the Neolithic Anatolian Höyük. Since 1993 an international team of archaeologists, led by Professor Ian Hodder, has been carrying out new research at Çatalhöyük. Overnight in Konya. (B,D) Sep 14 Tue Konya - Perge Drive to Perge. Full day excursion to the ancient Pamphylian cities of Perge, which dates back to 1000 BC, and to Aspendos with its well preserved 15,000 seat theater famous for its excellent acoustics. Then visit the Kursunlu Waterfalls. (B,D) Sep 15 Wed Sagalassos – Kibyra – Pamukkale After breakfast drive to Sagalassos. The ancient city was founded on the south facing slopes of the Taurus mountain range and was the metropolis of the Roman province of Pisidia. It was placed on Turkey’s UNESCO tentative World Heritage List. One of the most important features of the city is one of the five important ceramic production centers of the Roman Empire. Then drive to Kibyra. Kibyrians descended from Lydians and settled Photography & Turkish Culture in Kabalis and its surroundings. At the beginning of the Hellenistic period Pisidian immigrants from Milias and Termessos moved the settlement to a 17 Nights / 18 Days well-fortified area. Thereupon the new, multilingual and multicultural city of Kibyra is founded. Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale. (B,D) Istanbul Tour part 1 Sep 16 Thu Hierapolis Visit Hierapolis the third of the three key biblical cities in the Lycus Valley. It is best Sep 8 Wed Arrive to Istanbul Airport known for its mineral hot springs that have produced white calcareous travertines, Your tour guide will meet you at Istanbul Airport after the customs and baggage where Philip – either the apostle or evangelist was beleived to have been killed claim. Meet and greet, transfer to your hotel in Istanbul. Dinner and overnight. (D) in AD 80. See the wonderful formations of stalactites and watch the cataracts falling into the basin at the bottom of the mountain. Walk around the ancient Sep 9 Thu Istanbul city of Hierapolis, the Monument and Thermal Baths. See the architectural genius Full day Istabul tour. Istanbul was capital of Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. of the PLUTONIUM & THE GREAT THEATER and magnificently well preserved Besides, it is the biggest city of Turkish Republic also the point where Asia and NECROPOLIS. Overnight in one of the modern resorts of Pamukkale. (B,D) Europe continents meet. Firstly we will visit the Roman Hippodrome Square, it is the square where the most important monuments of Istanbul were found Sep 17 Fri Laodicea – Tripolis - Ephesus during the Byzantine Period like Obelisk of Theodosius and Serpent Column. Visit Laodicea; two theatres, stadium, aqueduct and major street lined with St. Sophia Church, builted by Constantine the Great and reconstructed by shops. Laodicea was a major city in Roman times, as is clear not only the size Justinian in the 6th century, one of the world’s greatest architectural marvels of the ancient site but also its two theaters, aqueduct and major street lined and a designated World Heritage site, and the Istanbul Archeology Museum, is with shops. It is not only the last of the seven churches to whom John directed one of the largest museums in the world with more than one million works of the book of Revelation, but also had a close relationship with nearby churches various cultures within the territory of the Ottoman Empire (from the Balkans of Colossae and Hierapolis. Then drive to Tripolis which was founded on the to Afghanistan). Dinner and overnigt in Istanbul. (B,D) northern bank of the Meander River. Dinner and overnight in Kuşadası. (B,D) TURKEY: Photography & Turkish Culture / September 8-25, 2021 LAND ONLY $3,490 Per Person in Double Room $4,990 Single Room INCLUDING • Istanbul – Cappadocia domestic flight • 2 Night at Moevenpick Golden Horn Hotel in Istanbul or similar • 3 Nights at Burcu Kaya Hotel in Cappadocia or similar • 1 Night at Anemon Hotell in Konya or similar • 1 Night at Best Western Khan Hotel in Antalya or similar Perge • 2 Nights at Doga Thermal Hotel in Pamukkale or similar • 1 Night at Korumar Hotel in Kusadasi or similar Sep 18 Sat Ephesus - Pergamon (Bergama) • 1 Night at Berksoy Hotel in Bergama or similar Drive to Selcuk town to visit the famous ancient city of Ephesus. This site • 6 Nights at GULET BOAT in Fethiye/Gocek area had successive Hellenistic and Roman settlements and was an outstanding example of a Roman port city with a sea channel and harbor basin. • Daily open buffet breakfasts at the hotels Excavations have revealed other grand monuments of the Roman Imperial • 11 dinners at the hotels period including marble-paved roads, terrace homes of the elite, Roman • 6 Dinners at the Gulet Boat Baths, the Celsus Library, and more. Today, Ephesus is also one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. After lunch in the town of Selcuk, we will visit • 5 Lunches at the Gulet Boat a local Handmade Carpet and Kilim production center and learning how our • All transfers and transportation by private AC Vehicles world-famous Turkish rugs are made. We will see unique Christian design • All entry fees to the sites and museum carpets at this place. Drive North to Bergama for dinner and overnight. (B,D) • All guiding by licensed tour guides in Turkey Sep 19 Sun Pergamon – Göcek – Boat • Headsets Visit the Acropolis with the steepest theater of the ancient world and the • Service charges and local taxes Temple of Trajan. We will also visit the Red Basilica which was an Egyptian Temple, later converted to a church and the Asclepion, the ancient healing • TUTKU bags, t-shirts, lugagge tag, Maps center. Drive South to Fethiye to embark our wooden yacht called GULET BOAT. Dinner and overnight on the boat. EXCLUDING Boat trip Tour part 3 • International flights to arrive Istanbul on Sept 8, and to depart Dalaman Airport on Sept 25 Sep 20 Mon Gemiler Island (Saint Nicolas Island) • Lunches (except 5 lunches on board) and drinks Sail to Ağa Limani. Spend time hikingin Lydai and photo activities. Then sail • Travel and Helath insurance, and all personal expenses not mentioned above to Gemiler Island in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight on the boat. (B,L,D) • Tips to tour guides and drivers Sep 21 Tue Afkule Monastery – Gemiler Island Transfer to start hike Afkule Monastery which is translates to Tower of Mercy. When Ayios Eleftherios first saw this lovely and secluded location, he started PAYMENT PROCEDURE building a monastery here, offering penance before God in doing so. Dinner and overnight on the boat. (B,L,D) DEPOSIT : $200 per person Sep 22 Wed Gemiler Island FULL PAYMENT : AUGUST 1, 2021 Explore Saint Nicolas Island which was founded and built a monastic retreat on the island, including several churches and plenty of other buildings and For payment, you can click and fill–in the secure form at our website corridors. Photo activities with drone. (B,L,D) (Visa or Mastercard only) https://secure.tutkutours.com Sep 23 Thu Göcek Island TURKISH VISA: US and Canadian citizens can get the Turkish Visa online Explore Göcek Islands; Hamama Bay, Flat Island, Merdivenli Bay. Photo before arrival www.evisa.gov.tr Citizens of ALL other countries are activities with drone. (B,L,D) responsible for checking their own countries’ visa regulations for travel.