Tutku Tours Travel Programs Endorsed by Biblical Archaeology Society PERSIA & THE BIBLE Tour Host: Dr. Mark Wilson June 8-20, 2018

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Iran - Persia & The Bible / June 8-20, 2018 IRAN PERSIA & THE BIBLE June 8-20, 2018 Historical Hydraulic System

June 11 Mon FLY TEHRAN Tour Host: Dr. Mark Wilson Drive to the airport for TK870 09:35 /14:05 flight to Tehran. Our representative will meet you after the customs and baggage claim. Meet and drive to Tehran. First visit the Reza Abbasi Museum. This small museum in the northern part of the city has a collection, arranged chronologically, of incredibly beautiful artefacts (in gold, bronze, silver, precious stones, glazed , etc.), as well as stunning miniatures, illustrated manuscripts, and examples of early calligraphy; after we will drive to Artist Forum to visit examples of contemporary art of Iranian artists and enjoy its very modern cofe shop. Dinner and overnight. June 12 Tue TEHRAN - FLY KERMANSHAH We begin our day at the Tehran Grand , then we walk toward the UNESCO World Heritage Site of , part of a complex of royal buildings that were once enclosed within the mud-thatched walls of Tehran’s historic arg, or citadel. The oldest of the historical monuments in Tehran, this opulent palace dates back to the Qajar Dynasty. Following lunch, we continue our tour to visit: National Museum, displaying the country’s archaeological findings. We then view the collection at the Abgineh Glass and Ceramics Museum, impressive not only for its exhibits but for the building itself, constructed in the early 1920s as a private residence for a prominent local family and later housing the Egyptian Embassy. We next visit the Carpet Museum, exhibiting lush carpets from all over the country dating from the 17th century to present day. Dinner will be at the airport and then take EP622 21:20 /22:25 flight to Kermanshah for our overnight. June 13 Wed KERMANSHAH - Drive to the sensational site at Tagh-é Bostan, where a sacred spring emerges from a Tour Itinerary: mountain cliff and empties into a large reflecting pool. Here, in what was once a royal hunting park, the Sassanian kings carved some spectacular rock reliefs, including an oversize equestrian statue of King Khosrow II mounted on his favorite charger, Shabdiz. June 8 Fri Depart from USA - NON-STOP FLIGHTS FROM THE Both horse and rider are arrayed in full battle armor. Two cosmic beings, BELOW US CITIES TO ISTANBUL and Mithra, also are portrayed at this site. Mithra is haloed with the rays of the sun as he • LOS ANGELES (LAX) TK 10 departs at 9:25 pm (arrive Istanbul 8:30 pm next day) is also depicted at Nemrut Dag in southeastern . He offers a bundle of sacred twigs to King Shapur II as part of the rites of royal investiture. Then visit the Sassanian site at • NEW YORK (JFK) TK 2 departs at 7:15 pm (arrive Istanbul 12:10 pm next day) Kangavar, where the remains of a temple dedicated to Anahita, the beneficent divinity of • CHICAGO (ORD) TK 6 departs at 9:30 pm (arrive Istanbul 4:15 pm next day) water, are to be found. • HOUSTON (IAH) TK 34 departs at 8:55 pm (arrive Istanbul 4:50 pm next day) We then view the incredible Achaemenid bas-reliefs at Bisotun, one of the most famous Near Eastern archaeological sites and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Trilingual • WASHINTON DC (IAD) TK 8 departs at 11:05 pm (arrive Istanbul 4:20 pm next day) inscriptions, carved 521-519 BC in , Elamite, and Akkadian, served as the key • BOSTON (BOS) TK 82 departs at 11:30 pm (arrive Istanbul 4:10 pm next day) to the decipherment of script in the mid-19th century. The relief above the *Flight times can be changed by the airlines beyond our control. Please double check. inscription shows facing nine rebel kings—the rulers crushed by Darius when he came to power. The winged genius floating above the scene indicates that Darius June 9 Sat ARRIVE ISTANBUL was supported by the “great god” Ahura Mazda. Dinner and overnight in Hamadan. Welcome to Turkey! We arrive in Istanbul by late afternoon where our waiting bus takes us to our comfortable hotel. We end our long travel day with a delicious meal and a good night June 14 Thu HAMADAN of sleep. Hamadan, a major stop on the ancient royal to Baghdad. Here, view the Alavyan Tomb Tower, a 12th-century structure regarded as the finest example of Seljuk art in June 10 Sun ISTANBUL (Choose one of the two Options) Iran. See the latest excavations of ancient . Created by King Deioces as his capital OPTION 1 (Suggested for First timers): Our tour in Istanbul begins at the where he ruled from 728-675 B.C. Visit the Tomb of and Mordechai of Biblical (the of “Holy Wisdom”)—the crowning achievement of the sacred building program of fame as well as the Tomb of , a world-renowned astronomer and physician of Emperor Justinian, the 6th–century head of the Christian . Nearby is located the 10th century. We will also visit , where the area’s oldest Achaemenid rock the Hippodrome which once stood in the heart of the Byzantine city of and carving is located. Engraved on two stone panels, the inscriptions record the achievements originally held up to 100,000 people. Although little is left of this gigantic stadium, there are of Darius I and his son Xerxes and the extent of their empires. Dinner and overnight in a number of impressive columns and other structures situated at the site. We then head Hamadan. underground to the , a vast water cistern located underneath the city. Afterwards, we will make our way to Istanbul’s Archaeological Museum—one of the most June 15 Fri HAMADAN - SHUSHTAR celebrated collections in the world. Among its treasures are the Siloam inscription, the Gezer Today we will drive to Shushtar, en-route to Shushtar you will have a visit of Pol-e-Dokhtar, calendar, and the stunning “ ” depicting Orpheus. Final visit is to the Hagia a bridge constructed by the Sassanians 1800 years ago. It is huge – 900 feet long and rising Irene Church, the location of the 2nd . We return to our hotel for dinner 90 feet above water level and with eight needed to span the Kashkan River. You and overnight. (B,D) have a stop in , the second biggest city of Khozestan Province after . Dezful is known as city of bridges, there are several bridges in Dezful and Shadorvan Bridge is OPTION 2 : (This tour is for those who have visited the sites listed at the Option 1 before.) the oldest active bridge of Iran that is used till now. İt is a reminder of Roman engineers First visit Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople located in , Church of the Saints in Iran belong to about 1600 years ago. You will have your lunch in Dezful and asfter you Sergius and Bacchus, also known as Little Hagia Sophia, the Monastery of Stoudios (from will drive to Shush. Shush, or , the setting of the Biblical Book of Esther is the largest outside – internal visit is not possible), more fully Monastery of Saint John the Forerunner “at UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE OF IRAN. Dating back to around 6000 BC, Susa Stoudios”, often shortened to Stoudios, Studion, or Stoudion, was historically the most was one of the great ancient cities of Iran and an important Elamite center until it was important monastery of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Continue to destroyed by the Assyrians in the 7th century BC. Darius I made it into the Achaemenid to see its golden . Final visit to , also known winter capital. Across the river, visit the Tomb of , said to hold the remains of the as the Church of Pammakaristos, in 1591 converted into a and known Jewish prophet, and still a place of pilgrimage. Then you will go to visit: Achamanian Palace as Fethiye Mosque and today partly a museum, is one of the most famous Greek Orthodox (Apadana), French Archeology Castle belong to Marcel-Auguste Dieulafoy, the first french Byzantine churches in Istanbul. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D) archologist who excavated Shush site. Overnight Shushtar.

Iran - Persia & The Bible / June 8-20, 2018 TOUR MAP

CASPIAN SEA

TEHRAN

HAMADAN KANGAVAR IRAN NAIN SHUSH SHUSHTAR ABARKUH AHVAZ

Persepolis PERSAPOLIS June 16 Sat SHUSHTAR - AHVAZ - ISFAHAN Following breakfasdt, you have a visit of Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System which is AGP NERI U S FL UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE, then we drive to visit , UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The well-preserved Elamite ziggurat at Chogha Zanbil is the largest man-made structure in Iran and one of the few remaining examples of in the Middle East. Distinctive construction techniques and elaborate glass-based materials were used for this great structure. İt is worth to say that all this sites are very close and it is possible to visit all of them during a half day city tour, after visitation of Chogha Zanbil Ziggurat, we will go to visit Haft tapeh archeology museum where is small but very important museum, UMMAN GULF then we will drive to Ahvaz, after lunch you will have drive to the Ahvaz Airport for NV2641 LAND & AIR: 15:40 /16:30 flight to Isfahan.Arrive Isfahan and we will go to visit Vank Cathedrel before check in the hotel. if group is interested and if the time permits ,it is possible to have walking tour of Isfahan to visit Naqsh-e-Jahan Square Complex and its wonderful 4 monuments : Shikh $6,990 Per Person in Double Lotfollah Mosque, Ali Qapu Palace, Imam Mosque and Qasarieh Bazaar, and then Isfahan’s $980 Single Supplement famouse bridges: Si-o-se Pol and Khaju Bridges during night light, Overnight Isfahan. June 17 Sun ISFAHAN - NAIN -YAZD Drive to Nain for the Narenj Castle. The architectural affects of this castle reveal that it was INCLUDING a fire temple in the pre-Islamic period. The same has been constructed of baked bricks, and dates back to the Parthian and Sassanide eras. Continue to Yazd which has been a Zoroastrian • Roundtrip Air Tickets between USA – Tehran (via Istanbul) *Flight times at the center since Sassanian times. Zoroastrians still make up a significant minority of the population, and the Atashkadeh in Yazd is the most important Zoroastrian fire temple in Iran. The sacred itinerary can be changed. flame visible behind a glass in the interior of the fire temple is said to have been burning • 3 Domestic flights in Iran: *Flight times at the itinerary can be changed. for over 1500 years. We visit the temple and its grounds, and then a Tower of Silence, or - Tehran to Kermanshah dakhma, where in Zoroastrian funerary tradition the bodies of the deceased were placed, to - Ahvaz to Isfahan avoid contaminating the earth.Dinner and overnight in Yazd. - Shiraz to Tehran • 2 Nights at Boutique Arcadia Blue Hotel in Old City Istanbul or similar June 18 Mon YAZD - ABARKUH - Passargad, Naqsh-e-Rostam - SHIRAZ Leave for Shiraz.Photo stop at Abarkuh ancient ice house. A Persian ice house, or yakhchal, • 1 Night at 5 Star Parsian Hotel in Kermanshah or similar is an ancient passive refrigerator allowing the storage of ice in the deserts of Iran. Ice was • 2 Nights at 5 Star Parsian Hotel in Hamadan or similar collected in winter and stored in the ice house where it was kept cool in summer by the • 1 Night at 3 Star Tourist Inn Hotel in Shushtar or similar domed shape and thick walls made from a special mud called srooj, composed of sand, clay, • 1 Night at 5 Star Abbasi Hotel in Isfahan or similar egg whites, lime, goat hair, and ash, which was resistant to heat transfer. • 1 Night at 4 Star Dad Hotel in Yazd or similar Our explorations take us to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of to see the • 1 Night at 5 Star Zandieh Hotel in Shiraz or similar impressive, elevated The Great which is known as “ Madar-e- Soleiman’s • 2 Nights at 5 Star Azadi Hotel in Tehran or similar Tomb” and to walk through the different sections of the ancient city: the Residential Palace, • Daily breakfast and 10 dinners at the hotels the Audience Hall, the Gatehouse. After lunch we will have a stop at Naqsh-e Rostam, gaze upon the immense memorial carved for the Sassanian Ardashir I after his conquest of the • 1 Dinner at the Tehran Airport Parthians. The oversize frieze remains a powerful testimony to his victory and subsequent • Refreshments in Iran (Mineral water-tea-coffee during the day tour) coronation as king of Iran. We arrive in Shriaz and after check out the hotel, we have enough • Sightseeing as per the itinerary time to visit Tomb, Iran’s greatest lyric poet.Dinner and overnight in Shiraz. • All transfers and transportation by private, air-conditioned coach • Entrance fees June 19 Tue SHIRAZ - TEHRAN • English-speaking, government licensed tour guides during all tours Following breakfast we have a half day excurtion to visit (Takht-é Jamshid), the heart of the Persian Empire and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, walk through a complex of • All tips at restaurants and hotels palaces and temples that is said to be one of the architectural wonders of the world. Massive • All tips for guides and drivers in Iran and Istanbul winged bulls, derived from but given a characteristic Persian stateliness, greet us at the • All Service charges and local taxes head of a grand stairway wide enough for five horses to ride abreast. We spend the whole • Visa processing support for the Iranian Visa (granting visas is at the discretion, and morning in Perspolis and after lunch we drive to shiraz where we have a half day city tour to subject to approval, by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Explore Shiraz, the City of Roses and Nightingales. Begin in , with its beautiful • Meeting with a local archaeologist in Iran to discuss about archaeology of Iran cypress-lined avenues leading to an elegant summer palace. Continue to the pink-tiled 19th- century Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque and the Narenjestan Gardens, with the richly decorated pavilion featuring a mirrored porch set among graceful trees. Drive to Airport for IR427 EXCLUDING 20:50 /22:20 flight to Tehran. Overnight Tehran. June 20 Wed DEPARTURE • Travel and Health Insurance (Insurance may be given as a separate package at Transfer to airport for TK879 07:30 /09:25 flight to Istanbul and connect to your an extra cost. Travel Insurance agreement is contract between the traveler and the international flight back to US. End of our services. (B) Insurance Company (American Express, Travel Guard, 360, Travelex, or other. We • LOS ANGELES (LAX) TK 9 departs Istanbul at 2:25 pm (arrive LAX 6:20 pm same day) strongly suggest that you purchase Trip Insurance). • NEW YORK (JFK) TK 1 departs Istanbul at 1:40 pm (arrive JFK 5:35 pm same day) • Iran visa embassy fee obtained from the clients at the time of collecting visa in the embassy • CHICAGO (ORD) TK 5 departs Istanbul at 2:20 pm (arrive ORD 6:00 pm same day) • Turkish Visa to be obtained online before arrival www.evisa.gov.tr ($20 for US • HOUSTON (IAH) TK 33 departs Istanbul at 1:55 pm (arrive IAH 7:05 pm same day) citizens) • WASHINTON DC (IAD) TK 7 departs Istanbul at 2:45 pm (arrive IAD 7:15 pm same day) • Lunches and drinks • BOSTON (BOS) TK 81 departs Istanbul at 2:35 pm (arrive BOS 6:15 pm same day) • All kind of personal expenses such as phone calls, laundry, drinks, etc. *Flight times can be changed by the airlines beyond our control. Please double check.

Iran - Persia & The Bible / June 8-20, 2018 PAYMENT PROCEDURE: First Deposit $200 per person : March 1, 2017 (refundable up to November 1, 2017) Second Deposit $500 per person : November 1, 2017 (refundable up to February 20, 2017) Full (Balance) Payment : March 1, 2018 For Registration please contact: Cancellation Penalty: - 89-60 days prior to departure: 10% Travel Study Department: - 59-45 days prior to departure: 25% Alicia Bregon - 44-30 days prior to departure: 50% 202–364–3300 ext 216 - 29-15 days prior to departure: 75% Email: travelstudy@bib–.org - 14 days & After No refund Biblical Archaeology Society 4710 41st Street, NW Washington, DC 20016 Itinerary and site visits are subject to change and/or substitution Fax: 202–364–2636 depending on availability of site access.

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Iran - Persia & The Bible / June 8-20, 2018