East Meets West: Treasures of Turkey & Georgia Dear Traveler, Please join Museum Travel Alliance from August 30-September 12, 2020 on East Meets West: Treasures of Turkey & Georgia. Explore spectacular medieval churches and monasteries in Georgia, including the UNESCO- listed 11th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, along the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains. Behold the opulent treasures of splendid Istanbul including the 6th-century Hagia Sophia. Take a curator-led tour of Tbilisi's Georgian National Museum, featuring centuries of precious archaeological finds, jewelry, a wealth of rare ancient coins, paintings, embroideries, and more. We are delighted that this trip will be accompanied by Deniz Beyazit as our lecturer from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This trip is sponsored by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. We expect this program to fill quickly. Please call the Museum Travel Alliance at (855) 533-0033 or (212) 302-3251 or email [email protected] to reserve a place on this trip. We hope you will join us. Sincerely, Jim Friedlander President MUSEUM TRAVEL ALLIANCE 1040 Avenue of the Americas, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10018 | 212-302-3251 or 855-533-0033 | Fax 212-344-7493 [email protected] | www.museumtravelalliance.com BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB Travel with August 30–September 12, 2020 The Met BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB East Meets West: Treasures of Turkey & Georgia with Deniz Beyazit Associate Curator, Department of Islamic Art BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB East Meets West: Treasures of Turkey & Georgia Dear Members and Friends of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Join me this August in a region I call home, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. In beautiful Turkey and Georgia, countries whose histories are intertwined, discover a fascinating blend of cultures, from Byzantine and Ottoman to the lesser-known Seljuq. Over 12 days, we will stay in luxurious hotels, including one converted from ancient caves; enjoy exclusive visits to intriguing museums; and savor many unique experiences, from a breathtaking whirling dervish ceremony to a spectacular private cruise on a transcontinental strait. I am originally from Turkey, and as a Met curator of Islamic art, I have organized several exhibitions that showcase the treasures of my nation and place them in a broader BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB historic context, including the decorative carpets that I remember fondly from my childhood. I Traveling with You am excited to take you behind the scenes of vibrant Istanbul, where sparkling medieval palaces, Deniz Beyazit mosques, and monuments like the iconic Hagia Sophia coexist with a thriving contemporary art scene. In central Turkey, we will journey to the otherworldly landscapes of Cappadocia. Here, Deniz Beyazit is an Associate Curator in the we will float over awe-inspiring rock formations on an optional hot-air balloon ride and explore Department of Islamic Art at The Met. A underground cities and Byzantine cave churches adorned with frescoes. graduate of the Sorbonne in Paris (2009), she specializes in Medieval Islamic and Ottoman Across the border in Georgia, we will roam Tbilisi’s charming Old Town and the exceptional art and architecture. She has taught Islamic Georgian National Museum, whose priceless splendors we will admire with a curator. In the art and architecture at the University of countryside, home to ancient vineyards and well-preserved early Christian history, highlights Zurich and lectured and published on various include a visit to a nunnery set amid stunning mountains and private wine tastings on aspects of Islamic art. At The Met, Deniz was gorgeous hilltops. involved in the renovation of the Department of Islamic Art’s galleries. Among her many I hope you’ll join me on this journey filled with once-in-a-lifetime sights. installations and exhibitions, she curated the inaugural exhibition The Making of a Sincerely, Collection: Islamic Art at The Met (2011) and Deniz Beyazit Carpets of the East in Paintings in the West Associate Curator, Department of Islamic Art (2014). She was also one of the curators of The Metropolitan Museum of Art the landmark exhibition Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs (2016). BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB Trip Highlights — Admire Istanbul’s opulent Ottoman and Byzantine art and monuments, from the mammoth 16th-century Süleymaniye Mosque, with its four minarets and 10 beautiful balconies; to the Byzantine Church of the Holy Savior in Chora, with its vibrantly colored and richly detailed mosaics — Delight in an exclusive cocktail reception with a live chamber music trio performance at the splendid 6th-century Basilica Cistern, the largest surviving Byzantine cistern in Istanbul — Relax on a specially arranged cruise along the intercontinental strait of Bosphorus, taking in spectacular views of Istanbul’s magnificent skyline — Float over the jagged landscapes of Cappadocia, an early Christian region of Turkey that is home to marvelous rock-hewn churches, caves, and cone-shaped geological formations, on an optional hot-air balloon ride — Take a curator-led tour of Tbilisi’s Georgian National Museum, featuring centuries of precious archaeological finds, jewelry, a wealth of rare ancient coins, paintings, embroideries, and more Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, photo by Jay Hunt BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB Stepantsminda Black Alaverdi Telavi Gori Mtskheta Sea Sighnaghi GEORGIATbilisi Istanbul TURKEY Cappadocia Kayseri Photos clockwise from top right: Cathedral of Svetitskhoveli, Mtskheta, photo by Viktor K; Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Istanbul, photo by Patrick; Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul; Blue Mosque, Istanbul, photo by Jay Hunt; Bridge of Peace, Tbilisi, photo by Alex Travel; Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, photo by gpparker; Regional map. Front cover: Tughra (Insignia) of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (r. 1520–66). Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1938 [38.149.2]. Back cover: The Blue Mosque, Istanbul (top); Hot-air balloons over Cappadocia, photo by Patrick Down (bottom). BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB East Meets West: Treasures of Turkey & Georgia August 30–September 12, 2020 Fountain of Ahmed III. Arrive at the Carpet Church of St. Stephen of the Bulgars, notable Museum, where we will explore some of the because it is made entirely of iron. Following best carpets and kilims that were woven at lunch at leisure, cruise along the Bosphorus, a 19- the Ottoman court and in Anatolian towns mile waterway that connects the Black Sea and and villages. After lunch, venture to the grand the Sea of Marmara. Along this narrow strait that Süleymaniye Mosque, the great masterpiece forms part of a continental boundary, enjoy views by 16th-century architect Sinan, and the of Europe on one side and Asia on the other. nearby Rüstem Paşa, another of his beautiful Before dinner, attend a mesmerizing whirling Ottoman mosques, which has the most varied dervish ceremony, whose origins can be traced to and exquisite Iznik tiles, named for their the 13th-century Sufi mystic Rumi. B, D Spice Bazaar, Istanbul Turkish town of origin. Visit the colorful Spice Bazaar before returning to the hotel, where Istanbul / Kayseri / Cappadocia Departure dinner and the evening are at leisure. B, L Sunday, September 6 Sunday, August 30 Transfer to the airport for a short flight to Depart for Istanbul, Turkey on an overnight flight. Istanbul Cappadocia in central Turkey. On arrival at Thursday, September 3 Kayseri Airport, continue to the city center Istanbul, Turkey Visit the Byzantine Church of the Holy Savior to explore the ancient Seljuq monuments in Monday, August 31 in Chora, with its brilliantly colorful mosaics. Kayseri. A highlight in the historic center is Arrive this morning in fascinating Istanbul, Make your way to the architect Sinan’s first the Hunat Hatun Complex. Built by Empress former capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman major imperial commission, Şehzade Mosque. Mahperi Hunat, wife of the great Seljuq Sultan Empires. Transfer to the Four Seasons Often referred to as the Prince’s Mosque, it Alaeddin Keykubad, the complex includes Sultanahmet Hotel, where we have arranged was built to commemorate the early death the great mosque, Hunat’s octagonal tomb, a accommodations for six nights. Lunch and the