Royal Ontario Museum World Cultures Tour Turkey Crossroads of Continents & Cultures September 22 to October 6, 2013 Back by popular demand, we return to monastic settlements. Visits to the pottery She can also be seen in many of the Turkey in 2013 after a sold out and most town of Avanos and a Whirling Dervishes educational videos in the ROM’s Roman and successful trip in 2012. This vast and beautiful show are also part of the itinerary. Byzantine Galleries. Her current research country, spanning Europe and Asia, is often We then fly to Izmir to explore its ruins focuses on the spread of Christianity in the considered the cradle of civilization. Our and modern multicultural precincts. We Roman Empire and the motivations for large- journey takes us from Istanbul in the west to continue to Kusadasi on the Aegean coast for scale religious conversions. Trinity fell in Urfa in southeast Anatolia as we see sites of 3 nights. From here we spend a day at the love with Turkey in the late-1990s when she infinite variety from elaborate mosques and incredible site of Ephesus, a veritable cradle participated in the excavations at Miletus. She palaces to natural wonders and archaeological of early Christianity and one of the Seven has returned to Turkey many times and looks marvels. You will enjoy the comfort and Wonders of the Ancient World. We also take forward to sharing the country’s rich luxury of top hotels in each location. a scenic drive to Miletus, a principal Ionian archaeological history, fascinating Beginning in vibrant Istanbul for five city visited twice by St. Paul, and continue to contemporary culture and delicious cuisine nights, we explore Byzantine and Ottoman Didyma to admire the Temple of Apollo with with ROMtravel participants. treasures, including: St. Sophia Church, a 6th its gigantic columns. century Basilica, one of the largest in its time, ROMtravel Coordinator later a magnificent mosque; the Hippodrome, one of the largest chariot race grounds; the Yolande Baldachin is a former Chair of the Blue Mosque with its famous six minarets and ROM’s Volunteer Docent Committee. She interior covered with decorative blue Iznik recently led ROMtravel trips to Turkey, Egypt tiles; the fabulous Topkapi Palace, once an and Brazil, and several ROMbus trips in imperial residence; and the Grand Covered Ontario. Yolande comes from the Middle Bazaar with over 4,000 shops, cafes and tea East, travels extensively and speaks several houses. We relax while cruising the Bosporus languages. and learn the secrets of delicious Turkish cuisine at a culinary school. Tour Escort The next stop is the pilgrimage town of Sanliurfa, City of the Prophets. Highlights Nihat Mercan, Operational Manager, Stellar include Gölbaşi (‘at the lakeside’) to view Travel, hails from Turkey where he trained as pools of sacred carp, and the Hosep Castle. Tour Itinerary and Hotels a guide before moving to Canada. He speaks From Sanliurfa, we visit Göbekli Tepe, a Turkish fluently, and is familiar with the sites recently discovered Neolithic temple site Days 1-5 Istanbul and cities we will be visiting. dating to 9000 BCE. At Mount Nemrut, we Grand Hyatt Hotel come nose to nose with the gigantic heads of Days 6-8 Sanliurfa (Urfa) gods and goddesses, built by Antiochus dating Hilton Garden Inn Land Only Cost to the 1st century BCE. These statues are often Days 9-11 Cappadocia Double Occupancy $7,150 called the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient Alfina Hotel Single Supplement $1,320 World. We travel to Gaziantep to visit the Days 12-14 Kusadasi new Archaeological Museum and gaze at the Charisma Hotel Day 15 Depart for home Excludes international flights. charismatic Gypsy Girl, the Mona Lisa of Includes local flights. Anatolia. Tour begins and ends at Atatürk airport. We fly to the magical region of ROM Resource Person This trip involves considerable walking, Cappadocia to explore the moonscape “fairy often on uneven surfaces. chimneys”, and hike along the paths of Trinity Jackman is a Toronto-based Goreme’s UNESCO Open Air Museum with archaeologist and historian. She received her Photos th th . Suleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul, courtesy its cave churches and primitive 11 and 12 PhD in Classical Archaeology from Stanford Yolande Baldachin century biblical frescoes. We walk through University and has taught at Columbia and . Gypsy Girl Mosaic, Gaziantep, courtesy Katy the Zelve Open Air Museum, a true journey York. Trinity has excavated Bronze Age and Ginn into the past, with its cave dwellings and early Classical sites in Turkey, Sicily and Cyprus. Library, Ephesus, courtesy Phil Leavitt Terms & Conditions Turkey – Crossroads of Continents & Cultures September 22 – October 6, 2013 ober 15, 2012 Tour Cost ROMtravel Values your Privacy Twin Sharing: $ 7,150 per person Your contact information will be published in the Trip Handbook unless you Single Supplement: $ 1,320 advise NOT to do so. It is for the sole use of trip participants, ROMtravel and Tour cost does not include international flight costs to/from Turkey. the Travel Agency, and will not be shared with anyone else. Stellar Travel Inc. can assist with booking flights. Insurance Comprehensive insurance to afford protection against penalties caused by Tour Cost Includes cancellation of trip due to injury, illness or death of tour participant or .Local flights: Istanbul / Urfa; Gaziantep / Cappadocia; Cappadocia / member of participant's family is recommended. It is underwritten by RBC Izmir; Izmir / Istanbul. Insurance. The insurance premium is non-refundable and must be submitted at .Ground transfers to/from Atatürk Airport for those travelling on the time of deposit. A waiver will be necessary if insurance is not taken. HST is same flights as the Tour Escort . included in the quoted prices. The rates quoted below are subject to change until .Porterage of one standard sized suitcase per person. insurance policy is issued. .Ground transportation in a deluxe, air-conditioned bus for transfers Based on shared accommodation Based on single accommodation and excursions as per itinerary. Mini-buses for Mount Nemrut climb. Age Compre- Non- Age Compre- Non- .Shared accommodation in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities. hensive Medical hensive Medical .Meals: breakfast daily; 4 lunches; 11 dinners including welcome and To 59 $448 $390 To 59 $504 $446 farewell dinners with wine; culinary course and meal. 60-64 $564 $458 60-64 $634 $529 .Coffee, tea and bottled water with included meals. 65-69 $657 $529 65-69 $741 $613 .Bottled water daily on the bus. 70-74 $962 $607 70-74 $1,058 $706 .All visits, entrance fees, speakers’ fees and events as per itinerary. For those aged 75 and over, or for other coverage, please contact Nihat .All taxes and tips for all goods and services, drivers, hotel, restaurant Mercan at Stellar Travel at 416.596.6886 ext 205 or 1.888.596.6886. and guiding staff related to the basic tour; all hotel and local taxes; all Royal Ontario Museum Responsibility airport taxes and security fees. Neither the Royal Ontario Museum nor the Department of Museum Volunteers .Services of a ROMtravel Coordinator, ROM Resource Person, Stellar of the Royal Ontario Museum, or any member thereof, assumes any responsibility for the financing, arranging or the conducting of the tour, nor Travel Tour Escort and professional English-speaking local guide(s). shall be liable for damages or loss to person or property that might occur in .Pre-trip orientations, a travel handbook, and a post-trip reunion. connection with this tour however arising, whether by negligence or .Turkish Tourist Visa fee for Canadian and US passport holders. otherwise, and whether or not a member of the Royal Ontario Museum Not Included staff or the Department of Museum Volunteers accompanies the tour. The .Items of a personal nature, e.g. laundry, telephone calls, internet. applicant by applying to join the tour hereby agrees to this limitation of .Excess baggage. liability on the part of the Royal Ontario Museum, the Department of .Beverages not included with meals. Museum Volunteers or any member thereof. .International airfare; trip cancellation and hospital/medical insurance. Responsibility and Jurisdiction Costs Stellar Travel Inc. and their agents act only as agents for the passengers with All prices quoted herein are based on rates, fees and taxes as of December 20, respect to services supplied to passengers by others, including but not limited to 2012. Costs are subject to change without notice. Should tour costs increase, transportation, hotel and restaurant services, on the express condition that they Stellar Travel Inc. (as per TICO regulations) reserves the right to increase the are not liable for any failure in such services, or injury, loss or damage, delay or price accordingly up to a maximum of 7%. Note that the itinerary may be subject inconvenience arising out of or in connection with any defect in any vehicle or to change without notice. any act, omission, accident or error in providing such transportation, hotel, restaurant or other services. There is no refund for unused portions of the tour. ROM Membership Requirement In case of an accident occurring during the land portion of any tour, the Participants must be members of the Royal Ontario Museum. Individual annual passenger must submit any claim therefore only to the competent judicial membership is $97; family annual membership is $149 (if both partners join the authorities of the jurisdiction where such accident occurred, to be determined tour, only one needs to be a member).Non-resident family annual membership exclusively in accordance with the laws of such jurisdiction. By accepting the (outside L/M postal zones) is $102. Prices are subject to change without notice. coupons and tickets and utilizing the services, the passenger agrees that neither Deposits and Final Payment the Royal Ontario Museum nor Stellar Travel Inc.