South East Turkey

This trip will take you to a journey where all dreams come true. The first systematic beleive of human beings sculpted on rocks, for the first time in the history; humans started to live together and the written language is brought through this land to our lives.

We will be exploring the northern end of fertile Mezopotamia plateau where cruel battles of ancient civilizations took place on Euprates and Tigris rivers. Controlling the trading in Mezopotamia; made this land always valuable. This value also attracted many different groups and they imigrated.

The variety in different values made this land the most cosmopolit.

This tour will give you the chance to witness the different beleives, history, cultures and ethnic groups.

Not only all these above but also the local cuise will make our trip unforgettable.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Göbeklitepe:
Cradle of human beings

Nemrut Tumulus:
A new manifest of East and West believes sculpted in huge rocks

Antep Cuisine:
UNESCO World Heritage

Zeugma Mosaic Museum:
Turkey’s best Mosaic Museum

Mardin:
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Hasankeyf:
Last chance before it will be submerged in cold waters of Tigris

GALLERY

MAP

ITINERARY

DAY 1: Meet at Airport and Transfer to Hotel (D)

After meeting with your guide and driver at Gaziantep Airport, we will be shuttled to our hotel. After checking, your guide will take you to dinner with local delicacies of Gaziantep cuisine. Gaziantep has been added to the list in the gastronomy category of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network.

Stay overnight in Gaziantep

DAY 2: Halfeti – Zeugma Mosaic Museum – Gaziantep City Tour (B,D)

After breakfast, we are heading to Zeugma Mosaic Museum. Museum has one of the biggest collections of mosaics all brought from Zeugma ancient city; just before the site was submerged under the body of Birecik Dam Lake on Euphrates River. Then we continue to Halfeti is also another spot that is submerged. The area is inhabited since 9^th century BC by Assyrians for the first time. We are going to have a boat trip to see the ruins in the water and around. The afternoon excursion will be in the old streets and markets of Gaziantep. We will be wandering through the old markets to explore the street sellers and old workshops of Gaziantep.

Stay overnight in Gaziantep

DAY 3: Drive to Nemrut Mountain (B,D)

After having our breakfast we are going to another World Heritage in Turkey; Nemrut Mountain. In the 1^st and 2^nd century AD south east Turkey is in the territory of Commagene Kingdom. The founder of the kingdom had ancestral lineage deriving from both Darius the Great of Achaemenid Empire and Alexander the Great of the Kingdom of Macedon. The first visit is to Karakus Tumulus; burial place of female members of Commagene royal family. One of the oldest Roman bridges in Anatolia is on our way which had been used for centuries; is the Severan Bridge from the 1st century AD, which was built by the Commagene Kingdom. Then we will continue to Mount Nemrut via Arsemeia where the floor mosaics were unearthed, in the summer palace. King Antiochus, revering his ancestors in Western and Eastern civilizations, erected giant statues of gods on the East and West terraces and cited their names both in Persian and Greek. We will be there for sun set.

Stay Overnight in Kahta

DAY 4: Drive to Sanlıurfa (B,D)

After having our breakfast we are heading to Şanlıurfa. The first visit is to archeology museum of Şanlıurfa. A brief history of Mezopotamia is exhibited in chronological order with the new artifacts from Göbeklitepe Temple complex. Şanlıurfa is known as the city of prophets. Prophets Abraham and Job left their marks in this pilgrimage town. We will be spending the rest of the day at the center of the city visiting major monuments; mosques, closed bazaars, hans and the castle.

Stay overnight in Sanlıurfa

DAY 5: Göbeklitepe and Harran (B,D)

Göbeklitepe is the oldest temple of human history, located at the northern end of Fertile Crescent. We will be there in the morning to see gigantic monolithic pillars. Those pillars are the first sculpted ones by human beings. Since 1994 excavations, showed that Göbeklitepe is a place used to gather for religious and ritual events.

Harran is a vassal city from Assyrians. Also the city is mentioned on several occasions in the Bible. The city walls, 8th century University, sun and moon temples, grand mosque and the traditional houses are the major highlights of the town. Also Bazda caves; the ancient stone quarry of the region.

Tonight dinner will be in one of the old mansion with music known as ‘Sıra Gecesi’.

Stay overnight in Sanlıurfa

DAY 6: Mardin (B,D)

After breakfast we are drive to Mardin; is an important regional trading center on the east-west trade routes of southern Anatolia. One of the most cosmopolite city in Turkey. Different ethnic groups and religions leave in peace in Mardin. Not only the life but also the rich architecturel integrity is making is Mardin a candidate for UNESCO’s List of ‘Cities of World Heritage.’

Our first visit is to Deyrulzafaran Monastery; Built in 5^th century for Assyrian Orthodox Christians, it is also known as Saffron monastery and was the patriarch seat for the church until 1932.

After having our lunch with local cuisine we will stroll around the old town. The old city offers Assyrian, Arab, Turkish, and Kurdish cultures, expressed in unique architecture, food, and handicrafts in narrow streets of Mardin.

Stay overnight in Mardin

DAY 7: Hasankeyf and Mardin (B,D)

Hasankeyf

Midyat

Dara

Stay overnight in Mardin

DAY 8: Airport Transfer (B)

Transfer to airport

TRIP INFORMATION

Difficulty Level
Moderate. Good level of fitness is required for Journey.
Optional Nemrut summit climb; on a stony path.
Accomadation
6 nights at the hotels.
1 night at Nemrut Mountain will be at a pension with basic accommodation (we need to save time for sunrise excursion)
Length
Max 3-4 hours of drive
Visits will take whole day
Equipment
Trekking boots, a luggage and a day pack, sun cream, sun hat, good quality rain gear, walking sticks, personal equipment should be prepared by the participants.
Sunset and sunrise at Nemrut Mountain will be cold and windy.
Meals
Breakfast and dinners will be at the pension or hotels.
Dinner in Gaziantep will be at a restaurant.
Lunches will be at the restaurants that your guide will recommend.
Luggage
Each participant should have a day pack to carry water and personal items. The luggage will be transported to the pension or hotels by our vehicle.

PRICING

2 Pax	3-5 Pax	6 + Pax
1.490 €	990 €	780 €

Includes
All transfers with AC van, English speaking licensed tour guide, HB accommodation and enterance fees at the sites written in the itinerary.

Excludes
Drinks, gratitudes for tour staff, personal expenses and lunches.

Tour Staff
Tour guide and driver.

Season
Four seasons. Best in May, September and October.