Eastern Turkey 12-Day Sightseeing Tour from Trabzon
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Ikhtisar
Covering 12,000 years of Anatolian history, this unique 12-Day tour of Eastern Turkey takes in three distinct climate zones and four major civilizations as well as the oldest monumental megalithic structure in the world; you will see tea plantations on the Black Sea, the Biblical Mountain of Ararat where Noah's Ark came to rest, stunning Lake Van, the capital city and principal citadel of the Kingdom of Urartu before ending where it all began, with the astonishing site of Göbekli Tepe at 10,000 BC!
Sekilas tur
Apa yang termasuk
- Lunch
- All Fees and Taxes
- Dinner
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Breakfast
- Includes:Two domestic flights,All state and local taxes,breakfasts,dinners,all museum site entries
Tidak termasuk
- Lunch
- Alcoholic beverages
Hari demi hari
- Trabzon Hagia Sophia Museum Take the morning flight from Istanbul to Trabzon (or you can arrive a day before) .The guide will be at the airport to collect the party. We will start the tour with a visit the Hagia Sophia Museum, a significant 14th century Byzantine church, overlooking the Black Sea, which boasts some frescos of considerable importance.
- Sumela Monastery From Trabzon we travel a short way up the Zigana Valley, to Macka in the Altindere National Park to visit the Monastery of the Black Virgin at Sumela. In this truly spectacular setting, the seven story Sumela Monastery hangs from the side of a 1200 ft cliff overlooking a steep river valley. This has been a monastic site as early as the 4th century AD and was a renowned monastic community partly because of its remarkable location and the ascetic principles characterised by the early years of Christian monasticism. Drive to Artvin via Rize and hopa along the coast of Black Sea.
- Altindere Vadisi National Park Trabzon city tour and Altindere national park
- Ishan Church After breakfast, drive to Ishan Church via Artvin. We will stop to see the Bocka Dam and then drive through the Coruh Valley characterised by beautiful wild landscapes all along the raging river, and Georgian valleys including castles and churches. Visit the mountain village of Ishan. In this village, which was once an Armenian then a Georgian bishopric, stands the ruins of an 8-9th century cathedral and a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in 1006.
- Tortum Waterfall Via Goergian valley we will stop at Tortum Lake to see the waterfall. The Tortum Waterfall is the tallest waterfall in Turkey. We will walk down to the bottom of the waterfall. This place is good for picnic too.
- Yakutiye Medresesi After arriving Erzurum, we will have a look Yakutiye Medrese and the little museum inside. Yakutiye Medrese is a historical 14th century Madrasa and today it is used a musuem too. It is right in the city center. We will take a walk around Yakutiye and see the local life.
- After breakfast see the Great Mosque, Double minaret, Medreses and other central sites including the bazaar, three tombs and Ulu cami. We will walk in the city center through the historical sites. When we walk we will have a chance to see the local life of Erzurum.
- Ani Ruins Arrive in Kars and continue for Ani, the former capital of the great medieval Armenian kingdom. In the mid-10th century, nothing in Europe could rival this capital of Ani in terms of either size or magnificence. The remains of the ruined city include several churches as well as the shell of the Cathedral of Ani, the citadel and a mosque along with an extensive and well preserved defensive wall. There are also some exciting remains of frescoes in the Church of St Gregory (Tigran Honentz) despite exposure to the elements for centuries.
- Ani Cathedral According to various historical sources and inscriptions, it is known that building work started in the year 989 under King Smbat II (977-89) and was completed, after a halt in construction, by the year 1001 (or 1010 depending on the reading of the inscription) by order of Queen Katranideh (Catherine), the wife of King Gagik Bagratuni, Smbat's successor.
- Mount AgrI We continue our journey south skirting around the western edge of Mt Ararat.Mount Ararat is 5137m (16854 ft).
- Ishak Pasha Palace In Dogubeayzit, we visit the spectacular Ishak Pasha Palace 1685 - 1784 with unique fusion of architecture from Seljuk, Ottoman, Georgian, and Armenian/Persian styles. Even in its ruined state the opulence and originality of art and impeccable taste coupled with the ambition of its owner instantly grasp the imagination. Out on the remotest reaches of the empire, far from central authority in Istanbul its creators produced provincial palace that could rival any in the empire. Built as the seat of the government in the province of Mount Ararat in Eastern Anatolia
- Muradiye Selalesi Stop for refreshments at the charming Muradiye waterfall.
- Akdamar Island We will go to the island of Akdamar where we visit the beautifully restored 10th century Armenian Church of the Holy Cross, or Sourp Khach; built as a part of a palace and religious complex between 915 and 921 by the Armenian King Gagik Ardzruni.Although, it is one of the best known examples of Armenian architecture. It is also unique in that there is no comparable example in terms of the reliefs and decorative features that adorn the exterior of the building. The grace and simplicity of the original structure is superb although it has been somewhat marred by later additions. A chapel was added in 1293 at the south eastern side of the church and dedicated to St. Stepanos and a further chapel was added at the north eastern side by the Catholicos Zakarias I (1296- 1336) while the section in front of this chapel serves as an entrance. Catholicos Tovmas (Thomas) built an addition at the front of the church producing a lower “split level” floor plan.
- Hosap Castle (Hosap Kalesi) After breakfast we will leave for Hosap to see Hosap Castle. The main castle structure of Hosap was built straddling the Silk Road and served as both a means of protecting the road and as a point of charging tolls on travellers. Constructed in 1643 by a local Kurdish chieftain called Mahmudi Sari Suleyman (or Blond Suleyman) The castle is built on a rocky outcrop on the north bank of the Hosap River. The structure that we see today dates mostly from 1643 when Hosap's governor Sari Suleyman Bey rebuilt the castle and added a new entrance tower. A castle was probably built at this location as early as the Urartu Kingdom (9th c.- 6th c. B.C.); it is certain, however, that the structure was built early on and modified numerous times until the seventeenth century.
- Van Kalesi The Fortress of Van is a massive stone fortification built by the ancient kingdom of Urartu during the 9th to 7th centuries BC, and is the largest example of its kind. It overlooks the ruins of Tushpa the ancient Urartian capital during the 9th century which was centered upon the steep-sided bluff where the fortress now sits.
- Ancient Urartian site of Cavustepe (Sardurihinilli) Cavustepe is an Urartian Royal palace and fortress.
- Nemrut Golu We will leave Van and drive along the southern shore of Lake Van to Tatvan. After stopping for refreshments in Tatvan, we will drive to Mount Nemrut crater and have a picnic lunch by the Crater Lakes. The highest peak of the mountain stands at 3050 meters and is one of the largest complete calderas in the world. The volcanic cone was believed to have originally been higher. It was at 4450 meter before its eruption. The last time it was active was in 1440 BC. There are five lakes within the crater, and the largest two, which we will visit, are very different. The Cold Lake (13 sq.kms) has an average depth of 100 meters, where its deepest point is at 155 m. The Hot Lake has a visible amount of steam rising from its thermal springs.
- Ahlat Ahlat and its surroundings are known for a large number of historic tombstones left by the Ahlatshah dynasty, also known as the Shah-Armen, Shah-i-Arman, or Ahlat-Shah dynasty.
- Hasankeyf Via Bitlis we continue down the Bitlis Gorge, via the city of Batman, to the town Hasankeyf for lunch. In Hasankeyf on the Tigris we will visit some of the many caves and the ruins of the medieval Byzantine city.
- Mardin Province The city survived into the Assyrian Christian period as the name of Mt. Izala (Izla), on which in the early 4th century AD stood the monastery of Nisibis, housing seventy monks.In the Roman period, the city itself was known as Marida (Merida) from a Syriac/Assyrian Neo-Aramaic language name translating to "fortress.Mardin has often been considered an open-air museum due to its historical architecture. Most buildings use the beige colored limestone rock which has been mined for centuries in quarries around the area.
- Deyrulzafaran Monastery The Saffron Monastery was once the ancient centre of the Syriac Christian Patriarchy. This site has been the centre of religious worship for many centuries, the monastery itself is built over an ancient temple, built in 1000BC and dedicated to the worship of the sun and which now provides the foundations to the main part of the monastery buildings - it is a fascinating structure as the roof of the temple to the sun is, essentially, a flat arch!
- Diyarbakir City Walls Diyarbakır Fortress is a historical fortress in Sur. It consists of an inner fortress and an outer fortress. The main gates of the fortress are: Dağ (Mountain) Gate, Urfa Gate, Mardin Gate and Yeni (New) Gate.The walls come from the old Roman city of Amida and were constructed in their present form in the mid-fourth century AD by the emperor Constantius II. They are the widest and longest complete defensive walls in the world after only the Great Wall of China.
- Grand Mosque The Great Mosque of Diyarbakır was built by the Great Seljuk Sultan Malik-Shah I over an older mosque, and its shape was inspired by the Great Mosque of Damascus.The mosque is considered by Muslim scholars to be the fifth holiest site in Islam after the Great Mosque of Damascus. It can accommodate up to 5,000 worshippers and is famous for hosting four different Islamic traditions.
- Diyarbakir The city tour will include Meryem Ana Church, and we will travel northwest to Diyarbakir to see the 10 Arches Bridge on the Tigris River and the 16th century Ottoman Han, called Hasan Pasha Hani,
- Mount Nemrut Leave for Nemrut via the ferry over the Euiphratesry arriving in Narlice Village in Nemrut National Park. We will travel to the top of Mount NemrutTombs of Commagene Kingdom and the Colossal Statues of Gods. Climbing up to Tumulus of Antiochos, the capital of Kommagene we will watch the sun set from the summit of Nemrut. This ancient funerary monument at the peak of Mt Nemrut was forgotten and lost to memory for nearly 2000 years. This iconic monument was only rediscovered accidentally by a working for the Ottoman government in the early 1880s. At the peak of the mountain, 2150 metres, there is a tumulus of crushed stones beneath which, it is believed, lie the remains of the monument's builder Antiochus Epiphanes.
- Gobeklitepe We will visit the on-going archaeological dig at Gobekli Tepe. Although this site is not widely known it is one of the most important archaeological digs currently being undertaken anywhere - this site represents a major shift in our understanding of man's early history. Here lie the remains of the earliest religious structures built by man yet to be discovered.At about 11000-13000 years old and pre-dating pottery, writing, Stonehenge and the Pyramids!
- Sanliurfa In Urfa we will visit the Holy Pools of Abraham andthe cave where, tradition tells us, the Prophet Abraham was born. Visit the Bazaar and Gumruk Han.
- Sanliurfa Archeology and Mosaic Museum Şanlıurfa Museum is an archaeological museum in Şanlıurfa, Turkey. It is located at 11 Nisan Fuar Caddesi, Şanlıurfa. In this Museum, findings from the surrounding area, i. e. from Göbekli Tepe or Harran, and from the Southeastern Anatolia Project are exhibited.
- Zeugma Mosaic Museum Depart for Gaziantep and renown Mosaic museum which houses the mosaics taken from the city of Zeugma which is now submerged under the flood waters of the Ataturk dam. The mosaics are a superb example of the skill and artistry of these ancient craftsmen, not to mention the wealth and taste of the citizens who commissioned them. From the museum we will leisure time visit the citadel district at the centre of the city and then to the old town to enjoy the sights and smells of old Gaziantep, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
- Gaziantep In spite of all the history and in a country renowned for the excellence of its cuisine, what makes Gaziantep special is its food. Alongside now familiar Turkish specialities, there is Gaziantep food, and the people in this part of Turkey like their food hot and spicy! Food in Gaziantep is different from the cuisine in other parts of Turkey because of the influence of Ogus Turks and Aleppo in neighbouring Syria. The difference is visible in its rice meals, soups, kebabs, meatballs, etc. Its kebab varieties include kiyma kebab or minced meat, kusbasi kebab, simit kebab, patlican (aubergine) kebab, ciger (liver) kebab and sogan (onion) kebab.and so on, some of them fearsomely hot Apart from all this, there is lahmacun (a pancake prepared with spicy meat and karisik dolama (a preparation made of different types of vegetables), yogurtlu patates or potato with yogurt and much, much more.
- Gaziantep After breakfast we will transfer you to Gaziantep Airport
Titik temu & penjemputan
Penjemputan di hotel termasuk untuk semua peserta.
We pick up all the travellers from Trabzon Aiport
Jadwal
Perlu diketahui
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Kebijakan pembatalan
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Ulasan wisatawan
What a wonderful trip! Ancient monuments, churches, palaces, castles and mosques. We travelled through wild places with spectacular scenery. We ate far too much and stayed in comfortable hotels. Our guide Ahmet Gülmez has an encyclopedic knowledge of Turkish history and culture and he brought alive the cultures of the Black Sea, Anatolia and Mesopotamia. He educated us and entertained us and worked hard to make sure we were happy. I appreciated his shared photographs which are a much better quality than mine. Serhat was a safe and professional driver and a cheerful and friendly companion. There were many highlights. Sumela, Ani, Akdamar, Mt Nemrut, Ishak Pasha and Gobeklitepe were standouts. Many kilometres were travelled and this was well managed. However the Mercedes vehicle was simply too small for 5 passengers and their bags. For a tall man it was tricky getting in and out of the car. Toyota offers more comfortable options.
I had been planning this trip to the Black Sea and Eastern Turkey for a year and it lived up to almost all my expectations. I have been to Turkey many times but never to this part of the country. The Black Sea highlight was of course the Sumela Monastery at Trabzon. But the ultimate goal was Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization. Turkey is a country of myriad layers of civilization and history and we saw tons of it: prehistoric, Urathian, Roman ruins and mosAics, Syriac monasteries, Selcuk tombs, medieval bridges and current-day bazaars. But Turkey is also a gloriously beautiful country, hills, orchards (pistachios), fields and mountains, not least Mount Ararat and Mount Nemrud with the remarkable tomb of Antioch I. The tour was extremely well organized. Driver Orhan was a constant and reassuring presence and Ören, our young but extremely knowledgeable guide, was a great travel companion. There were a few hotel glitches but these paled in comparison with their general good and kindly management . I definitely recommend this trip but keep in mind that it requires a good deal of energy. As currently organized there are hotel changes every day but one so at the end I was quite tired.
This is a well thought out and balanced itinerary to see stunning scenery, historical landmarks and local culture of Eastern Turkey. Due to the cancellation of the other participants, my tour became a private tour. Sabahattin, my guide was absolutely exceptional. Informative, kind and funny! I learned a lot about history, culture and current occurring of the area we visited. His restaurant choice was great as well so that I had the best local specialities. This was my second visit to Turkey - Hope to visit again soon to see the places I didn't visit this time with Sabahattin. Alkans tour was very generous they changed my hotel booking to better suit my needs and also refund me my unused domestic airfare. Lastly, thank you Nick for arranging this tour.
Yeah, this trip is definitely worth investing in. Sabahettin was an amazing and very, very knowledgeable guide. He knew the area intimately, he tailored the trip to our needs perfectly, and he matched us with the food and the fun that we wanted. Weather was hot during the summer, especially around Diyarbakr, but he made the best of it. No question, one of the best tours I have ever had!
Sabahattin was a wonderful tour guide. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the history, the geography, the food, the religion, and the people of eastern Turkey. Sabahattin’s encyclopedic knowledge was made our trip exponentially more enjoyable. I could not recommend him enough.
Even though I had paid the full amount for the trip, the company cancelled a couple of weeks before the beginning of the trip. No one from tripadvisor or Eastern Turkey tours contacted me. Thus these tour operators cannot be trusted, even though I was guaranteed a spot as soon as I paid.
This, the dream of a lifetime, was an astonishing tour, the guide, driver and company owner showing Turkey at its best. I'd give it 5 stars except for some untidy communication which slightly marred the experience. But thoroughly recommend to anyone curious about this very special region.
Returned from an amazing trip starting in Trabzon. Turned out we were the only two people on the tour so became a private tour! Our guide Adem Kocaman brought everything to life with his superb knowledge, enthusiasm (and humour!). Our driver Serhat was very skillful, negotiating some tricky roads at time. On the whole though the road network in Turkiye is excellent and the drives between places not too long with enough comfort breaks in between. There were some 'extras' which did not appear in the itinerary like a visit to a salt mine and an archeology site which was much appreciated. The hotels were clean and comfortable with lots of character (unlike international chain hotels). Don't expect tissues in hotel rooms though! If we had to make any negative comments, it would be the unvaried food of kebabs and yet more kebabs - but then eating food not normally featured in one's diet at home is kind of the point of travelling. (not sure what vegans would have eaten!) Suberbly organised and a realisation of a life time dream to visit Ani, Mt Nemrut, Akdamar. Tip for ladies - toilets in the first part of the tour are only of the Turkish variety (not the hotels rooms though!) but generally they were clean. Check all the cubicles though, sometimes there's a Western toilet there. Also use the disabled loo as an option if available
Ulasan dikumpulkan oleh Viator dan Tripadvisor dari wisatawan terverifikasi.
Pertanyaan yang sering diajukan
Berapa lama pengalaman ini berlangsung?
Berlangsung selama 12 hari.
Apakah penjemputan di hotel termasuk?
Penjemputan di hotel termasuk untuk semua peserta.
Apakah saya bisa membatalkan secara gratis?
Ya. Batalkan hingga 24 jam sebelum waktu mulai untuk pengembalian dana penuh.
Pemandu tersedia dalam bahasa apa?
Bahasa pemandu: EN
Pada hari apa saja berjalan?
Berjalan pada Setiap hari. Mulai pukul 09:30, 19:30
Seberapa cepat pemesanan dikonfirmasi?
Instan. E-tiket Anda tiba via email segera setelah pemesanan.
Apakah ini tur privat?
Tidak, ini pengalaman grup bersama.
Di mana saya menyelesaikan pemesanan?
Di viator.com, perusahaan Tripadvisor, dengan ketersediaan langsung dan pembayaran aman. TourViaGo adalah Global Partner Viator.
Kode produk 71435P2
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