| photography
tour of Turkey |
|
| Locals
in their daily routine; street markets, farmers working in
the fields, elders playing backgammon, and children running
around to draw your attention... |
| In
the Taurus mountain villages you will visit nomad families,
spend time with them and have a chance to photograph their
colorful life. |
| We
will take time to see behind the scene workshops in the colorful
markets of Istanbul. |
| In
Cappadocia, best described as unusual landscape and amazing
rock formations, we will visit off the beaten track villages,
and be there in the Red Valley for the sunset. |
| The
village of Sirince, and excursion to Tire will give you valuable
people's experience. In Antalya, Aphrodisias, Bodrum and Didyma,
you will observe some of the finest examples of Greco-Roman
architecture and style. |
|
| 13
nights & 14 days - tour starts and ends in Istanbul.
Contact for pre- & post-tour services, and alternatives. |
-
Accommodations
in centrally located hotels and pensions
- All breakfasts, and half the
lunches and dinners
- All entrance fees to sites
and museums listed in the itinerary
- All tips, including your guide
and driver
- Domestic flights, Istanbul-Ankara
& Izmir-Istanbul |
|
| day
1 - Istanbul --- Arrive
in Istanbul. Meet your guide at the hotel for a brief introduction
on the tour. |
| day
2 - Istanbul --- Introduction
to Ottoman life style, today we will visit Topkapi, the administrative
palace for the Ottoman dynasty for over 400 years. The tour
will include the Harem, private apartments of the royal family.
We will then visit the Blue Mosque known for its outstanding
17. century tiles. Next stop will be the Hippodrome, the center
of political and sportive activities in the capital city of
the Byzantine Empire. We will continue on to the Museum of
Turkish Islamic arts, and the mysterious underground water
reservoir built in the Byzantine times. |
| day
3 - Istanbul --- In
the morning we will visit the church of St. Sophia, the masterpiece
of Byzantine art and architecture. Then we will drive to the
church of St. Savior in Chora that has some of the finest
mosaics of the post-iconoclast era. In the afternoon we will
cruise the Bosphorus, the strait that separates the two continents.
We will then take a stroll to see the Grand Bazaar, Spice
Market and the narrow streets around it to observe the locals
in their daily routine. |
| day
4 - Cappadocia --- Early
morning we fly to Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. Upon
arrival we will visit the unique Museum of Anatolian Civilisations.
Then we will drive to Cappadocia, known for its unusual landscape
and amazing rock formations. On the orientation tour we will
take a walk along the fairy chimneys in the Red Valley to
see the sunset. |
| day
5 - Cappadocia --- In
the morning we will visit Goreme Open Air Museum with striking
Byzantine rock cut churches. En route we will see the Valley
of Pigeons and Avcilar, a perfect location to get a general
view of central Cappadocia. We will also stop by the Byzantine
military fortification known as Uchisar, built in a massive
tufa rock, and this is where we visit a local's home to get
to know the family. |
| day
6 - Cappadocia --- The
town of Avanos on the Red River is known for its red clay
pottery since the Hittites. On our way to Avanos we will stop
by the once prosperous town of Çavusin. We will take
our time to observe the life in the countryside; farmers in
the fields, women baking bread, elders playing backgammon,
and children running around to draw your attention. |
| day
7 - Guzelyurt --- As
we say goodbye to our friends in Mustafa Pasa, we will head
towards the village of Guzelyurt. En route we will visit the
underground city of Kaymakli, carved in the tufa rock, to
see how the people of Cappadocia found shelter during the
never ending wars in the past. Upon arrival in Guzelyurt,
we will settle in our hotel that was built as a monastery
in the 19. century. Then, we will take a walk in the village,
meet the locals, and enjoy a talk with the elders of the community. |
| day
8 - Antalya --- On
this day we will drive to Antalya, a very attractive town
on the Mediterranean, over the picturesque Taurus mountains.
En route, we will visit a 13. century Caravanserai and the
Museum of the Whirlling Dervishes in Konya. We will stay in
the old town. |
| day
9 - Antalya --- Today
we will visit the ancient city of Perge, a well known archeological
site from the Roman times, and continue on to Aspendos to
see one of the best preserved theater buildings of the ancient
world. In the afternoon you'll visit the remarkable Museum
of Archeology in Antalya to see the extremely well preserved
artifacts and statues found during excavations at the local
sites. Later in the day we will take a walk around in the
fishermen's quarter and the old town. |
| day
10 - Bodrum --- Drive
to Bodrum. On the Taurus mountains, we will visit nomad families
and spend time with them. We will have a chance to photograph
their colorful life. We will then visit ancient Aphrodisias,
dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. It
was the city of fine arts and philosophy. |
| day
11 - Sirince --- This
morning we will visit the Knights' castle which houses an
outstanding museum of underwater archaeology. In the afternoon
we drive to Sirince. En route we will visit the ancient city
of Miletus, one of the major cities of the Ionian League.
Further along the road in Didyma we will see the impressive
temple of Apollo which was one of the major oracle centers
of the ancient world. The temple is in a perfect state of
preservation. |
| day
12 - Sirince --- An
extended tour of Ephesus (the contemporary town of Selcuk)
including the site, and the local museum of archaeology. Later
in the day we will have time in Sirince to get to know the
town, the people and the handicrafts. |
| day
13 - Istanbul --- Today
we drive to Izmir, the financial capital of Aegean Turkey,
for our flight to Istanbul. En route we will drive to Tire
(or Odemis) for the local handicrafts market. Late afternoon
in Istanbul is free of group activities. Farewell dinner and
overnight in Istanbul. |
| day
14 --- The
tour is over after breakfast. |
Individual
pre- & post- tour extensions are available to various
destinations |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|
|
