Asian Province of Rome, tours and travel services in Turkey by srm travel

day 1 - Istanbul --- We will get together in the afternoon for tour introduction. Dinner will follow the briefing.

day 2 - Adatepe --- We drive to Canakkale. Before we cross the Dardanelles, we'll visit Galipoli World War I memorial. In the afternoon, we will visit Troy, the site of Trojan War in Homer's epic, "the Illiad".

day 3 - Adatepe --- We will spend the whole day in Adatepe, a typical north Aegean village, and visit an olive oil manufactoring plant that still works with ancient methods. We will also see the olive oil museum, and the Altar of Zeus. We will have time to explore the village.

day 4 - Sirince --- Today we drive to Pergamon. The ruins of the spectacular Acropolis is 1,000 feet above the contemporary town of Pergamon (Bergama), and commands an extraordinary view in nearly all directions. We will also visit Aesclepion, the ancient medical center dedicated to Apollo. On our way to Sirince, we’ll visit Metropolis which is one of the best preserved Hellenistic cities in Asia Minor. It has been recently unearthed by Prof. Meric.

day 5 - Sirince --- Today we’ll be walking the marble streets of ancient Ephesus, the capital city of the "Asian Province". Terrace houses that belonged to the wealthy families of Roman Ephesus were recently restored, and are now open to public visit.
Our next stop will be the Museum of Archeology in Selcuk. This is where some of the rare findings are being exhibited.

day 6 - Bodrum --- Drive to Bodrum. En route, we will visit Didyma to see one of the best of preserved all solid marble temples that remained to our day; the "Temple of Apollo". In Priene, we will observe an early example of ancient city planning techniques.

day 7 - Bodrum --- Today, we’ll visit the ruins of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and the Castle of St. Peter. The castle was built as a crusader stronghold in early 1400s, and houses one of the best museums of Underwater Archeology in the world. A very exciting setting and an outstanding exhibition of artifacts, as a result of thousands of dives.

day 8 - Fethiye --- On our way to Fethiye, we will visit Dalyan, and the Carretta Carretta beach, where giant loggerhead turtles come back every year to lay their eggs. Later in the day we will drive to Kayakoy in Fethiye.

day 9 - Fethiye --- We will visit the rock cut tombs of the Lycian kings, and continue on to Xantos. Unesco has announced this leading city of the Lycian civilization as one of the top 100 heritages of the world. In history Xantos is renowned for its brave people and the epic resistance against the Persian invasion.

day 10 Istanbul --- We’ll take the morning flight back to Istanbul.
Topkapi was the administrative palace for the Ottoman dynasty for over 400 years. Tour includes the Harem, private apartments of the royal family. The Blue Mosque is 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 Byzantine Empire. Orientation and free time in the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market.

day 11 - Istanbul --- In the morning we will take a cruise up the Bosphorus, the strait that divides the two continents, and the only water pass to the Black Sea. Later in the day we will visit St. Savior in Chora, a spectacular church of the late Byzantine era. We will continue on to the 6. century Hagia Sophia, the masterpiece of the Byzantine art and architecture. The day will end with our farewell dinner.

day 12 --- Tour is over after breakfast.

Individual pre- & post- tour extensions are available to alternative destinations
This tour is physically demanding

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