| on
the footsteps of Alexander the Great |
|
As
Athens declined in power through costly wars with Sparta
and other neighboring states, the Macedonians to the north
swept in. Their leader was young Alexander, son of Philip
the Macedonian, and a former student of Aristotle. |
Alexander
was only 16 years old when he had the power to rule in Philip's
name in his absence. He was saying; “My father will
get ahead of me, and will leave nothing great for me to
do”. He went to bed each night with two things under
his pillow; a dagger, and a copy of the Iliad. |
Alexander
ascended to the throne after the murder of his father. As
he conquered Greece, he turned his face to the East. And
in the spring of BC.334, he crossed the Dardanelles with
over 30,000 spears. |
His
victory against the Persians in Issus sealed Macedonian
rule throughout Asia Minor. Alexander went into Darius's
tent after the battle, and looking at the luxury, he said;
“So, this is what it means to be a King!” |
|
•
Legendary Troy, and Gallipoli peninsula WW1 memorials
•
Hellenistic
city of Pergamon, known for its ancient library
•
Aesclepion,
the ancient medical center dedicated to Apollo
•
Ephesus,
capital city of the Asian Province of Rome
•
The
Temple of Apollo in Didyma
•
Bodrum
castle, and the Museum of Underwater Archeology
•
Cappadocia;
unusual landscape and amazing rock formations
•
Gordion
was where Alexander cut the famous knot
•
Highlights
of Byzantine and Ottoman Istanbul |
|
| 14
days - tour starts and ends in Istanbul - contact for pre-
& post-tour 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 flight; Kayseri-Istanbul |
|
| day
1 - Istanbul --- We
get together in the afternoon for tour introduction. Dinner
will follow the tour introduction. |
day
2 - Istanbul --- We
start the day with the Museum of Archaeology where we see
the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great that was brought
here from the royal necropolis (cemetery) in Sidon.
We continue on to Topkapi Palace, the administrative center
for the Ottoman dynasty for over 400 years. Tour includes
the Harem, private residence of the Sultans.
17th c. Blue Mosque is renowned for its elaborate architecture,
and the blue and white tiles that decorate the interior.
Orientation
and free time in the Grand Bazaar.
|
day
3 - Adatepe --- We
drive to Gallipoli Peninsula for a visit to WW1 memorials,
and to walk on the soil that once witnessed the end of an
era. Then we cross the Dardanelles, as Alexander did with
his troops.
Quest for the battlefield by River Granicus: The Persian plan
was to tempt Alexander to cross the river, and to give an
end to Macedonian advance right there. They almost succeeded,
but the Persian lines could not resist for too long. The victory
opened up the gates of Asia Minor to Alexander.
As we go to Troy, you might as well hear Alexander say; “O
fortunate youth, to have found Homer as the herald of your
glory!” as he paid his respect to Achilleus and Ajax.
We continue on to Mt. Ida for overnight. This is where Zeus
watched the war for Helen of Troy. |
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.
The city owes its prosperity to Lysimachus, one of the generals
of Alexander. We will also visit Aesclepion, the ancient
medical center dedicated to Apollo.
In
the afternoon, we drive to Sardis, capital city of ancient
Lydia. The phrase “rich as Croesus” refers to
the legendary king of this state. This is where minted coins
– as a monetary unit - ultimately changed the long
lasting way of commercial life; exchange of goods!
|
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 Archaeology in Selcuk.
This is where some of the rare findings are being exhibited.
The Temple of Artemis in
Ephesus is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
In BC.356, a man named Herostratus burned the temple to
ground to immortalize his name. Well, actually he did. The
legend says that Alexander was born the very same night!
And the temple burned down, as the Goddess left her temple
unprotected to help Alexander’s mother who was in
labor.
Late afternoon is free of group activities.
|
day
6 - Bodrum --- Drive
to Bodrum, the birthplace of Herodotus. En route, we will
visit Didyma to see one of the best preserved Hellenistic
temples that remained to our day; "Temple of Apollo".
The temple was one of the major oracle centers in the past,
and rivaled Delphi. This is also where the prophecy of Alexander's
ultimate victory over the Persians came from.
In Priene, we will observe an early example of ancient city
planning techniques.
Another site we will visit today is Miletus, hometown of
Thales, renowned
philosopher, scientist and mathematician.
|
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 Archaeology in the world. A very exciting
setting, and an outstanding exhibition of artifacts, as
a result of thousands of dives in the Aegean and the Mediterranean.
|
day
8 - Antalya ---
Perched high on a mountain north of Antalya, ancient Termessos
looks like an eagle's nest. This is one of the few cities
that could put up a resistance against Alexander's military
might, and eventually get away with that.
We drive over the Taurus Mountains
to Antalya.
|
day
9 - Antalya --- Due
to a legend, ancient Phaselis was where the spear of Achilleus
was kept. It was here that Alexander was crowned with a
golden wreath. Phaselis had a great location, and well protected
harbors, but Alexander chose another city, Perge as the
regional base. The ruins of this once glorious city is in
a perfect state of preservation.
Our next
stop will be the local Museum of Archaeology that has one
of the finest collections of ancient sculpture.
Late afternoon
is free of group activities.
|
day
10 - Ankara --- Gordion
knot... oracle stated that who untied the knot would rule
Asia Minor. And Alexander cut the knot with his sword.
Gordion was the capital of Phrygia. This is where we will
see the tumulus, in other words, the last resting place
of King Midas.
Later in the day, we will head for Ankara, capital city
of modern Turkey. |
day
11 - Cappadocia --- After
a brief orientation in Ankara, we drive to the ancient citadel
for the 'Museum of Anatolian Civilizations' - a great introduction
to Anatolian cultures, from pre-historic times to Roman Empire.
We take a stroll to see the district known as the inner citadel
before we leave for Cappadocia.
En route, we will visit a 13th century Caravan Serai that
served through the centuries as an inn for merchants and travelers
on the Silk Road.
As we arrive in Cappadocia, we will take a walk to get to
know the area we will be staying for the next couple of nights. |
day
12 - Cappadocia --- Unusual
landscape and amazing rock formations, but as you will discover
there is more to it. Here in Cappadocia we will get together
with the locals on occasions and have a chance to listen to
their side of the story.
Today we visit Göreme Open Air Museum (on the Unesco
World Heritage list) and the late Byzantine churches carved
in the rock. Also included on tour is the underground city
of Kaymakli that was in the past a temporary shelter for the
locals in times of danger and siege. |
| day
13 - Istanbul --- We
take the morning flight back to Istanbul. After an orientation
in the Spice Market and the surrounding neighborhoods, we
will take a cruise up the Bosphorus, the strait that divides
the two continents. Later in the day we will visit the 6.
century Hagia Sophia, masterpiece of Byzantine art and architecture.
The day will end with our farewell dinner. |
| day
14 --- Tour
is over after breakfast. |
Individual pre- & post- tour extensions
are available to alternative destinations
This tour is physically demanding |
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