An Archaeological Study Tour
Hidden Treasures of Eastern Turkey
June 7- 27, 2009
Led by Professor Geoffrey Summers


Hidden Treasures of Eastern Turkey is scheduled for June after the snows melt in the mountainous areas of Ararat and the Transcaucasia. The tour will touch the warm Mediterranean coast, visiting Adana and ancient Antioch, travel through the fertile Mesopotamian steppe around Diyarbakír, visit the mountaintop sanctuary of Nemrut Dag, continue to the rugged highlands north of Lake Van and drive through the dense forests and tea plantations of the Black Sea coast. Recalling ancient rulers - the Hittites, Assyrians, Urartians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Armenians – we will see a land little changed over the centuries.

Sunday, Monday, June 7 & 8: ISTANBUL: Our Lufthansa Airlinesflight departs New York in the evening and arrives into Istanbul the next afternoon. We will transfer to the well-located Marmara Hotel and meet for dinner this evening.
Meals: Dinner

Tuesday, June 9: ADANA: This morning we will meet for an orientation lecture with Professor Summers and visit the Archaeological Museum before flying to Adana, where we will overnight at the new Hilton Hotel..
Meals: Breakfast & dinner

Wednesday, June 10: ANTAKYA: We depart for Anavarza (ancient Anazarbus), an Eastern Roman colony. We then continue to Karatepe, the neo-Hittite capital of Azitawanda. Here we will see a number of monumental sculptures and reliefs that have been restored and are in situ. Our drive to Antakya takes us through the historic Plain of Issos, where Alexander the Great won a decisive victory over the forces of Asia. The Savon Hotel is well located for strolls in town.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, June 11: ANTAKYA: Our morning touring begins with a drive through the Plain of Amuk, with its hundreds of tells dating from the Neolithic to the Hellenistic periods. We visit Acana, ancient Alalakh, then return to Antakya to visit St. Peter’s Church and the Archaeological Museum, which houses an outstanding collection of mosaics from the region.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Friday, June 12: URFA: Driving north, we stop at Yesemek, a neo-Hittite stone-carving workshop, where we will see dozens of partially completed sculptures and reliefs scattered on a hillside now situated in the middle of a tiny village. We continue to Gaziantep and visit the on-going excavations at Göbekli Tepe, where stone circles with carved reliefs have been dated to 9,500 BCE. We then cross the Euphrates and continue to Urfa, ancient Edessa. Dedeman Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, June 13: KAHTA: This morning we drive through the plains of Mesopotamia to Harran, where Abraham stopped on his way from Ur. We will explore the ruins of ancient Harran, known as Carrhae in the Roman period and the place of the decisive battle of 53 BCE. We will also visit the unusual “beehive” mud-brick houses of modern Harran. After visiting the Urfa Museum, which displays the oldest life-size human statue ever found (ca. 9000BCE), we will drive on to Kahta, a small village in the mountain foothills. Our route is via cultivated fields made possible by the new dam, where we will make a brief stop. Hotel Zeus.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sunday, June 14: DIYARBAKÍR: A morning ascent of Mt. Nemrut brings us to the impressive funerary sanctuary of King Antiochus I of Commagene, erected 2,000 years ago. Here colossal headless statues of gods and kings tower above the site and their enormous heads are scattered over the terraces. We continue to Eskikale to visit the ruins of Arsameia and the burial mounds of the queens and princesses of Commagene. In the afternoon, we drive on to Diyarbakir, and visit the imposing city walls and gates. Dedeman Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, June 15, 16 & 17: VAN: Our drive to Van takes us through the valley of Guzel Dere and the towns of Bitlis, Tatvan, and Ahlat, where we stop to visit a unique Seljuk cemetery and museum. Touring in Van begins with a cruise across Lake Van to Akhtamar Island to visit the 10th century, Church of the Holy Cross, famous for the reliefs on its outer walls. We will also visit the local museum and study the Urartu civilizations at Çavustepe, where excavations have revealed the temple, altar, storage areas, water system and Royal Palace, and Van Kalesi. Here, after having reached the citadel we will see the site of the Urartian temple and several tombs of Urartian kings. There will also be time free for browsing in the local rug shops or wandering in the market. Merit Sahmaran Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily

Thursday, June 18: KARS: We drive along the foothills of Mt. Ararat, sacred to Armenians, where, according to tradition, Noah’s Ark came to rest after the Flood. After visiting the baroque Turkish Palace of Ishak Pasha Sarayi in Dogubayazit, we continue through the heartland of ancient Armenia to Kars, where we visit the local museum. Simer Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Friday, June 19: ERZURUM: We begin our day touring Ani, located near the Georgian/Armenian border. Ani, once the capital of the Bagratid Princess, is now a site of romantic beauty. Strolling through the Lion Gate, we can almost visualize the city as it was before the terrible earthquake of 1319. We continue to Erzurum, where we will visit as many of the Seljuk and Ottoman monuments as time permits. Hotel Polat Renaissance.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, Sunday, June 20 & 21: TRABZON: Today begins with an ascent through the wild landscapes of Transcaucasia and the Pontus Range, the most unspoiled and spectacular scenery of Turkey. After lunch in the charming mountain town of Artvin, we descend to the Black Sea coast with its lush vegetation and vast tea plantations. The day ends at the Zorlu Grand Hotel in Trabzon. Sunday touring begins at the Byzantine Monastery of the Virgin in Sumela. Returning to Trabzon we tour its major sites: the Yeni Cuma and Fatih Mosques, the Byzantine Chapel of Hagia Anna and the well-preserved frescoes of Hagia Sophia.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch daily & 1 dinner

Monday, June 22: AMASYA: Our drive to Amasya is along the Black Sea coast through seaside villages and the port of Samson. We will stop for lunch and a swim reaching the Apple Palace Hotel in time for a stroll in this award-winning town renowned for its old wooden houses.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Tuesday, June 23: BOGAZKALE: This morning we will tour the charming town of Amasya, renowned for its old wooden houses that overhang the Iris River. After visiting the many Seljuk and Ottoman monuments and the museum, we depart for Bogazkale, stopping to visit the newly installed Archaeological Museum in Çorum and the fortified Hittite city of Alaca Hüyök, known for its Sphinx Gate and Royal Tombs. We will overnight at the small Hotel Asikoglu, overlooking the site of Hattusas.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Wednesday, June 24: CAMLIK NATIONAL PARK: This morning we will visit the most exciting Hittite site in Turkey, Hattusas, capital of the Hittite empire and its adjacent cult center, Yazílíkaya, where we will see a procession of deities and royalty carved from the living rock. The monumental architecture and sprawling temples and palaces add to our understanding of this great empire. After visiting this extensive complex, we continue to the Camlik Hotel in the Camlik National Park, where there will be time to enjoy the park.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, June 25: ANKARA: Today we will visit the largest pre-Hellenistic site known on the Anatolian Plateau, Kerkenes (possibly Pteria). Professor Summers has directed the excavations here for the past 10 years. We will have an opportunity to explore the site and meet the excavation team before driving on to Ankara. Hilton Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Friday, Saturday, June 26 & 27: ANKARA: This morning we will tour the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, with its outstanding collection of artifacts from sites we have visited. The afternoon is at leisure, followed by our farewell dinner. Saturday we will transfer to the airport for our Lufthansa flight to New York.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Please Note: Tourist facilities in Eastern Turkey are not well developed. Hotels are simple and there are early morning departures with long drives on roads that may be in poor condition. Though the rewards are great...an unspoiled wilderness and a scarcity of tourists...this is a strenuous trip, and only those willing to accept some discomforts should consider taking it.