
An
Archaeological Study Tour
Turkey
Crossroads of Europe and Asia
May
23 June 12, 2010
Led by Professor
Kenneth W. Harl
Our spring tour of Western Turkey will encompass the entire
range of Anatolian history. First, we visit the Hittite
center at Bogazkoy, and continue through Cappadocia, with
its wild rock formations and hidden Byzantine churches,
to coastal Turkey, providing unparalleled opportunities
for viewing the famed Hellenistic cities of Asia Minor:
Side, Perge, Aspendos, Ephesus, Pergamon, Sardis, Priene,
Miletus and legendary Troy. After visiting the beautiful
tiled mosques and mausoleums of Ottoman Bursa, the tour
ends in Istanbul, with its magnificent mosques, exceptional
Archaeological Museum, the Topkapí Seraí Museum
and exotic bazaars. The profusion of flowers, gentle climate
and lovely Mediterranean beaches will make this tour a fascinating
vacation.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, May 23, 24& 25: ANKARA:
Departure from New York via Turkish Air, arriving into
Ankara midday. Our tour begins at the Museum of Anatolian
Civilizations. Its outstanding collection of Hittite art
provides an excellent introduction to the tour. After stopping
to see the Roman remains of the Temple of Augustus, we drive
to Gordion, where we will spend the remainder of the day
exploring the former capital of the kingdom of Phrygia.
As we approach the site, the immense royal tumuli loom across
the landscape. We will have an opportunity to enter the
largest, known as Midas’s tomb, and to visit the vast
acropolis Phrygian city.
Meals: Breakfast, 1 dinner & 1 lunch
Wednesday, May 26: CAPPADOCIA: We depart Ankara for
the Hittite center at Bogazköy, first excavated in
1906. A complete tour of this incredible site includes the
famous Lion Gate, the fortifications and the temples and
palaces of the city. After lunch, touring continues with
the cult center of Yazilikaya, its reliefs cut into the
living rock. We then drive on through lovely rolling hills
into Cappadocia and to the deluxe Cappadocia Cave Resort
in Ürgüp.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Thursday,
May 27: CAPPADOCIA: We drive to Kayseri to visit the
site of Kültepe, one of the most important ancient
settlements in Turkey and the site of the earliest written
documents found in Anatolia. The afternoon will be spent
touring the Göreme Valley, with its unusual and beautiful
rock formations, known as “fairy chimneys,”
and its rock-hewn Byzantine churches decorated with elaborate
frescoes.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Friday, May 28: KONYA: After visiting Kaymaklí,
one of the many underground towns hewn from the tufa, we
drive to Konya, stopping en route at the Selcuk caravanserai,
Sultan Hani and at Çatal Hüyük, the oldest
Neolithic site excavated in Anatolia. Touring this afternoon
in Konya includesmany of the Selcuk monuments and the Mosaic
Museum, housed in a former medrese. Dedeman Hotel Konya.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Saturday, May 29: ANTALYA: A spectacular drive over
the Taurus Mountains, with a stop at Egridir Lake for a
seafood lunch and at Antiochos in Psidia en route to Antalya.
Founded by King Attalus II in the second century BC, Antalya’s
old town retains its charm with its winding streets and
Ottoman houses. We have chosen a hotel in a lovely beach
area within walking distance of the old town for our three-night
stay.Divan Talya Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunches & dinner
Sunday,
May 30: ANTALYA: The Hellenistic cities of Perge, Side
and Aspendos are only a short drive from our hotel and will
introduce us to the Graeco-Roman world. At Aspendos we will
visit the finest theater surviving from this period, while
the colonnaded streets of Perge’s agora are a good
example of city planning. We will spend the afternoon in
the Archaeological Museum, which has an outstanding collection.
Meals: Breakfast, lunches & dinners
Monday,
May 31: ANTALYA: This morning we will drive to the fabulous
mountain site of Termessus with its remarkable theater and
ancient cemetery. This mountain stronghold, one of the most
impregnable fortresses in ancient Asia Minor, turned back
Alexander the Great in 333 BC. The afternoon will be at
leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
Tuesday, June 1: PAMUKKALE: We drive to Pamukkale
to visit ancient Hierapolis and the pools formed by calcium
deposited by water flowing down from the plateau. Hotel
Colossae.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Wednesday, June 2: KUSADASI: Today’s touring
takes us to ancient Aphrodisias, excavated by archaeologists
from New York University. As Aphrodisias was the site of
a flourishing school of sculpture during the Roman Empire,
its museum houses a large collection of sculpture and statuary.
After an extensive visit to the site, we continue to the
new Charisma Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Thursday,
June 3: KUSADASI: Touring today takes us to the Ionian
cities of Priene and Miletus and the great temple of Apollo
at Didyma. At Priene, perched high above the Maeander Valley,
we will visit its temple of Athena, agora and theater; at
Miletus we will explore ancient Port Leonas, named for the
two lion statues that guarded the entrance.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch
Friday, June 4: IZMIR: We will spend the entire day
visiting the spectacular city of Ephesus, which is being
excavated and restored by several archaeological teams.
Included in our visits are the remains of the temple of
Artemis, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World, the library, agora and theater, the newly excavated
mosaic floors of private villas and the fine museum. At
the end of the day we drive on to Izmir and the Hilton Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch
Saturday,
June 5: IZMIR: This morning we will tour the American
excavations at Sardis, the capital of Lydia, with its temple
of Artemis and recently restored synagogue. The afternoon
will be spent at Izmir’s fine Archaeological Museum,
with time to explore the local bazaar.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch
Sunday, June 6: ÇANAKKALE: Driving north along
the Aegean, we reach the Greek city of Pergamon to visit
its theater, unusual for its steep slope, renowned library,
and Asclepion, one of the most famous therapeutic centers
in the ancient world. We continue to Troy, immortalized
by Homer and excavated by Heinrich Schliemann and Carl Blegen.
Iris Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Monday, June 7: BURSA: Driving along the Sea of Marmara,
we reach the former Ottoman capital, Bursa, to visit its
beautiful Ottoman mosques and monuments. We overnight at
the Hotel Almira, which has a lovely Turkish bath.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Tuesday, June 8:
ISTANBUL: En
routeto Istanbul we stop to visit the major sites of Iznik,
ancient Nicaea, site of two Ecumenical Councils, 325 and
787. As capital of Bithynia, this interesting city was the
home of Diocletian, Constantine and Justinian. We continue
to Istanbul and the Crown Plaza Hotel, in the old city.
Meals:
Breakfast & lunch
Wednesday,
June 9: ISTANBUL: Today’s touring will begin at
the Hippodrome and include the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque,
as well as an extensive visit to the Topkapi Serai Museum,
with its dazzling display of jewels and fascinating harem.
After lunch we continue touring to the Mosaic Museum and
the ancient cisterns of the city.
Meals:
Breakfast & lunch
Thursday,
June 10: ISTANBUL: This morning's touring begins at
the newly installed Archaeological Museum, noted for its
fine collection of sarcophagi. Our visit to the Turkish
monuments of the city includes the Süleymaniye Mosque
and the Church of Kariye Camii, with its restored frescoes
and mosaics. We will have lunch in the famous Pandeli Restaurant
in the Spice Bazaar and visit the charming Rüstem Pasha
Mosque, built by Sinan.
Meals:
Breakfast & lunch
Friday,
Saturday, 11 & 12: ISTANBUL: Our tour ends with
a full day at leisure to wander in the vast Istanbul bazaars
and explore the old city before our farewell dinner. Saturday
transfer to the airport for our flights home.
Meals: Breakfast & 1 dinner
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