WHIRLING DERVISHES
(CENTRAL & SOUTH TURKEY 11 NIGHTS / 12 DAYS)

Day 1 : ISTANBUL
Arrive in Istanbul. Transfer to hotel. Rest of the day and evening at leisure.

Day 2 : ISTANBUL
In the morning drive to the old town. Visit the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome where chariot races were held in Roman times and Hagia Sophia, Church built by th emperor Justinian in the sixth century. After lunch, tour the Topkapi Palace museum with its priceless jewelled objects and the Porcelain Collection. Dinner and overnight.

TUGRA, Signature of the Sultan

Day 3: ISTANBUL
Morning, visit the Spice Market on the Golden Horn shores. Cruise along the shores of the Bosphorus by ferry. Lunch in seafood restaurant. Cross to the Asian side of Istanbul and view the city from Camlica Hill then visit Beylerbeyi Palace. Return to the old city for shopping at the Grand Bazaar.

Day 4: ISTANBUL - BURSA
Cross the Bosphorus and drive to Bursa, former capital of Ottoman Empire. Wander along the old streets exploring the highlights of Ottoman architecture. See the Green Mosque, Green Tomb, the Grand Mosque and the Old Bazaar. Dinner and a leisurely evening.

Day 5: BURSA - ANKARA
After breakfast drive to Eskisehir, famous for its mirschaum pipes. Visit Gordium, home of Legendary King Midas and of the Gordion Knot. Arrive to Ankara , the capital of modern Turkey. Dinner and overnight.

Day 6: ANKARA - CAPPADOCIA
In the morning, visit the remarkable Anatolian Civilizations Museum, among its treasures are Neolithic frescoes, Bronze Age emblems, the remains of the fabled Phyrigian king Midas, as well as many objects from the Hittites. Stroll in the old Ankara citadel. Tour the Augustus Temple and pay a visit to the Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk. Drive to the Cappadocia for dinner and overnight.

Day 7 : CAPPADOCIA
Start out early for a full day’s excursion into the magical land of Cappadocia. The region was first settled by ancient people then home to Romans, early Christians, Byzantines and Seljuks. Visit Goreme Church Valley, Zelve, Avanos, Ortahisar and Uchisar, and see some of the many churches carved into the rocks. Dinner and overnight

Day 8 : CAPPADOCIA - KONYA
Visit the underground city of Kaymakli in the morning. Carved may storeys down into the rock. After lunch in Aksaray visit the Sultanhan Caravanserai on the way to Konya. Dinner and spend the night in Konya, early capital of Seljuk Empire.

Day 9 : KONYA - ANTALYA
Spend the morning touring the highlights of Konya’s architectural and religous legacy. Visit the Mevlana Museum Monastery of Whirling Dervishes, the Ince Minare and Karatay Medrese Islamic Theological Schools. Lunch nearby Beysehir Lake. Cross the Taurus Mountains to Mediterranean. Relaxed dinner and night at Antalya.

Day 10 : ANTALYA
After a leisurely breakfast, full day exploration of the ancient Pamphylian cities; Perge with colonnaded streets, and the stadium, Aspendos theatre whose acoustics unrivalled. After lunch, spend the time at the seaside town of Side, visited by St. Paul and which was a bishopric of the early Christian Church. Stay the night at Antalya.

Day 11 : ANTALYA - ISTANBUL
Transfer to airport for Istanbul flight. Transfer to hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.

Day 12 : DEPARTURE
Transfer to the airport for departure flight home.

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