The Grand Eastern Anatolia

Upon Arrival at Adana Airport, transfer to your hotel downtown Adana which is the third largest city in the region with almost 3 million population.

The sequence of the visits might change, depending on the weather, opening & closing times of the museums and mosques.

• Arrival at the hotel
• Dinner: On own

Breakfast: At the hotel. 

According to an earthenware cuneiform tablet which was found in the Hittite state archives in Hattusha, a kingdom, named Kizzuvatna, ruling nowadays Adana region under the dominance of Hittites from 14th century is mentioned. So this means here is a civilized settlement for at least 3500 years.

Throughout the subsequent ages many other ethnicities migrated and some of them founded their kingdoms here. In the Hellenistic Ages and first Century A.D. here, which was named as Cilicia was famous with its pirates at the Mediterranean Sea and rebellious mountain tribes in its hinterland.

As a result of its key strategic location at the end of northeast Mediterranean Sea, many feudal lords tended to create their own kingdom and the last one of them was Ramazanoğulları. In 17th century it entered the full control of the Ottomans. We start our first day with city walking tour

• Lunch: On own
• Visit to Adana Archeology Museum
• Welcome Dinner: Included
• Overnight stay at Adana city

Breakfast: At the hotel

Because north Mesopotamia is also very important region for history of Christianity, we will go to Tarsus and visit the Church and the house of Paul, Cleopatra’sGate where Marc Anthony and Cleopatra were believed to have entered the city through this Gate.

• Lunch: included
• Drive back to Adana
• Dinner: On own
• Overnight Stay at Adana city

Breakfast: At the hotel

Departure from hotel to Hatay (Antioch) the city Antioch was one of the 10 largest cities in Roman Empire and the birthplace of St. Peter; the home of the first Christian Church in the World, the capital of Antioch Catholic Kingdom which was founded by European Christians in the region, captured from the Muslims in 1098, during the First Crusade. It survived as a European outpost in the East for almost two centuries (125 miles).

• Lunch: On own
• Visit the Hatay Archeology Museum which displays a large variety of ancient artifacts from many civilizations in this region)
• Due to its importance for Christianity, we can also visit the Church of St. Peter.
• Dinner: Included
• Overnight Stay at Hatay city

Breakfast: At the Hotel

Visit Samandağ town and Visit Vakıflı Armenian Village (The only Armenian Village in Türkiye). Included Lunch in a local restaurant.

Visit the Titus tunnel which was a cleverly designed infrastructural project for the area against the winter flooding problems from the 1st Century A.D.; reign of Roman Emperor Titus and then Roman Necropolis which was composed of
rock-cut burials at the bedrock.

Upon the completion of our tour today, we will return to Hatay

• Dinner: On own
• Overnight Stay at Hatay city

Breakfast: At the Hotel

Departure from hotel to Gaziantep city (140 miles) The city Gaziantep is as old as it’s neighbor city Adana and moreover it was the entrance to Anatolia region from southern half of Mesopotamia which means Silk Road’s opening
gate to our country. We will first visit Gaziantep City Museum.

• Lunch: Included
• City walking tour (Coppersmith bazaar, Mevlevihane-Sufi DervishMuseum,
  Menengiç Coffee tasting at a historic coffee house)
• Dinner: On own
• Overnight stay at Gaziantep city

Breakfast: At the Hotel

Visit Dülük Ancient Site which has sttlement site and a separate worship site from local Anatolian gods to Mithras and even it became a Bishopric center until its invasion by the Arabs in end of the 7th Century A.D.

• Lunch: On own
• Gaziantep Mosaic Museum which is the second largest mosaic museum in the
  world from Roman Imperial times.
• Dinner: Included
• Overnight stay at Gaziantep City

Breakfast: At the Hotel

Departure for Zeugma ancient city (36 miles). Zeugma was located at the edge of Euphrates river and took advantage of this location by maritime income from river trade, enriched its life quality and unfortunately became a major target for the Sassanid Empire in the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D. Eventually was destroyed by Sassanid Emperor Shapur I.

But unfortunately most of the city remained under the increasing Euphrates river due to the Ataturk Dam construction in 1990’s. Many mosaics we see in Gaziantep Mosaic museum are from rescue excavations.

However we can still see some today on the original site.

• Journey from Zeugma to Halfeti town (40 miles) and boatride on the Euphrates River
• Lunch: On own
• Departure for Şanlıurfa city (77 miles)
• Dinner: Included
• Overnight stay at Şanlıurfa City

Breakfast: At the Hotel

We will be strolling in Harran which is the town where eleven of the 12 sons of Isaac were born who were the ancestors of the twelve Israelite tribes.

Lunch on own in Şanlıurfa city. According to the Muslim Turks it is where Prophet Abraham was born and grew; Edessa of which today’s name is Urfa; The Ur of the Chaldeans.

We will take an old town walking tour, including the
cave of Prophet Abraham, Medieval Age shopping mall with inner courtyards
intact.

• Dinner: Included Traditional dinner with live music (Sıra Gecesi)
• Overnight stay at Şanlıurfa City

Breakfast: At the Hotel

We vill visit Şanlıurfa Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum and Şanlıurfa Archeological Museum.

Visit to Göbeklitepe (the earliest worship site of the humankind from 11th millennium B.C.). Return to Şanlıurfa City.

• Lunch: On own
• Dinner: Included 
• Overnight stay at Şanlıurfa City

Breakfast: At the Hotel

Early Departure for Mount Nemrut of which the peak is manmade; out of millions of local fist size stone. In the 1st century B.C. Antiochus I.

Ruler of Commagene Kingdom rivaled the Sassanid Empire, had his son marry a Persian princess and on the other hand challenged the Roman Caesar Marc Antony during the triumphrate era and overran his army in a war.

After these incidents his fame became everlasting and he decided to have his mausoleum built on top of a big mountain so the Gods from East and West could witness his mightiness forever and may he be one of them.

• Lunch: Included On the way, visit of Ataturk Dam (the largest dam of Türkiye)
• Dinner: Included 
• Departure to Diyarbakır (123 miles)
• Overnight stay at Diyarbakır City