EXPLORE
EASTERN TURKEY
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East Turkey for the 2006 Solar
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Eastern Turkey conjures up images of women in veils, moustached
gentlemen in turbans with drawn sabers in hand and camel trains
winding through the desolate wilderness. In fact, the huge mass of eastern Anatolia is a diverse land
differing profoundly from the rest of the country. As we drive through the remote provinces, we will see that
the lush forests, waterfalls, and verdant pastures of the north
provide a vivid contrast to the arid deserts of the south.
 Far
Horizons offers 15 participants only a personal view of Eastern
Turkey's archaeology, history, and culture. As the battlefront of Eastern
and Western cultures for thousands of years, the East contains an
astonishing abundance of ancient castles and majestic fortified
cities. The long drives
are through picturesque scenery where the people of each village
wear distinctive costumes, and nomads in colorful dress still live
in tents while tending their flocks of fat-tailed sheep and long-haired
goats.
A
highlight of the trip will be a visit to the Roman frontier city
of Zeugma, located on the Euphrates River and where our study leader
will be working this summer. Hidden under thick layers of dirt that
almost completely obscured its former grandeur, the city has been
remarkably well preserved. Here, high-ranking Roman officials, army
officers and wealthy merchants built great courtyard houses containing
fine works of art including exquisite mosaic floors. It is not surprising
that many have labeled Zeugma the "Turkish Pompeii." The
Birecik dam and hydroelectric plant is now complete, and the lake
formed by the dam will inundate part of this important site. Multinational
teams of archaeologists and specialists have joined forces with
their Turkish colleagues to record the sectors of the ancient city
due to be inundated.
ITINERARY:
(B)
breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner
Day 1: Leave USA.
Day 2: Arrive Istanbul and transfer to the flight to Adana. Our
welcome dinner party will be held in a traditional local restaurant.
Overnight for two nights in Adana Mavi
Surmeli Hotel. (D)
Day 3: Today’s all day tour takes us to several spectacular sites.
Anazarbus was a major city through the Roman, Byzantine, and Armenian
periods, and the remains of a fine triumphal arch, the colonnades
of two streets, a gymnasium, stadium, and a theatre are proof of
its importance. The
Hittite fortress of Karatepe
was founded in the 8th century B.C. by Azatiwatis, ruler of
the plain of Adana as a frontier castle against the wild hordes
lurking in the north. During excavations an important bilingual
Phoenician and Hittite hieroglyphic inscription was found that enabled
archaeologists to decipher Hittite hieroglyphics. At Castabala
Hierapolis, one of the loveliest of the small cities along this
coast, we will see the amphitheater,
Roman baths, and colonnaded street. The city was continuously occupied
for a long period of time as shown by it Hittite, Assyrian, and
Roman period architectural styles. Dinner is free.
(B/L)
Day
4: Drive to Antakya. En route we stop by our study leader’s site
of Kucuk Burnaz on the Bay of Issus. Today this once important Roman
port lies partially buried beneath enormous sand dunes.
Drive on to Kinet Hüyük, ancient Issus, where the project
director, Dr. Marie-Henriette Gates (if available), will give us
a private tour. Overnight for two nights in Antakya.Grand Antakya
Hotel. (B/L/D)
Day 5: Drive to the village
Cevlik to visit the ancient site of Seleukia Pieria, an important
ancient harbor and base for the Roman Navy.
To prevent flooding, a dam and artificial watercourse were
built that diverted the river into an underground channel almost
5000 feet long. Impressive waterworks still remain. Continue to
see two churches dominating a mountain peak that were constructed
to honor the two St. Simeons, who spent most of their lives in prayer
and fasting while seated atop a column.
Dinner is on our own. (B/L)
  Day
6: Early drive to Gaziantep
to visit the Gaziantep Museum. Lunch will be in a traditional restaurant
offering a variety of local delicacies.
Drive to Zeugma, the
Turkish Pompeii. Continue to Mount Nemrud. The
Kingdom of Commagene emerged as a Roman puppet state in the first
century BC. The most
renowned ruler, King Antiochus, built his extraordinary mausoleum
on the summit of Mt. Nemrud. Certainly one of the most extraordinary
tombs in the world, from the spectacular sanctuary we can see for
100 kilometers across the Mesopotamian Plain.
This evening, we will drive (and climb) to the West Terrace
to watch the sun set on the huge statues of Hellenistic gods - Apollo,
Zeus, Fortuna - with the king prominently seated among them.
Overnight on the slope of the mountain in the simple
Hotel Euphrat. (B/L/D)
 Day
7: An early morning walk takes
us to the summit once again, this time to watch sunrise on the East
Terrace. After
leaving the summit, we will view Arsameia,
the tomb that Antiochus built for his father; at the entrance stands
a large relief of the Persian god, Mithra.
The tumulus  of
Karakus was built to house the burials of Commagene queens and princesses.
To get there, we cross Cendere, the Roman bridge built
to honor Septimus Severus, and spanning the Kahta River in one single
arch. The controversial Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) is a
massive $32 billion public project to harness the power of the upper
reaches of theTigris and Euphrates Rivers and to irrigate the fertile
plains that lie between them. We will visit the Ataturk dam, and
then continue to Sanliurfa. Overnight Hotel Edessa for two nights.
(B/L/D)
Day
8: Urfa, a city whose origins
are rooted in the Bronze Age. Renamed Edessa in the 4th century
BC, it became a famous religious and intellectual center during
the Byzantine period. We will take time to visit the old quarters
of the city, Urfa Bazaar, and
the Urfa Archaeology Museum.
Drive to the Harran plain, and visit a village of
curious beehive shaped homes. We will see the impressive 8th-century
Great Mosque, built by the last of the Umayyad caliphs. (B/L/D)
 Day
9: At least 5000 years old,
Diyarbakir is one of the oldest cities in the world.
It is a fascinating city encircled by a massive parapet built
of jet-black blocks of basalt.
This 4th century wall is more than three miles
long and is covered with inscriptions and carved reliefs.
From the top there are magnificent vistas overlooking the
Tigris and Euphrates River valleys.
A walking tour takes us to the fortification walls; Ulu Mosque,
one of the oldest mosques in Anatolia; and the 12th century
Zinciriye Medrese, or religious school. Dinner and overnight in Diyarbakir. (B/L/D)
Day
10: Today's drive takes us to Van. We will stop along the way to
view the Malabadi Bridge, built by the Artukids, a Turkmen dynasty
that ruled a thousand years ago. And visit Bitlis, strategically
located on the only route from the Van basin to the Mesopotamian
plains. Much of the architecture of the city is from the early Selcuk
and Ottoman periods. Overnight for two nights in the Hotel Urartu
in Van. (B/L/D)
 Day
11: This morning’s drive takes
us to Cavustepe, the Urartian fortress built by a well-known Urartian
King. The ruins perch
on a mountaintop with spectacular views of the surrounding area.
Nearby majestic Hosap Castle was built by a Kurdish warlord
in 1643. According to local tradition, the hands of the architect
who built this formidable stronghold were cut off so that he could
not build another. In the afternoon, travel by boat across Lake
Van to visit Akdamar Island to see a spectacular 10th-century
church built by an Armenian king.
Built of carved red stone blocks, the walls of the chapel
are adorned with exquisite friezes depicting stories from the Old
Testament. (B/L/D)
  Day
12: On our drive to Dogubeyazit we will stop to see Muradiye Waterfall
and Ishak Pasa Seray, with a
dazzling array of pointed domes and striped minaret invoking images
from "A Thousand and One Arabian Nights."
Built in the 17th century by a local feudal lord,
this lovely palace is one of the most unusual monuments in Turkey.
The building is noteworthy not only for its beautiful classical
style but also for its internal central heating system.
Overnight in the Hotel Simer with fabulous views overlooking
Mt. Ararat. (B/L/D)
Day
13: Today's drive takes us to Kars where we will walk through Ani,
the Armenian capital of Ani. Considered the greatest achievement
of medieval architecture to be seen anywhere in Turkey, this 11th
century metropolis once was home for 100,000 people. Today, the
extraordinary walled city still contains spectacular frescos that
proclaim the richness of the city’s inhabitants and the excellence
of the designers. Dinner and overnight in the Kars Simer
Hotel. (B/L/D)
 Day
14: A morning flight takes us to Istanbul with the rest of the day
free. Overnight Hotel Acropol for two nights. Lunch and dinner today
are on our own. (B)
 Day
15: The first systematic attempt in the Ottoman Empire to collect
and preserve the nation’s antiquities began in 1846 antiquities
were gathered from all over the Empire and stored in the church
of St. Irene. In 1874
the objects were transferred to the Cinili Kosk. In 1881, the original
building was enlarged, and the Istanbul Archaeology Museum was established
as one of the great treasure houses of Europe. This morning will
be spent in the museum with the afternoon free. Gather this evening
for our final gala dinner party. (B/L/D)
Day 16: Transfer to the airport
for our return flight to the USA. (B)
TRIP LEADER
Dr.
Jennifer Tobin received her Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology at the
University of Pennsylvania in 1991. From 1992-97, she was Assistant
Professor at Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey. In 1997 Dr. Tobin returned to the United States and is now an
Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
She has worked on archaeological projects in Israel, Greece
and Turkey, and since 1994 she has been the director of the Küçük
Burnaz Project in southern Turkey. In 2003, she will work at Zeugma
in eastern Turkey. Dr. Tobin speaks Greek and Turkish and her warm
personality makes her a perfect study leader.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
Register
for this Trip
STATUS:
Closed to registration Call
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TRIP
DATES: No trips currently
scheduled
TRIP COST:
(per person, double occupancy) includes international airfare on
Turkish Airlines from New York's JFK Airport, three Turkish domestic
flights, all hotels, meals as listed in the itinerary, and transportation
within Turkey. Cost does not include passports or visa fees, beverage
or food not on regular menus, laundry, excess baggage charges, personal
tips, alcoholic beverages and other drinks not on the regular menu,
or airport departure taxes.
SINGLE
SUPPLEMENT:
Should a roommate be requested and one not be available, the single
supplement will be charged.
AIRLINE
NOTE: The fare requires that tickets be issued 60 days prior
to departure. Participants who register after 60 days before departure
may be charged an additional fee due to price changes. Business
Class air at a reduced price upon request. Turkish Airlines has
excellent add-on fares from home cities.
NOTE:
People frequently ask how arduous is this trip. Aside from the fact
that the days tend to be long, the trip is not difficult. The hotels
are occasionally simple, but surprisingly comfortable. All have
private baths.
RESERVATION:
A deposit of $500 is required with your reservation. Final payment
is due 75 days before departure. Any cancellation received in writing
at least 75 days before departure will result in an administration
fee of $250. Cancellations received less than 75 days before the
starting date will not receive a refund. Should you for any reason
be unable to complete the tour, FAR HORIZONS will not reimburse
any fees. The
purchase of travel
protection
with both trip cancellation and emergency evaluation is strongly
recommended.
Upon
receipt of your deposit and completed registration form, you will
be sent a reading list and a clothing and equipment list. An information
book designed for this trip, including maps of archaeological sites
and articles of pertinent interest, will be sent upon receipt of
final payment.
LIMITED
TO 15 PARTICIPANTS
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