REMOTE SOUTHERN TURKEY

Mark Antony once gave part of Turkey's southern shore to Cleopatra as a wedding gift. Indeed, this coast has everything befitting so handsome an offering. Washed by the sparkling crystal waters of the Mediterranean, these luxuriant shores are covered with lush pine forests, orange groves and banana plantations, splashed here and there with the vibrant pink of wild oleanders. Set against the often snowcapped peaks of the Taurus Mountains are seemingly endless stretches of dazzling white sand along the irregular coastline of rocky headlands and secluded coves.

Protected by towering crags, the Cilician coast stretching between Alanya and the Syrian Border at Antakya, has always been sought-after by the many civilizations that have passed through. Fiercely fought over in the past, the coast line is a treasury of fortified Hellenistic cities, ancient Roman temples, exquisite Byzantine churches and monasteries, formidable crusader’s castles, stout Selcuk fortifications, and well designed Ottoman ship works.

This 17-day trip has been designed for enthusiasts of Turkey – for those people who may have already traveled to this country and want to return in order to learn more about the country’s past. Gain a personal view of Turkey's archaeology, history and culture while traveling with two extraordinary scholars – Greco-Roman specialist Dr. Jeremy McInerney of The Teaching Company fame, and medieval scholar Dr. Maud McInerney. Along with only 14 other participants, journey from Antalya in the west along the winding picturesque seashore to Antakya, or ancient Antioch, in the east. Then turn inland and travel to the Cappadocia region before ending our journey with three days in Istanbul.

Southern Turkey Travel

ITINERARY:
(B) breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner

Day 1: Depart New York’s JFK on Turkish Airlines non-stop flight to Istanbul.

Day 2: Arrive Istanbul and transfer to the flight to Antalya. In the afternoon stroll through the picturesque Old Quarter of the city with its narrow winding streets and lovely Ottoman homes. The area has won architectural awards for its beautiful restoration. The charm of the ancient Roman and later Ottoman architectural styles has been maintained, with outdoor cafes, restaurants, hotels and shops still housed in the old buildings along the twisting streets. Overnight for three nights at the charming Hotel Dogan, housed within a typical Ottoman wooden mansion, for three nights. The evening is free to relax and rest after the long flight. (L)

Day 3: Straddling a rocky mountain valley and protected by three impenetrable walls, Termessos was built by the Pisidians before the time of Christ. The fierce independence of these people was shown when they chose to build in such a high remote place. This was the only city never conquered by Alexander the Great. In 333BC, Alexander swept eastwards with all cities falling to him. Then he came up against a city so impregnable and well-defended that after camping below it for one night he decided to waste no more time and moved on. The ruins of the city have a grandeur rarely equaled. Upon return to the city, visit the Antalya Archaeological Museum, an architectural delight housing artifacts from many nearby sites. Gather this evening in one of Antalya’s best seafood restaurants for our welcome dinner party. (B/L/D)

Day 4: The mountainous area north of Antalya was known as Pisidia in ancient times. A drive over the Taurus Mountains reveals terrain ranging from pastoral valleys to gleaming snow-crested peaks. Explore the magnificent ruined city of Sagalossos clinging perilously to the southern granite slopes. Originally inhabited by Pisidians, the pirates of the central Anatolian world, this was the highest city in the Roman Empire. Nearby Kremna is another Pisidian city. Here we will explore the remains of an agora, a theater, a stoa, numerous temples, and a colonnaded street. Return to Antalya and enjoy a mouth-watering dinner in a restaurant overlooking the ancient harbor and shadowed by the 2000-year-old Roman wall.  (B/L/D)

Day 5: Depart this morning for the Roman city of Selge, strikingly situated in the mountains at the top of Köprülü Valley. The site contains a spectacular theater, stadium, agora, necropolis, and temples to Zeus and Artemis. Nearby Bridged Canyon National Park (Köprülü Kanyon Milli Park), takes its name from the Roman bridge spanning the river and still in use. Continue to Alanya. During classical times Alanya served as a haven for pirates who plagued the Mediterranean coast. The spectacular old portion of the city is encircled by towering walls, and its rose-pink Seljuk fortress dominates the skyline. Standing more than 100 feet high, the Red Tower is an octagonal fortress located along the city fortifications. Along the harbor stands the tershane, the only one of its type still existing in Turkey. In former times, this building was a dockyard where the ships of the Seljuk fleet were built and repaired. Overnight in Alanya with dinner on our own.  (B/L)

Day 6: Mamure is without a doubt the most spectacular medieval castle in southern Turkey, and its magnificent presence still dominates both land and sea approaches to Anamur. The tall towers and walls enclosing the fortress are still standing to their original height, and a moat encircles the complex. The large ancient city of Anemurium is made up of several Byzantine churches, a theater, odeum, and two bath complexes with floors of inlaid geometric mosaic tiles still visible. The extensive necropolis here includes tombs ranging from simple barrel-vaulted chambers to large two-story constructions, some still containing mosaics and frescoes. Continue to Bozyazi for dinner and overnight at the Anemurium Hotel.  (B/L/D)

Day 7: Drive along the coastal road to Silifke and on to ancient Olba Diocaeseria, or Uzuncaburc. The city is located on a high hill and is one of the most well preserved in Rough Cilicia. Inscriptions found on the site leave no doubt that the city was called Diocaeseria during the Roman Period. It was called Olba in ancient times due to a temple dedicated to Zeus Olbius. This 3rd century B.C. temple is in the Corinthian order, the earliest known, and was erected by Seleucos, the ruler of Syria and a former general of Alexander who also founded several cities along the Mediterranean Coast. Along with this temple, we will see a temple dedicated to the goddess Fortuna (Tycaian), a colonnaded street, a monumental arch, Hellenistic tombs and beautiful fortifications. Dinner will be in a local seafood restaurant. Overnight in the Tasucu Best Hotel. (B/L/D)

Day 8: This area of southern Turkey is usually described as Rough Cilicia, or Isauria. As we continue east along the scenic Cilician coast, we will seldom be out of sight of temples and fortifications crowning hilltops or protecting the shore, each with a vast necropolis representing centuries of human occupation. Perched on a rocky shelf high in the Bolkar Mountains is Alahan, a stunning Byzantine monastery complex containing two churches. The East Church was begun in the 6th century, and is adorned with lovely carved sculptures. Here we join Dr. James Newhard, classic professor from the College of Charleston and Field Director for the Göksu Archaeological Project. This project is surveying the mountains of Rough Cilicia and recording archaeological and other cultural information about the region, including the Alahan complex. Kiz Kalesi, or Maiden’s Castle, is actually two castles, one on a promontory at the end of a white sand beach, and the other on an island just offshore. Dinner is on our own. Overnight at the Hilton Hotel in Mersin. (B/L)

Day 9: Begin in Tarsus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and a very important city in ancient times. It was here that Cleopatra supposedly met Mark Antony, and is reputed to be the birthplace of the disciple St. Paul. Continue to Iskenderun, founded by Alexander the Great, where we will enter a caravanserai, or inn for camel trains, designed by Sinan, the greatest of the Ottoman architects. Dinner is on our own. Overnight at the Buyuk Antakya Hotel for two nights. (B/L)

Day 10: Spend all day exploring Antakya, ancient Antioch. Located near the mouth of the Orontes River, the city was one of the earliest centers of Christianity, serving as the headquarters of St. Paul for his missionary journeys between 47-55 A.D. Visit the Mosaic Museum, housing beautiful Roman mosaics rescued from the ruins of Roman villas in Daphne, and the Grotto of St. Peter, a cave church where St. Peter is believed to have preached and the new word, Christian, came into use. In the afternoon, drive to the village of Cevlik to explore Seleukia Pieria, an important ancient harbor and base for the Roman Navy. Here, impressive waterworks still remain. To prevent flooding, a dam and artificial watercourse were built that diverted the river into an underground channel almost 5000 feet long. Then it’s on 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. Finally, see Yilan Castle, sited strategically on a ridge dominating both the road between Adana and the Armenian capital of Sis and a wide stretch of the Pyranus River.  (B/L/D)

Day 11:  This morning we will leave the coast and drive into central Anatolia and the Cappadocia region. Along the way, stop at 10th century Eski Gümüs where one of the most remarkable rock-cut monasteries in the area is located. As we enter the interior of this early Christian complex, we will view colorful fresco paintings that are centuries old and still remarkably well preserved. Overnight in the Cave Hotel in Cappadocia for three nights. This whimsical hotel combines seven old houses and depicts the charm of the area with rooms that have been carved from the living rock. Each of the 18 spacious rooms has been individually and elegantly decorated with Ottoman furniture, antiques and crafts of the region. (B/L/D)

Day 12: Today we visit Cat Valley, one of the most beautiful and least visited valleys in Cappadocia. Like the often visited Zelve, Cat Valley was also inhabited by local people until very recently and the pigeon homes especially are of remarkable preservation. Quiet and unspoiled, this valley has been spared the excessive commercialization that mars some of the better known centers in the area. We will also visit Gol Golu, a tumulus with a subterranean city located underneath that is rarely visited. As we return to our hotel, stop in Mustafapasa. Originally a Greek town, this tiny village is filled with lovely homes built in typical Greek style. To visit the 500-year-old Greek church, Ayios Vasilios, we must find the gatekeeper and ask him to open the door for us. The church is built into the cliff face and contains colorful frescoes of St. Basil. (B/L/D)

Day 13: Formed millions of years ago by volcanic eruption and eroded by wind and weather, the eerie caves, cones and "fairy chimneys" of Cappadocia form one of the world's most fantastic sites. Here, early Christians carved monasteries and churches from the living rock and magnificent frescoes depicting Biblical scenes are still visible. We will spend the day exploring the rock-cut churches and monasteries of this peculiar and lovely landscape. (B/L/D)

Day 14: Fly Istanbul. Opposite the great square in front of Aya Sofya stands the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet I, known to foreigners as the Blue Mosque. Built partly on the site once occupied by the Byzantine imperial palace, it took seven years to construct. The building has an enormous central dome supported by four huge freestanding pillars, and six fluted minarets. We continue to the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, housed within the 16th-century palace of Sultan Suleyman's brother-in-law, to view its collection of 13th- to 20th-century intricately-woven Turkish carpets. Then it’s on to the Yerebatan Cistern, built in the 6th-century during the reign of Justinian, supplied water to the nearby palace complex. In the 16th-century Ottoman engineers channeled the water into steaming Turkish baths, many of which still function today. Dinner is on our own. Overnight for three nights in the Hotel Daphne, housed in an Ottoman house that has been transformed into a charming bed-and-breakfast hotel within walking distance of the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya.  (B/L)

Day 15: We experience the glory of Istanbul's past during today's exploration of this city that spans both Asia and Europe. We begin with a visit to two jewels of Byzantine and Ottoman Empires: Aya Sofya and Topkapi Palace. Dedicated by Justinian in the 4th-century AD, Aya Sofya served as Constantinople's cathedral for nearly a thousand years. After the Ottoman conquest, it ranked first among the imperial mosques of Istanbul. The beautiful calligraphic plaques displayed high up on the walls date from the 19th-century. In 1468, Mehmet the Conqueror began a summer palace, Topkapi Sarai, on what was formerly the Greek acropolis. Later sultans added to the royal residence, and Suleyman the Magnificent made it his permanent home. We will stroll through the lovely gardens of the estate and see the council chambers of government and the harem, where the sultan's family lived. As we pass through the Imperial Gate into the First Court, we will see St. Irene, the Byzantine Church of Divine Peace. It was one of the first Christian churches built in the old town of Byzantium; within the apse are ancient mosaics, possibly dating form the time of Justinian. Lunch will be in a tiny restaurant housed within an Ottoman house, with sensational views of the Blue Mosque. End the day in the Grand Bazaar, where thousands of shops, a mosque, a school, a post office and police station are all housed underneath the vast covered roof. Within this maze of shops is a bountiful selection of all of Turkey's crafts: leather items, hand-beaten copper, intricate carpets and kilims, and antique silver jewelry. Dinner is on our own. (B/L)

Day 16: We begin today at the Church of Saint Saviour in Chora Monastery, or Kariye Museum, built between the 11th- and 14th-centuries. The mosaics and frescoes inside are masterpieces of "the Renaissance" of Byzantine art. We continue to Suleymaniye, the mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent that dominates the skyline of Stamboul (Old Istanbul). This magnificent edifice is considered the finest creation of Sinan, the greatest of the Ottoman architects. We will dine on classical Ottoman cuisine for lunch, in a restaurant housed within a 16th-century soup kitchen built by Sultan Suleyman. In the 17th and 18th centuries it became fashionable for high-ranking people of Istanbul to own a summer home on the Bosphorus, the sinuous straits separating Europe from Asia. These wooden yalis, as they are called, were extremely beautiful and elegant, of a perfection of structure and a refinement of decoration that are the supreme examples of their architects’ and painters’ genius. This afternoon, we will travel by private boat up the Bosphorus to view these lovely wooden villas and elegant marble palaces along the shore. We will also see Remeli Hisar, the fortress built by Mehmet the Conqueror to close the Bosphorus to Christian invaders. With the creation of this citadel, the Selcuk Turks brought down the Byzantine Empire. We leave the yacht to go to one of Istanbul’s elegant waterfront restaurants for dinner. (B/L/D)

Day 17: Fly back to the USA.  (B)

TRIP LEADER
Jeremy McInerney received his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1992. He is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. A specialist in both Greek and Roman history, Dr. McInerney has published extensively on his subject. He is the author of The Folds of Parnassos: Land and Ethnicity in Ancient Phokise published by the University of Texas Press, consultant for “What Life was Like in Ancient Greece” for Time-Life Books, and a featured speaker on videos of full-length university lectures about the Greek World produced by The Teaching Company. Dr. McInerney is a recipient of the Ira Abrams Award for Distinguished Teaching, one of the University of Pennsylvania’s highest teaching honors. His charming personality, warm sense of humor, and knowledge of ancient history and architecture will make the trip a special one for you.

Maud Burnett McInerney received her PhD from University of California, Berkeley, in Comparative Literature, and her BA in English, Latin and Greek from the University of Toronto. She is presently Assistant Professor of English, Haverford College in Pennsylvania where she teaches courses in Medieval Studies, with an emphasis on iconography, and early Christian culture. Dr. McInerney has also taught courses in Greek Mythology and reads Latin and Greek. Her book, I am no Woman but a Maid: The Rhetoric of Virginity from Tertullian to Joan of Arc is due to be published soon. Her recent research has concerned itself with Greek Christian writers in Asia Minor and contacts between Byzantium and the Holy Roman Empire in the ninth and tenth centuries. Drl McInerney’s familiarity with the mythology and history of the ancient Mediterranean, and her enthusiasm for her subject will make traveling with her a very special experience.

Southern Turkey Travel
REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Register for this Trip

2005 TRIP DATES: June 3-19, 2005

2005 TRIP COST: $6995.00 (per person, double occupancy)
Includes international airfare from New York and two Turkish domestic flights in coach, all hotels, meals as noted, entry fees, and ground transportation in Turkey.

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE: the separate donation check of $150.00 to the Göksu Archaeological Project; passport or visa fees; beverages or food not on regular menus; Turkish arrival and departure taxes; laundry, excess baggage charges and other items of a personal nature.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $495.00. Should a roommate be requested and one not be available, the single supplement must be charged.

RESERVATION: A deposit of $500.00, and a separate check for $150.00 made out to the Göksu Archaeological Project, is required along with your completed and signed registration form. Final payment is due 75 days before departure (March 13, 2005). Any cancellation received in writing at least 75 days before departure will result in a cancellation fee of $250.00. Cancellations received less than 75 days before the starting date will not receive a refund. The purchase of travel protection with both trip cancellation and emergency evaluation is strongly recommended. A Travel Guard form will be mailed to you upon registration. There are special benefits to purchasing insurance within seven days of registering for a trip.

AIRLINE NOTE: Turkish Airlines requires that tickets be issued 60 days before departure. Participants who register after that date may be charged an additional fee due to price changes. Business Class airfares (at a special rate) on request. Air can be arranged from your home city.

The Göksu Archaeological Project (GAP): is a five-year archaeological and architectural survey of the Upper Göksu River Valley in south-central Turkey. The project participants form an annual staff of some 40 archaeologists, specialists, and graduate and undergraduate students from the United States, United Kingdom, Turkey, Germany, and elsewhere. Between 2002 and 2006, the project will record archaeological and other cultural information about the Göksu river valley and the surrounding regions. This area was selected because of the lack of previous systematic study and the planned construction of a dam and hydroelectric generator at Derinçay. Your donation check will assist with this much needed salvage project.

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