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Day 01
July 19
, 2006 Wednesday
ISTANBUL
Meet at the
lobby at 05.00 PM
Visit the Blue Mosque - A 17th Century monument
built to immortalize Sultan Ahmet.
Dinner at the roof top of a renevated 18th
Century Ottoman house. Make sure you have your
camera with you for the stunning view of Aya
Sophia and blue Mosque, the Sea of Marmara nad
Asia
Overnight at Hotel Ayasofya
Day 02
July
20, 2006 Thursday
ISTANBUL
(OPTIONAL TRIP TO EPHESUS -not
included in the tour price)
Leave the hotel at 08:45
Walk to the
Byzantine Hippodrome.Visit the Basilica Cistern
and Aya
Sophia, After lunch visit Dolma Bahce Palace,
the palace which stands as a symbol f
"Westernization" of the Ottoman Empire in mis
19th Century.
Dinner at a fish restaurant. Overnight at Hotel
Ayasofya.
Day 03 July 21,
2006 Friday
ISTANBUL
Today we will
experience the Byzantine History living in
Istanbul. We will start the day with a visit to
the
Rum
patriarchate. After Lunch , visit Kariye cami (
Chora Church)
Istanbul as
Constantinople was where the Byzantines accepted
Christianity as the state religion 1700 years
ago. The imperial recognition of Christianity
can best be seen at the breathtaking mosaics of Chora Church. Enjoy the earliest interpretations of Nativity, Dormission,
Resurrection and Jesus the Creator.
For the royalty, the entrance to the city of
Constantine was the Golden Gate at the
Seven Towers. We will visit the site to see how
Byzantines and the Ottomans had made different
use of this site.
Dinner at the Bosphorous. Overnight at Hotel
Ayasofya
Day 04 July 22,
2006 Saturday
CAPPADOCIA
We will take an early morning flight to
Cappadocia. We will
arrive at Kayseri
( Ceaseria) (The city of St. Basil of Caesarea 329
– 379 AD) at 0900 and drive to
Cappadocia.
( 1hour 15 minutes) We will be in the region
where Gregory of Nyssa was born.
Cappadocia
where cliff dwellings and several hundred churches are hollowed out of the of
the cones which are eroded remnants of volcanic land. Frescoes depicting scenes
from the Bible or the Apocrypha are amazingly well preserved.
Enjoy
Rural Byzantine art
Dinner & Overnight at Museum Hotel in Uc Hisar
Day 05 July 23,
2006Sunday
CAPPADOCIA
Immerse into the depths of
Cappadocia to understand how the early Christians lived and worshiped in the
land where the seeds of Christianity were planted by St. Paul. Visit the locals
in their houses. Witness the local craft at potters wheel and at carpet makers
looms. Opportunity to buy the best Turkish carpets.
Dinner &
Overnight at Museum Hotel in Uc Hisar
Day 06 July 24,
2006 Monday
GUZELYURT
Visit the
underground city of Kaymakli
Visit the churches scattered in the Ihlara
valley and the churches (385 AD) of
Gregory of Nazianzus,Aya
Anargiros and Gregorios Teologos
Dinner and Overnight at Hotel Karballa
Day 07 July 25,
2006 Tuesday
ANTIOCH- ANTAKYA
Visit the most
stunning monastery of GUMUSKESEN where
there is a fabulous fresco of smiling Virgin
Mary .
Drive
through the Cilician Gates, just like
Paul and his disciples did. Continue to Antakya
(Antioch on the Orentes) This is where the followers of
Jesus were first called Christians (Acts 11:26)
It was from the Church in Antioch that Paul and
Barnabas started their first journey and to
which Paul returned from both his first and
second journeys.
Dinner at anadolu Restaurant , fameous with
their local dishes.
Overnight at Antakya,
Hotel Antik
Beyazit
Day 08 July 26,
2006 Wednesday
ANTIOCH-
ANTAKYA
Visit St.
Peter's church and the fabulous Mosaic Museum
which clearly displays the glamour of Antioch of
St. Paul's time. After lunch drive to the
Monastary of St Simon
Dinner at Daphne Overnight at Hotel Antik
Beyazit
Day 09 July 27,
2006 Thursday
MERSIN
After visiting the city, TARSUS, where Paul was
born
.
Visit Toprak
Kale Sis,
Tarsus Armenian Church
Dinner and overnight at Mersin Hilton Hotel
Day 10
Silifke July 28, 2006 Friday
SILIFKE
To day we will visit grand ancient
cities: Sabastiapolis and Kanli Divane
Overnight at Lades hotel in Silifke
Day
11July 29, 2006 Saturday
SILIFKE
Trip to ala
Klise in Mut
Aya Tekla’s monastery
Overnigt in Silifke
This will
be the best Day of the tour!!
Incredible huge churches of the Earliest
Byzantine Era all in superb condition!!
Baptismal
fonts of the 6th Century!!!
Day 12 July 30,
2006 Sunday
CYPRUS
Ferry to Cyprus
Lusignan palace, the shipwreck museum, the
monastery of Bellapais and the castle of St.
Hilarion..
Day 13
July 31, 2006 Monday
CYPRUS
Driving
through Nikosia, there is the Gothic cathedral
and Bedistan and then to Magusta to the old
town., a visit to ancient Salamis
Day 14 Aug 1 ,
2006 Tuesday
ANTALYA
Ferry back to
Turkey Anamurium ( not just the castle but a
huge city superb)
Overnight in Side
Day 15 Aug 2 ,
2006 Wednesday
ISTANBUL
Visit
Side, Perge
Aspendos
Evening flight to Istanbul Overnight in Istanbul
Day 16
Aug 3, 2006 Thursday
Fly Back to the
USA
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