There are many branches of old silk road passing through Anatolia. The north route, south route and the main one passing through central Anatolia. We are fallowing the main silkroad with well preserved caravansaries on it also the hans and medressah in cities along the road. Also we can see the remeains of this orijinal road through mountains with great landscape. We will start our tour from Konya which was the capital city of Seljuks for more than 100years.
Day 1 – KONYA
Highlights
• Mevlana museum and dervish lodges near by
• Alaaddin mosgue
• Karatay madrash
• Tombs of sultans
• Ince minareli madrasah
Overnight: Konya
Day 2 – KONYA → CAPPADOCİA
Highlights
• Obrukhan caravansarie from seljuk period
• Obruk lake near by
• Sultan Hani caravansarie built by Sultan Alaaddin keykubat (biggest and oldest caravansarie known)
• Uchisar castle
• Pigeoan walley
• Göreme in cappadocia
Overnight: Cappadocia
Day 3 – CAPPADOCİA
Highlights
• Monks walley
• Göreme open air museum with best preserved churches and frescos inside
• Dervent walley
• Avanos
Overnight: Cappadocia
Day 4 – KAYSERİ
Kayseri was a important Seljuks city on silkroad.
Highlights
• Hunat hatun and sahabiye madrasah
• Grand mosgue
• Seljuks hospital and madrash
• Surp krikor lusavoriç church
Overnight: Kayseri
Day 5 – SİVAS
Drive to sivas on the way wisiting another caravansarie and old bridge from seljuks over the red river.
Sivas is famous city on silk road with many madrasahes, mosgues and hans so well preserved in center of city.
Highlights
• Gök madrasah with tiles and stone works carvings
• Buruciye madrasah
• Twin minaret madrasah
• Grand mosgue
Overnight: Sivas
Day 6 – DİVRİĞİ
We drive down to south of sivas to wisit Divriği grand mosgue and hospital from 12th century ad.
The masterpiece of seljuk stone art especially the portals of mosgue and hospital, the best carvings and paintings inside. The first site taken under UNESCO protection in Turkey.
Highlights
• Divriği grand mosgue and hospital
• Divriği castle
• Drive to Kemaliye through great landscape on banks of upper euphrates river
Overnight: Kemaliye
Day 7 – KEMALİYE
Highlights
• Old town on banks of euphrates
• Old wooden houses
• Armenain church
• Remeains of old silk road near by
• Panaromic view of dark canyon with euphrates river
• Rock tunneled road carved by hand in 1930ies
Overnight: Kemaliye
Day 8 – ERZINCAN → ERZURUM
We drive from Erzincan to Erzurum by fallowing branch of euphrates river known as karasu.
Highlights
• Tercan caravansary
• Tomb of Mamahatun
• Mosgue and hamam in complex from 13th century ad
• Yakutiye madrasah
• Twin minaret madrasah
• Grand mosgue
Overnight: Erzurum
Day 9 – ERZURUM → KARS
Highlights
• Caravansry in Erzurum
• Old town
• Battlefield of w.w.1 between Russians and Ottoman empire
• Kars old town
• Castle
• Churches from Armenians
• Old Russian houses
Overnight: Kars
Day 10 – KARS → ANİ → DOĞUBEYAZİT
We drive to Ani the ruins of Armenian kingdom of pakradunies from mediavel ages right on the border of Armenia starting point of silkroad into Anatolia.
Highlights
• Churches
• Castle
• City walls
• Drive to dogubeyazit by fallowing network of silkroad
• Mt Ararat
• Ishakpasha palace from ottoman period built by a Kurdish ruler known as ishakpasha
• Urartian castle rising behind the palace with great view of mt.ararat
Overnight: Doğubeyazıt
Day 11 – VAN
Highlights
• Urartian fortress with amazing view of lake van
• Museum of city holding the biggest urartian artifacts, cuneiforms
• Stels of hakkari
Overnight: Van
Day 12 – VAN
Highlights
• Van cats
• Akdamar island
• Armenian church of holy cross
Finishing our tour here. Overnight in Van or taking flighg from van to istanbul in evening.
