THE SOUTHEAST OF TURKEY TOUR( 7days)

DAY1/ GAZİANTEP: ZEUGMA MOSAİC MUSEUM and OLD TOWN

 

We are starting with wisiting mosaic museum of Zeugma which is one of the biggest mosaic museum in Turkey holding more than 200 pieces of mosaics from Roman and Byzantian periods between 2nd to 6th century ad. Most of them are unearted from Roman period ancient city of Zeugma on the banks of EUPHRATES river. Than we are wisiting old town with splendid Roman castle surrounded with many old traditional houses,buildings, mosgues, hanns and caravansaries from ottoman and seljuk periods couse .G.ANTEP was an important city on the silk road to Haleppo. Also we are walking in its famous Copper Bazaar in center of old town. G.ANTEP is also famous with its Baklava dessert and pistachoue nuts. Overnight in G.antep

DAY2/ Ş.URFA, GÖBEKLİTEPE And ARCHAEOLOGY MUSEUM,

Today we are starting with the zore point of hiistory, the oldest human construction known as GÖBEKLİ TEPE the oldest temple in the World unearted by German archealog Klaus shmidt dates back to 10.000bc.one of the most important archaeological dig currently being undertaken anywhere in the world – this site represents a major shift in our understanding of humans’s early history.. Göbekli tepe 12.000 years old and pre-dating pottery, writing, Stonehenge and the Pyramids.  In the afternoon we will return to Urfa where we will visit the famous archeaological museum of city, all of the statues unearted from GÖBEKLİTEPE and its sister KARAHANTEPE ,which is another lately excavated neolithic site, are on display in that museum.. its one of the richest archeollogical museum in Turkey. Later we will walk in old town near by the museum to wisit the Holy Pools of Abraham and the cave where, tradition tells us, the Prophet Abraham was born in. While castle of town overlooking us from top of hill. We will have small walk in its historical bazaar also wisit some ottoman period hanns and coffe houses. Overnight in Ş.urfa

DAY3/ HARRAN,OLDTOWN, ABRAHAM CAVE

 

Today We drive to Harran one of the oldest setlement in North mesepotomia famous with Mud-Brick Conical Shaped Beehive Houses. Wisiting Harran castle on the old silk road to damascus and also Harran grand mosgue from Ummayad period.

Later we turn back to Şurfa and walk in old town to wisit the Holy Pools of Abraham and the cave where, tradition tells us, the Prophet Abraham was born in. While castle of town overlooking us from top of hill. We will have small walk in its historical bazaar also wisit some ottoman period hanns and coffe houses. Overnight in Ş.urfa

 

DAY 4/ ADIYAMAN. MT NEMRUT,CENDERE(roman bridge) KARAKUŞ TOMB AND SUNSET.

 

We depart for mt nemrut today. On the way we will stop fort he biggest dam built on Euphrates river in 1980ies known as Atatürk dam. İts part of GAP. known as Southeastern Anatolian Project. They built many dams on Euphrates and Tigris according to this Project in the last 50 years. there are 5 big dams on euphrates ataturk is the biggest of all . We will have a short nice tea,coffe stop with great panoramic view of dam and Euphrates river than drive throughout Adıyaman to Kahta this area is under protectiıon as national and historical park also under protection of UNESCO World heritage site since 1986. there we start with wisiting Royal Ramily Tomb of Commagenien ladies, known as Karakuş Tomb than we will stop for the Roman bridge (Cendere on the river) , wisiting the Arsemia summer capital city of COMMAGENE kingdom than we will drive up to top of Mt. Nemrut where we will walk about 1km to wisit the ancient funerary monument at the summit of Mt.Nemrut with Colossal Statues of Greek Gods and king Antiouchos on top of Mt.Nemrut. its believed that famous King Antiochos is burried here . This ancient funerary monuments at the peak of Mt Nemrut was forgetten and lost to memory for almost 2000 years. After wisiting the eastern terrace we will watch the Sunset from western terrace of Summit of Mt Nemrut with the statues of Gods and drive down to our hotel. Overnight in kahta.

DAY 5/DİYARBAKIR: CİTYWALLS, GRAND MOSGUE, CHURCHES and BRİDGE over theTİGRİS RİVER

Today we are driving to Diyarbakır to wiist old city on banks of Tigris River encirciled with old City Walls dates back to Roman period and still standing well Sightseeing in Diyarbakir there are lots to see in that city once was a military base for the Romans thats why the city walls are built so high strong and thic. it was a garrison city for thousands of years..we start with the Grand Mosgue (Mar Thoma)(Mosque and Church) which was a Syriac Church once and converted to mosgue now. İts known as the 5th holliest mosgue in islamic World looks similiar to the the mosgue in Domascus , the caravansarie from Ottoman period, hans ancient hotels for t he traders, we are wisiting Armanian surp Grigor church the biggest in middle east, there are also some Syrian orthodx churches in city as well. Next to church there is a mosgue with a uique minaret with 4 pillared coloumns, we are climbing to cıty walls having great view of Tigris river with fertiled fields on its banks. And wisiting 10 eyed bridge over the TİGRİS river . Diyarbakır city walss and traditional houses mosgues churches are all built with black bazalt stone. Overnight in Diyarbakır

DAY6/ MARDİN, SAFFRON MONESTERY, SELJUK MADRASA, OLD TOWN

After breakfast we drive to Deir-ul-Zafaran (Saffron Monastery) near by Mardin.  The Deyrul Saffron Monastery was once the ancient official seat centre of the Syriac Christian Patriarchy till 1930ies. Now its in Domascus . This site has been the centre of religious worship for centuries, the monastery itself is built over an ancient temple dedicated to the Mesopotamian Sun God Shamash, built in 2000 BC and dedicated to the worship of the sun and which now provides the foundations to the main part of the monastery buildings – it is a fascinating structure as the roof of the temple to the sun is, essentially, a flat arch!.the Monestry is still actively in use by the Syrian population living in town. There are more than 5000 Syriac orthodx Christians living in Mardin and willages arround and they use tehir Churches actively altough some of them are abondened.

We turn back to Mardin and do for a nice walking in old town it feels like a big open air museum with its castle on top of the hill overlooking the old terraced houses, we walk throughout Mardin’s narrow streets passing by mosgues, madrasah, Syrian orthodx churches, and bazaar. Streets are narrow peaceful and so guite that you feel the Mystic aura in the old city of Mardin. Overnight in mardin

DAY7/ MARDİN, DARA ANTİC CİTY, NECROPOLİS, WATER SİTERNS.

we are wisiting Dara ancient city which was another military base of Romans on the eastren border with parths. İt was constructed and its city walls were restored by Roman Empheror Anatasius thats why it was called as Anastasiapolis as well. With its city walls, water storege rooms sisterns,Dungens,Necropolis and bridges and churches from Byzantiaan periods ..İt was so big that, was called as Ephesus of Mesopotomia too. Dara ancient city is also famous with its big Nechropolis burial ares, cave tombs and stone quarry.

Our tour is finishing at about 3pm after tour transfer to mardin airport. Fly back to İstanbul or other cities at desired hours.