Eastern Turkey's Lost KingdomsWith Professor John France
September 8 - 23, 2012
With Professors Jeremy and Maud McInerney
May 18 - June 2, 2013
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. These remote provinces vary from formidable mountain peaks, lush forests with cascading waterfalls, verdant pastures, and in vivid contrast, arid deserts in the south.
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 whiletending their flocks of fat-tailed sheep and long-haired goats.
Join Far Horizons, and only 11 others, on a 16-day exploration to this remote and rarely-visited region. By special arrangement, enjoy private tours of two important sites - Ziyaret Tepe, one of few sites in Turkey where cuneiform tablets have been found, and Göbekli Tepe, possibly the world’s oldest temple predating Stonehenge by 6,000 years. From the mountains of eastern Anatolia, to the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates, to the Cilician plain, through visiting sites of great variety and interest, temples, monasteries, and mosques, cities and castles, and the bustling historic towns of the region, we will explore the remarkable history and culture of this region, truly a crossroad of civilizations.
(B) breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner
Day 1: Begin our archaeological tour of eastern Turkey with a flight to Istanbul.
Day 2:Arrive Istanbul and transfer to our flight to Kars. In the afternoon walk through 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 stunning frescos that proclaim the richness of the city’s inhabitants and the excellence of the designers. Dinner and overnight in the Kars Simer Hotel. (D)
Day 3: On our drive to Dogubeyazit we will stop to see 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 4: The Urartian civilization flourished from the ninth to the sixth century B.C. and stretched from modern Armenia in the north to the mountains of Hakkari in the south and from Iran's Lake Urmia in the east to Malatya in the west. As we drive into Urartian territory, stop to explore Çavuştepe, a fortress that perches on a mountaintop with spectacular views of the surrounding area. A cuneiform inscription on a temple here proclaims King Sardui II, who ruled between 764 and 735 BC, as the builder of the stronghold. Then it’s on to nearby Hosap Castle, 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. After a brief stop at Muradiye Waterfall, continue on to the city of Van, located on the edge of Turkey’s largest lake. Located in a lush green oasis encircled by stunning mountain peaks, this city is also famous for the Van Cat, a pure white, longhair feline with one blue eye and the other green. Overnight for two nights in the Hotel Merit Sahmeran in Van. (B/L/D)
Day 5: Van is the site of the former Urartian capital of Tuşpa. Begin the day by climbing to Van Fortress, created in the 8th century B.C. This impressive citadel with its royal tomb chambers and cuneiform inscriptions numbers among the world’s most magnificent architectural monuments, and is a superb example of Urartian skills as stone masons. Then it’s on to the Van Archaeological Museum to view remarkable artifacts found in the area. Lake Van is sprinkled with islands, many containing thousand-year-old monasteries and churches. This afternoon board a boat and motor across the lake to Akdamar. Located on this island is a breathtaking 10th century church constructed 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 6: Today's drive takes us through spectacular scenery with a stop at Ahlat, an historic town located on the northwestern edge of Lake Van. Begin in the town’s small museum with its interesting selection of artifacts including beautifully glazed pots and fine Urartian bronzework. Nearby is Ulu Kümbet, the appropriately named Great Tomb, built between 1273 and 1275 for a Mongol chieftain. Almost sixty feet high and topped by a conical stone roof, the 12-sided building is embellished with exquisitely carved decorations. But the town is primarily known for its cemeteries containing forests of still standing Seljuk tombstones from the 12th and 13th centuries, most seven or eight feet tall with rich, ornate carvings. Continue to Diyarbakır, at least 5000 years old and one of the oldest cities in the world. Dinner and overnight in the Class Hotel in Diyarbakir. (B/L/D)
Day 7: Located on the banks of the Tigris River, Diyarbakır is encircled by a massive parapet built of jet-black blocks of basalt more than three miles long that is a perfect example of medieval military architecture. This 4th century wall is covered with inscriptions and carved reliefs and from the top there are magnificent vistas overlooking the Tigris River valley. This morning’s walking tour will take us along the walls, and to Ulu Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Anatolia. Continue to Ziyaret Tepe, the ancient city of Tushhan. Continuously occupied for 2,400 years beginning in the Early Bronze Age, it was an important urban center on the edge of the Assyrian Empire. Ziyaret Tepe is one of few sites in Turkey where cuneiform tablets have been found. By special arrangement, and if onsite, Dr. Timothy Matney, the project director, will give us a private tour of the excavations. Continue to Mardin and overnight for two nights in the Artuklu Kervansarayı. (B/L/D)
Day 8: Our all day trip begins in Hasankeyf, built on the banks of the Tigris River and endangered due to the Ilısu Dam. This ancient city may have been occupied for 10,000 years and be one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world. The surrounding cliffs are riddled with caves that were once inhabited, and within the village are the ruins of the 12th-century palace of the Artukid kings; the El Rizk Mosque, built in 1409 by the Ayyubid Sultan Suleiman; and a beautiful 15th-century cylindrical tomb. Nearby Midyat is an ancient city dating back to the first millennium B. C. that is the epicenter of a centuries-old Christian Syriac/Aramean enclave in Southeast-Turkey. Our walk through the narrow streets of the old city will reveal ornately-decorated sandstone mansions, nine Syrian Orthodox churches and several monasteries. We will also visit the 12th century Zinciriye Medrese, or religious school, upon returning to Mardin. (B/L/D)
Day 9: Depart Mardin and drive to Göbekli Tepe, a site that has been causing quite a stir in the international news recently. According to the archaeologists working there, Göbekli Tepe may be the world’s oldest temple predating Stonehenge by 6,000 years. Excavations have uncovered several circles of standing stones and inside each are two 16-foot tall T-shaped pillars towering over the ring of shorter stones. Many of these are richly adorned with carvings of foxes, vultures, lions and other wild animals. At Göbekli Tepe, we will be hosted by the project director to learn about the latest discoveries. Continue to Urfa, or Şanlıurfa, with origins that 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. Our walk through the old quarter, takes us to Urfa Bazaar, with its interesting display of local goods, and the Urfa Archaeology Museum. We will see the city’s 10th century Great Mosque, reputedly built on the birthplace of Abraham, and an ancient castle that crowns the citadel. The current walls were constructed by the Abbasids in 814AD. Overnight at the Manici Hotel in Urfa. (B/L/D)
Day 10: Today we visit several impressive sites. 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 almost fifty miles across the Mesopotamian Plain. Our climb takes us to both the East and West Terraces to see the huge statues of Hellenistic gods - Apollo, Zeus, Fortuna - with the king prominently seated among them. After leaving the summit, stop at 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 that spans the Kahta River in one single arch. Located on the road that ran from Nineveh to Carchemish, Harran was regarded of considerable importance by the Assyrian kings and was mentioned in the bible as the place where Abraham brought his family after they left Ur. Occupied for more than 5,000 years, it is now known for the curious beehive shaped homes scattered through the village. Continue to Malatya where we overnight for two nights in the Akkoza Hotel. (B/L/D)
Day 11: Divriği Gok Medrese, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most elaborately decorated medieval monument in Anatolia, is our highpoint today. Constructed in 1227, the builder of the mosque and hospital used a highly sophisticated technique of vault construction and is renowned for the creative, exuberant decorative sculpture that adorns the doorways. The architect, Ahmed Shah, comes from Ahlat and the style of the carvings is similar to the designs on the tombstones there. (B/L/D)
Day 12: Malatya Museum houses incredible finds from the lower Euphrates area and we begin here today. Then we drive to Gaziantep which traces its roots back to the Hittites. Dominating the city is the citadel where fortifications date back to the Roman times and perhaps earlier. The city’s Archaeological Museum has collections from Neolithic and the Hittite ages as well as the Roman and Commagene times. Recently, the museum acquired the spectacular Roman mosaics discovered in Zeugma regarded as unparalleled masterpieces of Roman art. After visiting the museum, we will stroll through the market, famous for copperware and sweet pastries. Overnight for two nights in Gaziantep. (B/L/D)
Day 13: With foundations that date back to Assyrian times in the first millennium B.C., Rumkale is an important site that sits five hundred feet high on a cliff overlooking the Euphrates River. Isolated by the waters backing up behind the Birecik Dam, it is almost totally surrounded by water. To reach the fortress, we must travel by boat. The outer walls still stand and the fortification doors open to the remains of a city containing a medieval church and monastery and nearby Roman Bridge. The Roman frontier city of Zeugma was also strategically located on the Euphrates River. 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. (B/L/D)
Day 14: Our drive today takes us from Gaziantep to Adana. Along the way we stop to explore two important sites. Yılankale is a large medieval crusader castle crowning a high rocky hill overlooking the Ceyhan River. The home of the Armenian kings of Cilicia in the Crusader period, the fortress was strongly protected as it guarded the road to Antakya. Its curtain wall follows the contour of the natural escarpment and is strengthened by seven horseshoe-shaped towers almost 45 feet tall. Nearby Toprakkale may have originally been built in the 4th century B.C. In 786 it was rebuilt of imposing basalt stones by Harun al-Rashid, the fifth Abbasid caliph. Our last stop will be in the Adana Archaeology Museum, the repository of stunning artifacts from the Hittite Period to present day. Overnight in Adana for two nights. Dinner is on our own tonight. (B/L)
Day 15: We visit three spectacular sites today. 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. The castle at Anavarza, known as Caesarea or Anazarbus during the Roman Empire, sits on a steep outcrop overlooking the Cilician Plain. During the chaotic centuries which followed the rise of the Islam, Anazarbus remained as a buffer zone between the Arabs and the Byzantines and frequently changed hands between the two sides. In the 11th century, Crusaders took over and built a donjon, or keep, at the highest point. It was ultimately taken over by the Armenians and remained in their hands until destroyed by the Mamlukes. Today we can see the long city wall with 20 bastions, four entrances, a colonnaded street, and ruins of a bath house and a church. And outside the fortifications are the remains of a stadium and theater. Dating back to at least the first century B.C., Kastabala has a long history. According to Strabon of Amasya, it was long a sacred center to Artemis Perasia. We know the city was called Hierapolis - Kastabala because inscriptions were discovered at the end of the 19th century that named the city. The remains of the Roman city are still visible including a colonnaded street that was built around 200 A.D. Gather this evening for our final dinner party. (B/L/D)
Day 16: An early departure from Adana Airport takes us to Istanbul and our international flight back to the USA.
"This was one of the very best trips that I have ever taken." - Edward Keeler
John France is Professor Emeritus from Swansea University in Wales and is a renowned specialist on the Medieval Period. He has published numerous articles, and is the author of The Crusades and the Expansion of Catholic Christendom, Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades, and Victory in the East: A Military History of the First Crusade. Additionally, he has edited several important books including Medieval Warfare, Warfare in the Dark Ages, and War and Peace in Ancient and Medieval History. As a result of his research covering this period, he has compiled an electronic database of lives of saints prior to the year 1000. He is also an editor of the Journal of Medieval History. Dr. France was a featured scholar on the History Channel’s impressive two-part documentary, The Crusades: Crescent & the Cross. His knowledge of the Middle Ages and great story-telling capabilities will bring to life the sites of Eastern Turkey.
Jeremy McInerney received his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1992. He is the Davidson Kennedy Professor and Chair of the Graduate Group 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 Cattle of the Sun: Cows and Culture in the World of the Ancient Greeks and The Folds of Parnassos: Land and Ethnicity in Ancient Phokis, 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.
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 Associate Professor of English and Medieval Studies at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. Dr. McInerney has also taught courses in Greek Mythology and reads Latin and Greek. Her book, Eloquent Virgins from Thecla to Joan of Arc, was published in 2003. Her recent research has concerned itself with Greek Christian writers in Asia Minor and contacts between Byzantium and the Holy Roman Empire.
September 8 - 23, 2012
May 18 - June 2, 2013
Tour Cost2012 Trip Cost: $9,695.00
2013 Trip Cost: $9,895.00 (per person, double occupancy) includes round trip international flights from New York to Istanbul; two domestic flights in Turkey; all ground transportation; all hotels; most meals (as noted in brochure); and entry fees.
Cost Does Not Include: A donation as outlined below; airport transfers for flights other than designated group flights; meals other than those listed in the itinerary; food, alcoholic and other beverages not on set menus; passport and visa fees; airport fees and taxes; excess baggage charges; gratuities to guides and drivers; email, telephone, and fax charges; laundry or other items of a personal nature.
2012 Single Supplement: $695.00.
2013 Single Supplement: $695.00. Should a roommate be requested and one not be available, the single supplement must be charged.
Donation Checks: As a tour company that benefits from the historical, cultural and natural riches of our destinations, we have a policy of donating to scholars, archaeological and cultural projects, and museums in each of our destinations. This has created a bond with the academic community that allows you to gain an 'insider's view' of the work being done in each country. The cost of this trip does not include the separate donation check for $150.00 to go towards the Ziyaret Tepe Archaeological Expedition, funded through the University of Akron Trustees. Please make your donation checks payable to "UA Foundation" with "Ziyaret Tepe Archaeological Expedition 6-39053" listed in the memo line. Please note that the donation is required as part of your registration for the trip and that it is non-refundable.
Fuel Surcharges: Far Horizons must pass on price increases when additional fuel charges are levied.
Registration A deposit of $500.00 is required along with the separate check made out to the donation project and your completed and signed registration form. Final payment is due 75 days prior to departure. Upon receipt of your deposit and completed registration form, you will be sent a reading list and a tour bulletin containing travel information. Prior to the trip, we will send links to various websites of pertinent interest to the trip.Click here to download our Registration Form.
Cancellations received in writing at least 75 days before departure will result in an administrative fee of $250.00. Cancellations received less than 75 days prior to departure will not receive a refund. If for any reason you are unable to complete the tour, we will not reimburse any fees. Registrants are strongly advised to purchase travel insurance that includes trip cancellation upon registration.
If you do not fly on the group flight, you are responsible for all flight arrangements and transportation (including airport transfers) to join the group. If Far Horizons must change the trip dates or cancel the trip for any reason, Far Horizons is not responsible for any air ticket you may have purchased.
Changes in our itinerary, accommodations, and transportation schedules may occur. A good book to read as well as a flexible attitude and a sense of humor are essential.
The private tours of archaeological sites and talks by specialists are scheduled in advance and include a donation to each. Specialists working at these sites are excited about showing their work to interested enthusiasts. However, please be aware that there may be times when the director or a member of the staff may not be onsite when our groups arrive due to other commitments.
THIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL TOUR TO EASTERN TURKEY IS LIMITED TO 14 PARTICIPANTS
