Option 3 (C) 8 nights / 9 days
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Day 01 Istanbul (Arrival)
Your guide will
meet you at the airport and you will be transferred to the 'Old
City' where we will visit
the Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque, famous for its delicate blue ceramic
tiles and Saint Sophia. This church - turned mosque - turned museum takes the
breath away with the sheer architectural size of its interior and magnificent
dome and next we will visit the spectacular Topkapi Palace.
Built on one of the seven hills of Istanbul,
this huge complex commands views of the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. It was the seat of government for the Ottoman Empire for many centuries (1453-1852) and we will
see the extravagant Treasury, the priceless Chinese porcelain. Dinner and
overnight at hotel. (L,D)
Day 02 Istanbul
Our morning starts with a visit to the aromatic Spice
Bazaar, where the smells of cinnamon, cloves and thyme, rise from hundreds of
colourful muslin bags at every store-front. We then board our ferry boat for a
relaxing cruise along the shores of the legendary Bosphorus, the natural
gateway that divides Asia and Europe. As you
sit back and enjoy Turkish coffee or well-brewed tea from traditional small
cups, numerous summer palaces and palatial homes will pass by on either side.
Disembarking at the northern end of the Strait, we proceed to a restaurant for
a tasty meal of local fish. Following lunch we will travel by coach to
the Suleymaniye Mosque, built by master architect Sinan during the reign of
Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver. The last stop will be Grand
Bazaar which is a most attractive shopping center and the biggest
"souk" in the world with nearly 4000 shops of antiques, jewellery,
gold, carpets and leatherwear. (B,L,D)
Day 03 Istanbul
Free at leisure. (B)
Day 04 Istanbul / Anzac / Canakkale
Early departure for the Gallipoli Peninsula
where you will visit the war museum which houses an array of memorabilia of the
tragic events which took place in 1915. Letters written by soldiers and their
clothing, along with rifles, ammunition and old photographs are a few of the
saddening historical reflections to be recalled. Continue in the afternoon with
sufficient time to reflect at Anzac Cove and the Beach
Cemetery, home to one of Australia’s
most legendary soldiers, John Simpson, as well as Lone Pine, Chunuk
Bair, original trenches, the Nek, Courtney Steel Post and Queen's
Post. We finish the day by crossing the famous Dardanelles
by ferry and driving to your hotel in Canakkale. (B,L,D)
Day 05, 25 Canakkale / Anzac Day / Canakkale
An inevitable early start before midnight is scheduled
in order to serve our purpose of presence and to arrive at Anzac Cove by 3.00
a.m. so that we may secure space for the Anzac Dawn service. At 5.30 a.m. as
the sun breaks over the mountains behind you, all of the present witness the
international gathering of people who have travelled from faraway lands to help
commemorate the tragic events of 25th of April 1915. Following the Anzac Day
Dawn Service, you will have your light breakfast. Following this free time, you
then travel by coach to the Australian memorial service at Lone Pine Cemetery. Late afternoon you will leave
the site with reflections of unforgettable feelings for your hotel in
Canakkale. (B,L,D)
Day 06 Canakkale / Troy / Bergama / Izmir
After breakfast we proceed to Troy. Referred to in Homer's
"Iliad" and "Odyssey", Troy has in fact nine cities superimposed one
upon another. Troy Vl pertains to the famous Trojan War of Homer where the
legendary heroes included Agamemnon, Achilles, Ulysses and Nestor on the Greek
side and, Priam, Hector and Paris on the Trojan side. On our journey to Izmir we will stop by the
hauntingly beautiful Pergamon. Among the impressive structures of this
city, dating from 399 BC, we will see the Altar of Zeus, Temple
of Dionysus and the 200,000 volume
library which was surpassed only by that found in Alexandria at the time. The Asclepieum of
Pergamon was a famous health centre where methods of treatment included blood
transfusions, music therapy and meditation. Leaving Pergamon behind us we
settle at our hotel in Izmir.
(B,L,D)
Day 07 Izmir / Ephesus /
Pamukkale
Following an early breakfast we will proceed to the
ancient city of Ephesus
and first visit the Basilica of St. John, who came here with the Virgin Mary
and wrote his Gospel. Ephesus
was undoubtedly one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient
world. Impressive structures we will see include the Library of Celsus, Temple of Hadrian, Theatre and Odeon. Close by is
the House of the Virgin Mary where she is believed to have spent her last
years. On August 18, 1961, Pope John XXll proclaimed the House of Virgin Mary
at Ephesus to
be sacred. You will have a chance to take some of Holy Water from the Sacred
Spring. Overnight
at Pamukkale. (B,L,D)
Day 08 Pamukkale / Marmaris
In
this morning visit to the gleaming white travertines of Pamukkale. The
travertines are filled with warm calcium-rich mineral water providing a
spectacular sight on the hillside. We will also the Roman Health Spa of Hieropolis,
the 2,000 year old natural phenomen where Roman citizens bathed in shallow
pools. We proceed to Marmaris for overnight. (B,L,D)
Day 09 Marmaris (Departure)
Transfer
to the port. Take a ferry to Rhodes. (B)
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