July 2-12, 2005
Directors: Paul Burke and Harriet HarrisAd claras Asiae volemus urbes. (Catullus 46.6)
Catullus’s "gleaming cities of Asia" will be our primary goals in this study-tour of Western Turkey. The group will assemble in Istanbul and visit, among other important sites, the Topkapi Museum, Hagia Sophia (Justinian’s magnificent Church of Holy Wisdom), the underground cistern of Constantinople and the Grand Bazaar. From Istanbul, we proceed to the site of Schliemann’s Troy. The tour includes: Pergamum and its important healing shrine of Asclepius; the one-time Persian provincial capital of Sardis with its Roman-era gymnasium and synagogue complex; and the beautifully-restored city of Ephesus. Other sites to be visited include Priene, Miletus, Didyma (for the stunning oracular temple complex), and Bodrum/Halicarnassus, home of the original Mausoleum and of the ship museum of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology. While by no means a "footsteps-of-St.-Paul" program, we will inevitably find ourselves, in fact, in the footsteps of Paul, as at the theater of Ephesus where the Christian missionary caused a riot among local devotees of Artemis (Acts of the Apostles 19:23-29). We will, therefore, pay due attention to sites important for the histories of both Diaspora Judaism, as at Sardis, and of early Christianity. Prominent Ottoman and Islamic monuments such as the Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque of Istanbul are also included.
Day 1 ISTANBUL
Meet in the lobby of the hotel for an afternoon motorcoach sightseeing tour. Welcome dinner tonight at a local restaurant this evening. (D)
Day 2 ISTANBUL
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. This morning, depart for a full day of sightseeing beginning with Yildiz Palace and continuing
to Topkapi Palace museum, situated in the opulent former residence of the Ottoman Sultans. End the morning with a visit to Hagia
Sophia Justinian’s magnificent 6th–century Basilica of Holy Wisdom. Enjoy an afternoon cruise along the historic Bosphorus.
View the fortress of the elite military corps of the Ottoman Empire, the opulent Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian side and the magnificent summer
retreats of the sultans. Lunch will be served onboard. Early evening return to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul. (B, L)
Day 3 ISTANBUL
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Depart for a full day of sightseeing beginning at the Kaiye Museum (Chora Church),
adorned with beautifully restored frescoes and mosaics from the Byzantine period. Continue to the underground cistern
and end the morning with a visit to the beautiful Blue Mosque with its unique six minarets and fabulous ceramic detailing.
This afternoon, browse for spices, brassware, and carpets in the Grand Bazaar with its more than 4,000 shops.
Return to your hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at your hotel. (B, D)
Day 4 ISTANBUL – ECEABAT – TROY - CANAKKALE
Buffet breakfast and check-out. Depart by private motorcoach for Eceabat. Lunch upon arrival. Continue by ferry to Canakkale.
Afternoon visit to the archaeological site of ancient Troy. Our visit will include the recent excavations and the museum.
Continue to the site of Alexandria Troas to view the excavations of the ancient harbor, public buildings and city gates. Overnight in Canakkale. (B, L)
Day 5 CANAKKALE – ASSOS - PERGAMUM - KUSADASI
Buffet breakfast and check out. Depart for Assos and a visit to the acropolis, the temple of Athena,
and the remains of the theater, and the city walls. After lunch, continue to the site of Pergamum for a tour
of the acropolis, theatre, library, Trajaneum, the temple of Athena, and the ancient healing center dedicated to Asclepius.
End the day with a visit to the Pergamum museum. Proceed to Kusadasi for dinner and overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 6 KUSADASI - EPHESUS - KUSADASI
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Morning visit to ancient Sardis, site of the largest synagogue in the ancient
world and the earliest Byzantine church. Visit the Artemis Temple and the large gymnasium complex.
Break for lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch, continue to the beautifully restored city of Ephesus for an afternoon
exploring the extensive remains of this archaeological site. En route, we will stop to view the remains of the Temple of
Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Continue to the nearby Ephesus Museum in Seljuk.
Return to Kusadasi this evening. Buffet dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B, L, D)
Day 7 KUSADASI – PRIENE – MILETUS - DIDYMA
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Depart for a full day of sightseeing beginning at the Hellenistic
remains of Priene, originally built at the height of the Ionian culture. Continue to the Temple of Apollo at Didyma,
well known throughout the ancient world as a center of culture and philosophy. Lunch overlooking the ruins of this colossal temple.
This afternoon, continue sightseeing at the remains of Miletus, home of the philosophers Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes,
and of the city planner Hippodamus, originator of the urban grid-plan. The 4th-century BCE theater (capacity ca. 15,000)
is one of the city’s most striking remains. Travel along the Turquoise Coastline to the picturesque harbor town of Bodrum. Dinner and
overnight at your Bodrum hotel. (B, L, D)
Day 8 BODRUM
Breakfast. Begin the day with a visit to the Myndos Gates and the site of the Mausoleum
of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Lunch and time on your
own in Bodrum. This afternoon, visit the 15th century Crusader castle, the
current home of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, headquartered in the U.S.
at Texas A& M University. Highlights of the on site museum include two Byzantine and
a Bronze Age shipwrecks excavated off the coast of Turkey, as well as the intact remains of
a Carian princess’ tomb dating to the time of Alexander the Great.
Dinner on your own in the lovely seaside town of Bodrum. Overnight in Bodrum. (B)
Day 9 BODRUM-APHRODISIAS - ANTALYA
Buffet breakfast. Early departure for the archaeological site of Aphrodisias.
The site visit will include the Roman stadium, the Sebasteion, and the museum of
Greco-Roman sculpture. Lunch on your own.
Continue to the harbor city of Antalya for dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Antalya. (B, D)
Day 10 ANTALYA – ASPENDOS – PERGE - ANTALYA
Buffet breakfast. Depart for a full day of sightseeing beginning at Aspendos,
the site of a beautifully preserved Roman theater. Continue to Perge, considered
one of the most important cities of ancient Pamphylia and of early Christianity.
Originally settled by the Hittites in 1500BC, it displays a rich history of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine remains.
Lunch on your own. This afternoon, visit the archaeological site of Aspendos, which boasts one
of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the world, as well as exceptionally intact Roman aqueducts.
Return to Antalya in the mid-afternoon. Time at leisure for additional sightseeing on your own or last minute shopping.
Farewell dinner and overnight at your hotel. (B, D)
Day 11 ANTALYA - ISTANBUL
Early breakfast and check-out. Depart for the Antalya airport and your flight to Istanbul.
Arrive in Istanbul in the early a.m. where you can make ongoing air travel arrangements or hotel arrangements in Istanbul. (B)
Price: $2,275