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LGC-ARC-IST14D-21

Day-1 ISTANBUL
Welcome to Istanbul, Short panoramic city tour and transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Istanbul (D)

Day-2 ISTANBUL
Today's visits begin with Istanbul's Hippodrome, once a stadium with 100,000 seats, where chariot races and circuses often degenerated into violence. Visit the nearby Blue Mosque. The Second Church Council (381) met in the Church of St. Irene, the first church ever built in Istanbul. You will visit the fifteenth-century Topkapi Palace of the Ottoman Sultans. In the first court of this palace stands the Church of St. Irene, the city's cathedral church until the Church of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) was completed in 360. After rioters burned both churches to the ground in 532, Emperor Justinian rebuilt them to their present grand scale. Upon entering his newly built Hagia Sophia for the first time, Justinian exclaimed, "Glory to God that I have been judged worthy of such a work. Enjoy your visit to the Hagia Sophia, where the 5th Church Council met in 553. For a thousand years, this was the largest church in Christendom. After that will continue magnificent Topkapi Palace. Conclude your day with a visit to the Grand Bazaar, an ancient covered market of some 4,000 shops. Overnight in Istanbul (B,L,D)

Day-3 NICEA/ BURSA
Drive to the lakeside town of Iznik, ancient Nicaea, which was the center of the famous ceramic tiles. Visit Iznik Lake before continuing on to Bursa .Overnight in Cappadocia (B,L,D)

Day-4 CANAKKALE
Drive to Manyas Lake Bird sanctuary, where over 200 species of birds have been recorded. Continue on to Gallipoli Peninsula and visit the war memorials, erected to honor the soldiers who died during World War I. Stop at Canakkale, situated on the Canakkale Straits which connects the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean. Overnight in Cappadocia (B,L,D)

Day-5 ASSOS
Visit Alexandria Troas, dating back to the 2nd century B.C., then on to the ancient city of Chryse, the modern village of Gulpinar, where we will visit the 2nd century B.C. Apollo Smitheus temple. Continue to Assos and enjoy the beautiful view from the temple of Athena built in the 6th century B.C. Overnight in Assos (B,L,D)

Day-6 SARDES/IZMIR/KUSADASI
Drive to Sardes, the capital of the Lydian Empire and the city of King Croesus, where the first coins were minted. See the "thousand mounds" of the Lydian royal cemetery. Stop at Akhisar, Magnesia at Mount Sipylus, the mourning rock of Niobe, and Sipylus National Park. Continue to Izmir where the historian Homer is believed to have lived. Panoramic Izmir ciy tour than continue to Kusadasi. Overnight in Kusadasi (B,L,D)

Day-7 EPHESUS
Ephesus, major port city on the Aegean, was the commercial, political, and religious center of all of Asia Minor. After a lunatic completely burned the Temple of Diana (Artemis) on the night that Alexander the Great was born in 356 B.C., the Ephesians worked for 120 years to complete a magnificent reconstructed temple, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The city became part of the Roman Empire in the second century B.C. As a Roman capital of Asia Minor, Ephesus boasted a population approaching 250,000 people. The St.Paul's first visit to Ephesus was brief - during his second missionary tour. The Great Theatre (stadium) mentioned in could seat 25,000 people. Walk the marble-paved street with grooves made by chariot wheels. See the Fountain of Trajan, the Library of Celsus, and the Great Theatre. Visit the Chapel of the Virgin Mary (Double Church), where the Third Ancient Council convened. Enjoy St.John's Basilica (built on the site of the St.John's tomb), and ponder the remains of the Temple of Diana. Finally, enjoy a visit to the Ephesus Museum. Overnight in Kusadasi (B,L,D)

Day-8 BAFA LAKE/BODRUM
After our breakfast, will drive to Alinda and nearby villages. Continue to Alabanda and Gerga. After that, visit peaceful Bafa Lake and the ancient city of Herakleia. Visits to Mylasa, Labranda, the Corinthian Temple of Zeus, and the ruins of Iasos. Continue to Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassus, well-known for its lively nightlife. Overnight in Bodrum (B,L,D)

Day-9 DATCA
Early departure from Bodrum and en route, visit the ancient cities of Stratonikeia and the village of Eskihisar. Drive to Gokova over a winding road and enjoy the beautiful views of the bay. After a refreshing swim in Gokova, continue on to Datca, one of Turkey's major sailing centers. Overnight in Datca (B,L,D)

Day-10 KNIDOS
Visit Knidos, founded in the 4th century B.C. and built around a double harbor. Stroll among the ruins including the remains of the Sanctuary of Demeter and the Temple of Aphrodite. Drive along the mountain road to the ancient city of Kaunos via Koycegiz Lake. Continue to Dalyan for overnight (B,L,D)

Day-11 DALYAN / FETHIYE
Today we will see the impressive Lycian rock tombs and a Carian castle at the acropolis. Stop in the small village of Dalyan. The beach nearby is a protected breeding ground and one of the few beaches left where the giant sea turtles, Caretta Caretta, lay their eggs during the summer. Continue on to Fethiye along the coastal road. Overnight in Fethiye .(B,L,D)

Day-12 FETHIYE / ANTALYA
On the way to Antalya will visit the ancient city of Pinara, one of the largest Lycian cities. See the interesting rock carved tombs on a steep hillside. Visit Sidyma and nearby villages. Continue to Myra, then to the Church of St. Nicholas. Continue to Antalya and visit Phaselis. Overnight in Antalya (B,L,D)

Day-13 ANTALYA
A full day is devoted to the striking Greco-Roman Archaeological Sites along the Turkish Riviera.
Stop first at Perge, a wealthy and culturally well-developed city in ancient times. A few miles away is Aspendos, where the prosperity this city experienced in the second and third centuries AD is still visible. Enormous blocks of marble were transported from as far as the Marmara Island for the construction and or lamentation of its imposing buildings. The tour will end in Antalya Museum and overnight in Antalya (B,L,D)

Day-14 ANTALYA TO ISTANBUL / HOMEBOUND FLIGHT
Memories of these two weeks will last a lifetime. Have a nice fly back to home (B)