ROTARY INTERNATIONAL INAUGURAL FRIENDSHIP TOUR OVERVIEW GREECE & TURKEY, JULY 2008
05 / July / 2008 - Departure from Los Angeles Departure flight from Los Angeles to Izmir with British Airways. 06 / July / 2008 - Arrival to Izmir via Istanbul Upon your arrival to Izmir International Airport, you will be met by our hostess and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure . Overnight stay in Kusadasi. 07 / July / 2008 - Ephesus, Virgin Mary's House, Artemis, Kusadasi After having breakfast at the hotel, we will depart for a full day tour of Ephesus and Virgin Mary's House. First, we will visit the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Then proceed to the Ancient City of Ephesus where you will explore some of the best preserved theater, fountains and buildings in the world. Then we will continue to the House of Virgin Mary on top of the mountain. A pilgrimage site for many people of all denominations. After the tour, transfer back to the hotel in Kusadasi. Overnight stay in Kusadasi. 08 / July / 2008 - Aphrodisias tour, Pamukkale tour, Hierapolis After having breakfast at the hotel, we will check-out from the hotel and move on to visit Aphrodisias, the city of the goddess of love. There, we will visit the Aphrodisias Museum, the remains of the Temple, the Odeon, Theater, Hadrian's Bath, Stadium and other ruins. Aphrodisias ranks with Ephesus among the world's best-preserved ancient cities. In the afternoon, we will journey inland to Pamukkale to enjoy the spas, pools, and terraces of this natural wonder, called the "Cotton Castle". This name is truly fitting, the brilliant white calcified terraces do truly resemble a castle made of cotton. We will also spend time in Hieropolis, with one of the largest and most diverse necropolis in the world. After the tour, we will transfer you to your hotel in Pamukkale for dinner and overnight stay. 09 / July / 2008 - Drive to Konya, Konya tour, drive to Cappadocia After having breakfast at the hotel, we will drive to Konya where we will visit the Whirling Dervishes (Mevlana) Mausoleum and the Karatay Koran School, displaying colorful Turkish tiles. On route to Cappadocia, we will visit the 13th century Selcuk Caravansarai, the traveler's inn of "Sultan Han". We will then board for the drive to mystical Cappadocia. Upon our arrival to Cappadocia, we will transfer you to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay. 10 / July / 2008 - Cappadocia tour After having breakfast at the hotel, we will explore the lunar landscape of Cappadocia visiting the Devrent Valley, the Pasabag Valley with its surreal mushrooming pinnacles and Avanos, renowned for its handmade pottery. We will then continue to the Citadel of Uchisar and the stunning valley of Goreme and the Open Air Museum, where the remains of churches and early Christian dwellings, hewn from the rock, dated back thousands of years. After the tour, we will return to your hotel where you will have dinner and stay overnight. 11 / July / 2008 - Cappadocia tour, drive to Ankara After having breakfast at the hotel, we will visit the famous rock churches in the red and rose valley and hike the 5 km. through the Gulludere Valley. We will continue to the houses and churches of the Christian clergymen in the Cavusin village. Then we will drive to Kaymakli, the underground city where the early Christians sought refuge. Finally, we will visit the natural castle at Ortahisar. After the tour, we will drive to Ankara. Upon your arrival in Ankara we will transfer you to your hotel in Ankara for an overnight stay. 12 / July / 2008 - Ankara tour After having breakfast at the hotel, we will move on to visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey and the museum of Anatolian Civilizations with its Hittite Treasures and Artifacts from the world's oldest city. After the tour, you will meet with Rotarians in Ankara. Overnight stay in Ankara. 13 / July / 2008 - Flight to Istanbul, afternoon Bosphorus tour After having breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to Ankara Airport for your flight to Istanbul. Upon your arrival to Istanbul International Airport, you will be met by our hostess and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon we will visit the 17th Century Egyptian Spice Bazaar and embark on an unforgettable cruise along the Bosphorus, the beautiful strait that divides Europe from Asia. Winding between wooded hills, it is lined with mosques, castles, 19th Century mansions, picturesque villages and the extravagant baroque places of the late Ottoman Sultans. Our tour concludes with a drive along the Istanbul Bosphorus to visit the Rumeli Fortress, built by Mehmed the Conqueror. After the tour,we will return to your hotel where you will have the evening at leisure. Overnight stay in Istanbul. 14 / July / 2008 - Full day Istanbul city tour After having breakfast at the hotel, we will explore the wonderful sites of Old Istanbul, the only city in the world straddling two continents, Europe and Asia. We will visit the Blue Mosque, with its six graceful minarets and famed blue Iznik Tiles, the Hippodrome, ancient Roman arena for chariot racing and Grand Bazaar with its more than 4,000 shops. We will then visit The Topkapi Palace, which from the 15th to the 19th Century was the principle residence of the Ottoman Sultans. We will visit the fabulous Imperial Treasury and the Baghdad Kiosk. Topkapi Palace is now a museum and has unrivaled collections of jewelry, including the Spoonmaker's Diamond, the 3rd largest diamond in the world, Ottoman court costumes and ceramics, notably one of the world's finest collection of early Chinese ceramics, much of it gifts from other rulers. Interestingly, some of the ceramics have a special glaze that was said to change color in the presence of poison. We also visit the Imperial Armory, displaying centuries of Ottoman weaponry. But perhaps the loveliest features of Topkapi Palace are its courtyards with their ancient trees, and it is easy to imagine the sultan strolling here far from the cares of state and empire. We will then proceed to The Suleymaniye Mosque, which is the largest and grandest of Istanbul's imperial mosques. It dates from the 16th Century heyday of the Ottoman Empire, and was designed by Sinan, the greatest architect of his day and originator of the Classical Ottoman style of architecture. Of the 2,000 structures Sinan designed, Suleymaniye Mosque and its complex of charitable institutions rank among the most important. Finally, we will then visit the museum Haghia Sophia and the Church of The Divine Wisdom. After the tour, we will return to your hotel where you will have the evening at leisure. Overnight stay in Istanbul. 15 / July / 2008 - Flight back home After having breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to Istanbul International Airport for your departure flight at 8:55 A.M., arrival in Los Angeles at 7:00 A.M.. End of our services.
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