Eastern Anatolia Civilizations Tour 9 Days

Erzurum is an old city established on the slopes of Mount Palandöken in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. It is known for its winter ski sports, historical buildings and delicious Çağ Kebab.
Upon arrival at Erzurum Airport, your guide will meet and take you to your hotel. After you've checked in, you'll have free time to explore the city and the surrounding area at your leisure in Erzurum. Take dinner at the delicious CAG KEBABI grill in Erzurum.
Overnight in Erzurum. (Dinner)

After breakfast, we will begin our tour of Erzurum, one of the oldest settlements in Anatolia. Today, we'll visit several sites, including the Nene Hatun Bastion, Double Minaret Madrasa, Ulu Mosque, Üç Kümbetler (Three Tombs), Yakutiye Madrasa, and the Erzurum Congress and National Struggle Museum.
We will then head to Kars, stopping for lunch and visiting the Ani Ruins.
Ani was the capital of the Armenian Kingdom between 953 and 1020 before being captured by the Byzantines in 1045. In 1064, Seljuk Emperor Alpaslan conquered Eastern Anatolia from the Byzantines. Ani is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, including the Gate of Lions, Church of the Redeemer (St. Prkitch), Stone Bridge, Seljuk Palace, Church of Saint Gregory of Tigran Hornets, and the Inner Fortress. Additionally, there are historical artefacts such as Menüçehr Mosque, Ani Cathedral, Monastery of the Hripsimian Virgins, and Cathedral of Kars, the Holy Apostles Church.
After visiting the Ani ruins, we'll proceed to the Kars city centre.
Kars has buildings featuring Russian architecture, and its climate and geography are similar to those of Russian cities. we recommend trying Kars specialties such as goose meat, honey, Kars cheese, Kars gruyere cheese, yellowfish, Hengel, and kit, which can also be purchased as souvenirs.
Dinner and accommodation at Kars.   (Breakfast – Dinner)

Today, we will continue our tour with a trip to the South of Asia Minor. On the way, we will enjoy the beautiful geography of Eastern Anatolia and see the ruins left by ancient civilisations, which offer a glimpse into their way of life. We will arrive in Doğubayazıt via Iğdır city. We’ll have a lunch break and visit the famous Ishak Pasha Palace.
Ishak Pasha Palace: Construction of the 116-room palace took 99 years. After we tour this magnificent palace overlooking Mount Ararat, we will depart for Van, bypassing the Tendürek Mountain accompanied by beautiful views. After a 7-hour bus journey, we’ll arrive at Van, one of the largest cities in Eastern Turkey. It is located on the shores of Lake Van, Turkey's largest lake (3,713 square km).
Dinner and accommodation in Van.    ( Breakfast – Dinner ) 

We start today's tour in Van Castle, known as Tuspa Castle in the olden days. The castle, which overlooks Lake Van, was built by the Urartu King Sarduri 2800 years ago. It became the capital of the Urartu Kingdom with the name Tuspa. Inside the castle are also rock tombs belonging to the Urartu Kings. Next, we’ll visit the Akdamar Church located on Akdamar Island in Lake Van, which was built with magnificent stonework and later restored by the Turkish government. We’ll reach the island on boats from the pier in the Edremit district and enjoy the incredible lake and mountain scenery. 
Take a lunch break in a local restaurant and head for Ahlat (180 km away). Here, we’ll see the largest Turkish-Islamic cemetery in the world, founded in 1200 by the Seljuks. It has 8,169 tombstones, some of which are 3,5 meters long. What makes the tombstones more remarkable are the unique inscriptions and decorations on them. After seeing the Grand Vault and the Emir Bayındır Mosque, we’ll continue to Diyarbakir. See the Malabadi Bridge on the way.
Malabadi Bridge is a historical stone bridge built in 1147 by Hüsameddin Timurtaş, an Artuqid bey from the Oghuz Turks. It has been in use for 880 years and is still in use today. It is the longest arched stone bridge in the world, with a 40.86-meter arch. It is 282 meters long and 7.15 meters wide.
Arrival and accommodation in Diyarbakir.  ( Breakfast – Dinner )

Our tour will kick off with a visit to the Diyarbakir city walls and a UNESCO World Heritage Site believed to have been built around 2000 BC. One of the most captivating structures we will explore is the four-legged minaret. We will also visit the Diyarbakir Great Mosque, which is recognised as one of the five Harem-i Sharifs of Islam. Martom Church was built in 639 AD after being converted into a mosque. It is highly recommended that you see the sundial the scholar Al-Jazari created in the Ulu Mosque garden.
We have a coffee and tea break at the historical Hasan Pasha Inn, constructed in 1575. Caravans coming from the Silk Road used to stay there. Diyarbakir Kaleici Bazaar is the local people's shopping centre, so you will have the opportunity to get a closer look at the people and lifestyle of Diyarbakir.
Take a lunch break at a local restaurant with a grilled kebab. Afterwards, drive towards Mardin.
Visit on the Mardin Way the 3,000-year-old Zerzevan Castle, a candidate for the Unesco World Heritage list, in the Çınar district of Diyarbakır.
Zerzevan Castle: Visit the 3,000-year-old Zerzevan Castle, a candidate for the Unesco World Heritage list, in the Çınar district of Diyarbakır. In Zerzevan Castle, which was used as a "military settlement" during the Roman Empire, there is the Temple of Mithras, the mystery religion of Rome. Mithras is the Sun God who controls the entire universe. Rites in the temple were always held in secret. Thousands of people come here every year and perform rituals secretly.

Mardin: Arrive and start our tour by walking through the narrow streets of Mardin, the cradle of Mesopotamian Civilization. Where people from different religions and sects live together in peace, you’ll see many door knockers and beautifully carved old doors, each with a history of their own. The small passages built under the houses to create narrow streets are called Abbara, and they are the characteristic features of the city. Next, we will visit the Mardin Museum, Latifiye Mosque, the Great Mosque of Mardin, and the old Post Office Building, which reflects the best examples of the region’s stonework.
Afterwards, you’ll have free time for shopping in the city. You may visit the local market, where you can find the famous almond candy of Mardin, local desserts, and jewellery made of silver, gold, and precious stones. Finally, we will visit the Kasimiye Madrasah (Mosque Kebir), which had extraordinary architecture and provided university-level education in the Seljuk period.
Dinner and accommodation in Mardin  (Breakfast – Dinner )

After breakfast, depart to Sanliurfa.  Visit Deyrul Zafaran Monastery and Ancient Dara on the way.
Deyrul-Zafaran Monastery, 10 km from the centre of Mardin, which will fascinate you with its impressive domes, arched columns, woodwork and embroidery carvings, has served as one of the religious education centres of the Syriacs for many years. Today, it is one of the most important spiritual centres considered sacred by the Assyrian Church. The monastery complex has structures such as Mor Hanonya Church, Sun Temple, Virgin Mary Church and Saints' House, which are built with the most beautiful examples of Mardin stonework.
Dara is an ancient city where you can see cave tombs, cave houses, substantial water cisterns, and ancient city ruins spread over a wide area with a history of 3100 years. The city of Dara is said to have been founded by the famous "Darayuvashi", the King of Iran, 1000 years before Christ, and it changed hands between the Iranians and the Romans in various periods. Dara is an impressive ancient city that witnessed a war between Alexander the Great and the Persian Emperor Darius in 320 BC. 
Afterwards, we’ll continue towards Sanliurfa. First visit Göbeklitepe Temple.

Göbeklitepe is the oldest temple in the world, dating back to the Stone Age, with a history of 12,000 years. The mysterious atmosphere of the temple will make you feel the mysticism in your bones. Göbeklitepe is also the oldest open-air temple in the world, dating back to the Stone Age, which started a new era in the history of world archaeology and even changed the world's human history.
End of the tour. We will leave Göbeklitepe's mystical environment and head for our hotel.
Dinner and overnight in Sanliurfa.  ( Breakfast – Dinner )
*** Dinner at the Sıra Gecesi musical program with traditional music.

After breakfast in our hotel, we’ll start our tour of Sanliurfa,
Sanliurfa is known as the City of the Prophets. Here, we’ll see the Halil-Ür Rahman Mosque, Rızvaniye Mosque, Balıklıgöl,  Ayn-el Zeliha Lake, and the pit where the Prophet Abraham was thrown into the fire. The city of Prophets has very fertile lands with great plains, and it is one of Turkey's most important agricultural centres. After our visits, we will have free time to shop at Bedesten and Gümrük Inn.
Lunch break at a local restaurant, sampling Urfa's famous kebab and local dishes.
Next, we will admire the Urfa Archeological Museum and the Mosaic Museum, which exhibit many historical artefacts from Anatolian civilisations. We will then continue on our way to Adıyaman.
Upon arrival, visit the ancient Perre ruins.
Perre Ancient City, 5 km away from Adıyaman, was one of the five major cities of the Commagene Kingdom. It was also one of the important cities of the Roman Empire due to its location in an important geopolitical region.

Harran After breakfast at our hotel, we will travel 45 km to Harran. On the way, we will pass through some of the most fertile agricultural lands in Mesopotamia. The 3000-year-old Harran houses with conical roofs, designed specially to keep cool in the extreme heat in summer months, were built with adobe and stone masonry techniques. We will visit a Harran house in the village. The first university in the world, Harran University, was also established here. After visiting the ancient ruins of the University of Harran, the historical Harran Castle and city walls from the period when Harran was the capital of the Umayyads, and the tomb of the famous sheikh of the region, Hayat al-Harran. Drive to Adiyaman. 
Dinner and overnight in Adıyaman. or Mt. Nemrut Euphrate Hotel ( Breakfast – Dinner )

Mt Nemrut: Sunrise or sunset is the best time to see the fascinating view of Mount Nemrut and absorb its high-frequency energy at the summit. Therefore, after an early breakfast, we moved to Mount Nemrut, where the tumulus of the Commagene King Antiochus Antiochus I and giant head statues are located.
After parking the car on Mount Nemrut, you can reach the summit by climbing a challenging 2 km steep road (35 - 45 Minutes). It is recommended that you take comfortable, non-slip shoes and warm clothes.
After an arduous climb, we will reach the house of gods on the summit of the mysterious and magnificent Mount Nemrut. On the eastern terrace of the Nemrut summit, we will see the Zeus, Apollon, Heracles, Antiochus, Commagene, Eagle, and Lion sculptures. The tumulus of the Commagene King Antiochus I is at the top. We will also see the altars and sculptures on the western terrace. It is impossible not to be impressed by the magnificent view and the beauty of the colossal statues.

Visit the Arsameia ancient city excavation area, Karakus Tumulus, the burial mound of the women of the Commagene Royal family, and the Roman Bridge (Cendere Bridge), one of the oldest bridges in the world. It was built by the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211) in the name of his two sons and his wife. This 120-meter-long, 30-meter bridge was built with cut stones without mortar.

Halfeti: Halfeti has a rich history dating back to 855 BC. It was once ruled by cultures such as the Assyrians, Byzantines, Romans, Armenians, and Ottomans. One of its unique features is that it's the only place in the world where black roses grow. We take a boat trip to visit old Halfeti, now submerged by the Euphrates River due to the Birecik Dam. Along the way, you'll see Rumkale, the former centre of the Armenian Bishopric, the half-submerged village of Savaşan, and the sunken minaret, all offering exciting and beautiful views.
We have a lunch break at Halfeti Dam after the boat trip.
Dinner and overnight in Gaziantep.   ( Breakfast – Dinner )

Today, we will continue exploring Gaziantep. After a delicious breakfast, visit the Zeugma Museum and take a city tour. 
Zeugma Mosaic Museum is the second-largest mosaic museum in the world, featuring 1700 square meters of mosaics. Visitors can marvel at ancient artefacts and mosaics discovered in the ancient city of Zeugma. The museum exhibits 2748 square meters of mosaics, 140 square meters of wall paintings, 4 Roman fountains, 20 columns, 4 limestone statues, bronze statue of Mars, funerary steles, sarcophagi, and architectural pieces of Roman and Late Antique significance. The famous Gypsy Girl Mosaic is exhibited here. 
Then, there will be free time for shopping and lunch while visiting Bakırcılar Bazaar, Almacı Bazaar, and Zincirli Bedesten. Don’t forget to sample and buy Gaziantep’s famous baklava and pistachios!
Gaziantep gastronomy is world-famous. On the last day of the tour, we have a lunch break with delicious Gaziantep dishes and pistachio baklava.
Transferred to Gaziantep Airport at the end of the tour.  Hope to see you on another holiday in Turkey. ( Breakfast )

Customised Tours
We can create a tour program on your request and offer an itinerary that suits your personal, educational, cultural, and budgetary requirements. Don't hesitate to contact us with your requests.