The Seven Roses of Mesopotamia - 8 Days / 7 Night

Upon your arrival at Gaziantep Airport, meet your assistant and transfer to the hotel. Spend your time relaxing and exploring the city on foot. Try the flavours of Gaziantep, famous for its cuisine and its exquisite pistachio baklava. Your assistant or guide will recommend a good restaurant for dinner. 
Accommodation in Gaziantep 

After breakfast, we start our tour with your guide. Visit the Zeugma Mosaic Museum, the world's second-largest mosaic museum, which displays the world-famous Gypsy Girl mosaic, dozens of magnificent ancient mosaics, sculptures, prehistoric fossils, and numerous artefacts from ancient civilisations in Mesopotamia.
Gaziantep is the largest and most modern city in the Southeast. Stroll and shop at Gaziantep Castle, Zincirli Bedesten, Almacı Bazaar, and Bakırcılar Bazaar.  Lunch break in a local restaurant, enjoy local delicacies such as Ali Nazik Kebabı or other kebabs, and Antep Baklava. Afterwards, drive to Ancient Zeugma and Halfeti.
Zeugma was founded in 300 BC by Seleucus Nikator I, a general of Alexander the Great. It was an extraordinarily wealthy and magnificent city during the Roman and Commagene periods.

Many of the mosaics displayed in the museum were unearthed from this site.
Halfeti was founded in 2000 BC by the Assyrian King Salmanassar III. A large part of ancient Halfeti is now submerged under the waters of the Birecik Dam.
Enjoy a Halfeti boat tour, experience the enchanting views of sunken village houses, minarets, and the Roman castle submerged beneath the dam water.
Accommodation in Adıyaman    ( Distance 250 Km )

Our tour today is full of magnificent visual feasts. The summit is cold, so take warm, thick clothing and sports shoes. Take a We depart the hotel at 03:30 for an early morning drive to Mount Nemrut to witness its breathtaking sunrise. After approximately two hours, we reach the summit, home to the monumental tumulus of King Antiochus I of Commagene and the colossal statues of gods. On the eastern terrace, we see the impressive sculptures of Zeus, Apollo, Heracles, Antiochus, the Eagle, and the Lion, followed by the altars and statues on the western terrace. Enjoy the unforgettable sunrise over the endless horizon and make a wish amid this extraordinary setting.

After descending, we visit ancient Arsameia, the former summer capital of the Commagene Kingdom, followed by the Karakuş Tumulus, the burial site of Commagene royal women, and Cendere Bridge, built by the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus over the Cendere Stream, a magnificent Roman bridge still in use today.
Afterwards, we depart for Diyarbakır, where we arrive and take a lunch break in a local restaurant.

Visit Diyarbakir's city walls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site believed to have been built around 2000 BC. The second-longest and widest castle in the world.  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. In the courtyard of the Grand Mosque, there is a sundial created and discovered by the scholar Al-Jazari.
We will take a coffee and tea break at Hasan Pasha Inn, constructed in 1575. Caravans from the Silk Road used to stop here. Diyarbakir Kaleici Bazaar is the local people's shopping centre, so you will have the opportunity to get closer to the people and lifestyle of Diyarbakir.
Accommodation in Diyarbakir.    ( Distance 300 Km)  

After breakfast, set off for Mardin. First, visit the fantastic Zerzevan Castle and the mysterious Mithra Temple.
Zerzevan Castle is a candidate for the UNESCO World Heritage list. The 3,000-year-old castle was a military settlement during the Roman Empire and housed the Mithras Temple, a place dedicated to the Roman mystery religion. Today, some mysterious visitors perform religious rituals by visiting the Mithras Temple.
Dara was founded in the 6th century by the Roman Emperor Anastasius. With its military and religious structures, massive water cisterns, rock tombs, and underground city, it was one of the most important trade centers on the Silk Road.
Deyrul-Zafaran Monastery was one of the Assyrians' important religious centers and served as the patriarchate of the Syriac Orthodox Church until 1932.   Arrival in Mardin and lunch break.
Mardin is an authentic Mesopotamian city with a rich cultural mosaic. Different religions and languages coexist, and Muslims, Syriacs, Turks, and Arabs live together peacefully and harmoniously. Mardin has beautiful stone architecture, exquisite examples of stonemasonry, ornate buildings, narrow streets, and passages called Abbara, which give it a fairy-tale feel.

Visit Kasımiye Madrasa, Mardin Ulu Mosque, Şehidiye Madrasa, and the historic Post Office building.
The authentic market in Mardin offers natural soaps, almond sweets unique to Mardin, cookies, desserts, prayer beads, and other handmade accessories and souvenirs that will catch your interest. 
Accommodation in Mardin.   (Distance 160 Km ) 

Today, we will embark on a unique journey through nature and the ancient civilisations of Anatolia. Visit Hasankeyf and Midyat.
Hasankeyf is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited settlements, with a history spanning over 12,000 years. In Old Hasankeyf, ancient cave houses, rock tombs, and the remains of medieval bridges along the Tigris River, along with panoramic views of the river and surrounding cliffs, offer unforgettable photo opportunities.
Midyat is a historic town renowned for its stone houses, ancient monasteries, narrow streets, and impressive Syriac churches. It possesses a unique cultural richness shaped by the multicultural heritage of Assyrian, Arab, and Turkish communities. Traditional handcrafted silver filigree jewellery reflects Midyat's rich handicrafts culture.
Lunch break in Midyat
Accommodation in Mardin.   (Distance 250 Km )

After breakfast, drive to Ancient Harran and Sanlıurfa. Sanliurfa is known as the "city of prophets" in Mesopotamia.
Harran has been continuously inhabited since the 6th millennium BC and was the capital of the Assyrians and Umayyads for a period. Many world-renowned scholars were educated at Harran University, the world's first university, and the province of Astronomy has advanced significantly.
We visit Harran's conical-domed houses and historical sites.
Upon arrival in Sanliurfa, we have a lunch break at a local restaurant serving local delicacies.
Şanlıurfa is known as the city of prophets. Stroll in Sanliurfa and visit the historic Halil-ür Rahman Mosque,  Ayn-el Zeliha Lake and the sacred Balıklıgöl, believed to be the site where Prophet Abraham was cast into the fire. According to tradition, the flames transformed into water, and the burning logs became sacred fish. Visit the cave where Prophet Abraham is believed to have been born.
Then wander through the ancient Ottoman covered bazaar and the Bedesten and Gumrukhan, where locals shop.
Accommodation in Sanliurfa   (Distance 260 Km )

Sıra Gecesi: A unique program where dinner, conversation, and entertainment are accompanied by music specific to Sanliurfa.

Before the Göbeklitepe tour, a visit to the Sanliurfa Archaeology and Mosaic Museum complex is recommended, where archaeological artefacts from the Mesopotamian region are exhibited. Useful for visual information before the trip.
- The world's oldest life-size human statue: "Urfa Man" (Balıklıgöl Statue) (9000 years old), Göbeklitepe and Nevali Çori temple findings, statues, a rich collection covering different periods from the Palaeolithic age to the present.  Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum exhibits wonderful mosaics from the Roman period, such as the Orpheus Mosaic and the Amazonian Woman Mosaic. Next visit is Göbeklitepe

Göbeklitepe is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is the oldest open-air temple in the world, dating back to the Neolithic Age, with a history of 12,000 years, and has recently changed the course of human history. On the Göbeklitepe tour, which marked a new era in the history of world archaeology, we will gaze in amazement and admiration at this temple, built by humans 12,000 years ago from rocks weighing tons.
Karahantepe: This archaeological site, located among the mysterious stone hills of Şanlıurfa, dates back 12,000 years. However, according to some commentators, there was not only worship here, but also communication with the sky, the stars, and perhaps unknown intelligences.
Circular stone chambers that create echoes, human figures facing the sky and ancient symbols. Perhaps Karahantepe is a stone book that whispers ancient knowledge of the past to the present...
Visit, listen, and create your interpretation. Karahantepe will take you on a journey not only to the past but also to the universe of secrets.
Accommodation in Sanliurfa    (Distance 140 Km )

Free time depends on the flight time. Transfer to Sanlıurfa Airport and the end of our tour.
Have a pleasant flight, hope to see you on another Turkey tour. (Distance 50 Km)