The Seven Roses of Mesopotamia - 8 Days / 7 Night

Upon your arrival at Diyarbakir Airport, meet your guide and transfer to the hotel. After a short break, we begin the city tour. 
Diyarbakir's city walls, A UNESCO World Heritage Site, are believed to have been built around 2000 BC. The second-longest and widest castle in the world, after the Great Wall of China, stretches approximately 5,600 meters long, 10-12 meters high, and 3-5 meters wide. One of the most captivating structures we will explore is the four-legged minaret.
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 that the scholar Al-Jazari created in the Ulu Mosque garden.
We will take a coffee and tea break at Hasan Pasha Inn, constructed in 1575. Caravans coming from the Silk Road used to stay there. Additionally, we will visit Sülüklü Han and the Bridge with Ten Eyes. 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.
Dinner and accommodation in Diyarbakir. (Breakfast – Dinner)

After breakfast, we will drive to Midyat via Hasankeyf.  
Midyat is famous for its stone-built architecture, unique to the region, and its fine handcrafted silver or gold jewellery called Telkari.  You can find the finest examples of filigree art crafted by Syriac Filigree masters over the course of hundreds of years, along with a range of handcrafted silver jewellery. After shopping, take a lunch break at a local restaurant.
We visit the 3500-year-old Ancient Dara, the site of the battle between Alexander the Great and the Persian King Darius. We also visit cave houses, tombs, churches, and water cisterns.
Deyrul Zafaran Monastery has been the centre of the Patriarchate of the Assyrians for more than 1,000 years. There, we see the 4000-year-old Sun temple (Sin temple), the Hospital, the Church, and the Baptistery.
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 Abbara crossings, unique to Mardin, are also worth exploring.
During our free time in Mardin, buy extra suitcases for local products, such as natural soaps, Mardin-specific Almond candies, dried fruits, sweets, rosaries, and other handmade accessories and gifts available in the authentic market.
 Accommodation in Mardin. (Breakfast – Dinner)  

Our tour today is full of magnificent visual feasts. After breakfast, we visit Zerzevan Castle. Then we move to Mount Nemrut. ( 280 km 4 hours )
Zerzevan Castle is a candidate for the UNESCO World Heritage list, in the Çınar district of Diyarbakır. Zerzevan Castle is 3,000 years old and was used as a "military settlement" during the Roman Empire. There is the Temple of Mithras, a mystery religion of Rome. Mithras is the Sun God who controls the entire universe. Rites in the temple were always held in secret.
Arsemeia was the summer capital of the Kingdom of Commagene. Karakuş Tumulus, where the tombs of the sister and wife of the Commagene King and the Roman bridge are located at the Arsemia ruins.
Cendere Bridge was built by the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211).  
After a 45-minute (2000 Meters) challenging climb from the Mount Nemrut visitor centre, we reach the Tumulus and giant God statues at the summit.
Mount Nemrut is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is said that under the 50-meter-high man-made burial mound on this 2,150-meter summit, there is the tomb of Antiochus I, King of Commagene. Mount Nemrut's statues of gods are Turkey's most iconic, fascinating, and frightening remains. Visitors witness a magnificent sunrise or sunset view. On the terraces surrounding the Tumulus, built for the Commagene king Antiochus, there are superb stone statues of King Antiochus I celebrating his glory and that of the gods. We record this magnificent view by taking extraordinary pictures of the god statues. We are leaving Nemrut's host gods with the impressive view of the setting sun at the horizon, where the high mountains meet the sky.
Accommodation in Adıyaman. (Breakfast – Dinner) 

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.
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

Gobeklitepe 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.
Sanlıurfa: 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 around the Ottoman-covered bazaar, and by Bedesten and Gumrukhan to shop.
Accommodation in Sanliurfa (Breakfast – Dinner)
Sıra Gecesi: A dinner programme featuring conversation and entertainment accompanied by music unique to Şanlıurfa

Halfeti was founded in 2000 BC by the Assyrian King Salmanassar III. Much of ancient Halfeti was submerged by the Birecik Dam. We will take a boat tour around the Halfeti Dam Lake, where we will see mostly submerged houses and the Roman Castle (Rumkale) on the hill. Then, we will visit the ancient city of Zeugma.
Zeugma was founded in 300 BC by Seleucus Nikator I, a general of Alexander the Great. At the time, it was known as Seleukeia and Euphrates. It was an extraordinarily wealthy and magnificent city during the Roman and Commagene periods.
Arrival in Gaziantep and lunch break. Gaziantep is famous for its delicious cuisine. Enjoy local delicacies such as Ali Nazik Kebabı or other kebabs, and Antep Baklava.
The Zeugma Mosaic Museum displays the world-famous Gypsy Girl mosaic, other mosaics, 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. You can purchase handmade souvenirs, spices, pistachios, baklava, and other unique handicrafts from Gaziantep.
Accommodation in Gaziantep (Breakfast – Dinner)  

After breakfast, arrive in Hatay after a 3-hour, 210 km journey.
Hatay is a fascinating city with a rich historical past dating back to the 4th millennium BC. It has collected various religious, cultural, and historical documents from different periods and civilisations.
Visit the Hatay Archaeology Museum in Antioch, home to the second-largest classical and Roman mosaic collection in the world.  The museum displays ancient artefacts, sarcophagi, statues and magnificent mosaics from the Hittite, Hatti, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods.
We had lunch at a local restaurant (Extra) and enjoyed delicious dishes from Antakya cuisine, including Taste Hatay's local dessert, Künefe. Later, we visit the St. Pierre Church.
St. Pierre Church is a natural cave converted into a church with some additions. This is where St. Peter, one of the twelve apostles of the Prophet Jesus, first preached. In this cave, the congregation took the name 'Christian' for the first time, which is why St. Pierre Church is known as the first church of Christianity.
It is worth noting that after the earthquake on 6th February 2023, all of Hatay City was destroyed, including the Habib-i Neccar Mosque and some churches.
Accommodation in Hatay. (Breakfast – Dinner) 

We will embark on a 200-kilometre, 3.5-hour journey to Adana. Upon arrival, we will have lunch and savour the delicious local kebabs.
Adana has developed over the centuries into one of the essential centres of Cilicia, boasting a rich cultural heritage that stretches from the Hittites to the Ottomans. With cultural and artistic events such as the Adana Golden Orange Film Festival, vibrant, dynamic city life, and friendly, hospitable people, it is one of the Mediterranean's liveliest cities. Thanks to the Çukurova Plain, it boasts a strong agricultural and industrial economy.

Visit the Adana Ulu Mosque and the Clock Tower, which is 32 meters high and was built in 1882 during the Ottoman period from cut stone. The clock was brought from Germany and is still operational—kazancılar bazaar, where you can purchase local sweets, delights, and peas. Our tour will continue with a visit to the Sabancı Mosque and the Saint Paul Church.
The Roman Empire built the Adana Stone Bridge in the 4th century. It is still in use today, measuring 310 meters in length, 11 meters wide, with 14 large arches and five evacuation belts. Finally, we will conclude our tour with a visit to the Adana Museum and a tea and coffee break overlooking the Seyhan Dam.
Accommodation in Adana. (Breakfast – Dinner)

Free time depends on the flight time. Transfer to Adana Airport and end of our tour. 
Have a nice flight, hope to see you on another Turkey tour. ( Breakfast )