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We will visit the mountaintop ruins of Cavustepe (a Urartian fortress) and Hosap Castle. On our way back to Van we will stop to see local artisans creating traditional rugs and learn about Turkish, Armenian, Kurdish, and Azerbaijani rugs and kilims. Returning to Van, we will travel by ferryboat across Lake Van, stopping on Akdamar Island to see a spectacular 10th century Armenian Church of the Holy Cross, eat a lunch of local fish, and swim in the lake.
After stopping for refreshments in Tatvan, we will drive to Mount Nemrut crater and have a picnic lunch by the Crater Lakes. We will then visit the tombs of Seljuk Kings in Ahlat and return to Tatvan for dinner.
Continue on to the town Hasankeyf for lunch. In Hasankeyf (soon to be submerged under a lake) we will visit some of the many caves and the ruins of the medieval Byzantine city. On our way west to Mardin for dinner, we will stop in Midyat to see Mor Gabrial Monastery.
Visit Deir-Al-Zafaran (Saffron Monastery) and the bazaar. For lunch, we will travel northwest to Diyarbekir. While there we will take a walking tour of the ancient walls, the Ulu (Great) Mosque, and the 3rd century Aramaic Church of the Virgin Mary. Crossing the Euphrates river at the Ataturk dam, we will stop in Kahta for dinner and lodging.
Waking early, we will travel to the top of Mount Nemrut to see the sunrise in front of Tombs of Commagene Kingdom and the Colossal Statues of Gods. Returning to the hotel for breakfast, we will pass through many small villages such as Arsemia and Karakus. In Urfa, we will have lunch, see the sights, and stay for dinner.
In the late afternoon we will visit the on going archaeological dig at Gobekli Tepe. Although this site is not widely known it is one of the most important archaeological digs currently being undertaken anywhere - this site represents a major shift in our understanding of man's early history. Here lie the remains of the earliest religious structures built by man yet to be discovered. At about 11000-13000 years old the pre-dated pottery, writing, Stonehenge and the Pyramids!
Travel to Harran on the Syrian border to see the "bee hive" houses and the world's first Islamic University. To the west, we will stop in the town of Birecik to see the endangered Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) birds.
We will finish our trip in the city of Gaziantep, known for its pistachio nuts and baklava. We will have lunch, visit a museum and stay overnight at Gaziantep.
We return to Istanbul to get your connection home.
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