Commagene and Göbeklitepe

The Kingdom of Commagene's most lasting visible remains is the archaeological site on Mount Nemrut. The sanctuary dedicated to King Antiochus is on the World Heritage Site list. There are certain places where sunrise or sunset turns into a ceremony. Mount Nemrut is one of them. Through this program, you'll witness your life's fascinating sunrise and sunset. The world's oldest known monumental temple, Gobeklitepe, was built 12,000 years ago, an archeological treasure yet to be fully discovered. The archaeological site of Gobeklitepe Temple is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The T-shaped limestone megaliths of Gobeklitepe are about 50 tons in weight each and 5 meters in height.
Visit four cities in 8 days (3 nights in Istanbul – 1 night in Adıyaman – 2 nights in Şanlıurfa – 1 night in Gaziantep)
With this 7-Night & 8-Day program, you'll have the chance to explore the historic city of Istanbul by visiting all the must-see locations and travel through the country to witness the melting pot of cultures in the Southeast part of Turkey, called Mesopotamia in history.   

Arrive at Istanbul Airport, meet your guide, and transfer to the hotel. Have a short rest and set off to the Old Town of Istanbul. Visit Topkapı Palace, Sultan Ahmet Square, the German Fountain, the Hippodrome, the Million Stone, the magnificent Hagia Sophia, and Sultan Ahmet Mosque, known as Blue Mosque. Discover Grand Bazaar, one of the world's oldest and largest covered markets, and enjoy strolling in the Egyptian Market known as Spice Market. The daily tour finishes at Galata bridge. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight Istanbul.  

Breakfast in the hotel, meet your guide in the lobby and set off for an approximately 30-minute drive to Eminönü. Bosphorus Tour's boat departure time is at 10:20 am. You'll get a panoramic view of the Bosphorus, the waterway which separates Istanbul into two parts, the European continent and the Asian continent. During the Bosphorus cruise, you'll see Dolmabahçe Palace's ornated seaside entrance gate, which the sultans used. Maiden tower, Çırağan Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, the fortress of Rumelihisarı, and old wooden villas (called Yalı) along the seaside are some of the pearl grains adorning the strait which joins Marmara and the Black Sea. The boat trip will take approximately 90 minutes. You will have two hours in a cozy fisherman village called Kavak to walk around and have lunch. Take the boat, and our trip will end at Eminönü. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight Istanbul.  

Kindly note that group visit's to Dolmabahçe Palace is organized by reservation; according to our reservation schedule, the morning program might switch to the afternoon program.
Breakfast at the hotel, meet your guide in the lobby, and set off for an approximately 30-minute drive to Dolmabahçe Palace, an ornate blend of European and Ottoman architecture that rests along the banks overlooking the Bosphorus Strait. The Armenian architect Balyan family built the palace in the 19th century. Discover eye-popping rooms that once hosted sultans and their royal guests, stroll into pristine marble rooms, and gaze up at twinkling crystal chandeliers. All the clocks in the palace were set at 9:05 am, the exact time of the death of the first president of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who passed away on the 10th of November 1938 in this palace. Arrive at Taksim Square, the city's heart, and have lunch. In the afternoon, discover the Beyoğlu district where during the Ottoman period, Jews from Spain, Arabs, Greek, and Armenians settled in communities. The pedestrian street, Istiklal Street, once known as Grande Rue de Pera, is lined by late 19th-century apartment blocks and European embassy buildings. It's an impressive variety of grandiose gates and façades with art deco and modern architectural styles. While getting around, you'll see many churches, mosques, the Fish Market, the Mevlevi Lodge, art galleries, cafés, bookstores, shops selling handicrafts, and jazz bars. An old-fashioned tram travels the length of Istiklal Street. The daily tour will end in front of the Tunnel, the underground funicular system. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight Istanbul.  

Early Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the Airport to Adıyaman (90-minute flight). Arrive at Adıyaman airport, and set off to Kahta and Atatürk Dam (30-minute drive). Have a delicious lunch along the dam lake at Neşet's Place Restaurant. In the afternoon, set off to Karakuş Tumulus, surrounded by groups of three Doric-style columns, each about 9 meters (30 ft) high. It is a memorial tomb belonging to the women of the Commagene Kingdom Family, the equine, and two princesses. set off to Cendere Bridge; the Severan Bridge is a late Roman bridge built in the 2nd century, located near the ancient city of Arsameia. set off to Arsameia, the old town where the ruins dated BC. 3., built by Arsames, a Commagene descendant. It is estimated that the city was built as the capital of the Commagene civilization. After the visit to the ancient city, you'll have an approximately 30-minute hike to the summit of Mount Nemrut, which is listed among the World Heritage sites. The massive stone heads on the summit of Mount Nemrut (Nemrut Dağı) were built by King Antiochus I Epiphanes, who ruled the Commagene kingdom between 64 and 38 BC. The king had three enormous terraces (east, west and north) cut into the mountaintop to glorify his rule. Colossal statues of himself and the major gods (Greek and Persian) of the kingdom were placed on the terraces, and the summit became a sanctuary where the king was worshipped. Today's visitors can still see the remains of the east and west terraces (not much is left of the north terrace). You'll witness a magnificent sunset view between the colossal size statues and heads of the kings and Gods. Your guide will tell you the true story of Theresa Goell, known as "the quine of the mountain," the American archaeologist who directed Mount Nemrut's excavations. Transfer to your hotel; dinner will be served at the hotel. Overnight Karadut (Euphrat Hotel at 12 km /7 miles, below the summit of Mount Nemrut).  

Today's program will start with the sunrise view from Mount Nemrut. Leave the hotel early in the morning (your guide will let you know the exact time of departure as the sun rises and changes depending on the month) to catch this fantastic experience of your life. We will recommend you be prepared for the cold weather situation early in the morning. You are hiking Mount Nemrut and watching the sunrise beyond the giant statues. Have a snack and set off to Şanlıurfa, where you'll spend two nights (a 3-hour drive). Şanlıurfa is commonly called the Prophets' City because legends say that Prophet Abraham was born in a cave here. As a result of its settlement at the crossroads of routes to Europe, Asia, and Africa, you'll witness all the old cultures, including the Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Seljuk Turks, who lived and passed from the region. The city's sights include Balıklıgöl (Fish Pool), at the center of the religious pilgrimage area; Abraham's Birth Cave; the Throne of Nimrodfortress. The Pool of Abraham is said to be the site where the biblical prophet was saved from the vengeful Assyrian king, Nimrod (Nemrut). The small cave nearby is said to be the birthplace of Abraham. Have lunch and discover the stone-covered Bazaar. Visit the Archelogy Museum, where you'll see the Neolithic period's remainings found in Göbeklitepe and 3rd- to 5th-century late Roman and Byzantine mosaics. Transfer to your hotel and rest before dinner. Overnight Şanlıurfa.  

Have Breakfast and leave the hotel. set off to Göbeklitepe. Göbeklitepe temple, dated to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic, between c. 9500 and 8000 BCE, comprises several large circular structures supported by massive stone pillars, the world's oldest known megaliths. Many of these pillars are richly decorated with abstract anthropomorphic details, clothing, and reliefs of wild animals, providing archaeologists with rare insight into prehistoric religion and the period's iconography. Have lunch, and in the afternoon, visit Harran. It was one of the major ancient cities in Upper Mesopotamia, which the Mongols destroyed in the 13th century. The city was the chief home of the Mesopotamian moon god Sin, under the Assyrians and Neo-Babylonians/Chaldeans and even into Roman times. The archaeological remains are in the ancient Harran, a central commercial, cultural, science, and religious center first inhabited in the Chalcolithic Age (6th millennium BCE). Being one of the world's first scientific centers, Harran is where you can see the remains of the world's first university buildings. Harran is also famous for its traditional "beehive" adobe houses, constructed entirely without wood. The conical design of the cottages ensures the cool climatization of the interior area. At the historical site, the ruins of the city walls and fortifications are still in place, with one city gate standing along with some other structures. Return to the city center and have free time in the Bazaar. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight Şanlıurfa.  

Have Breakfast and leave the hotel. On the way to Gaziantep, you'll have two stops. The first one is the town of Birecik, known for its bald-ibis (Kelaynak) birds. Visit the protection farm of endangered kelaynak birds in their natural environment. The second one is Halfeti village. Set on the banks of the Euphrates, Halfeti's history dates back almost 3000 years. The town has the potential to become one of the world's most interesting slow cities with its historical heritage, traditional cuisine, unique culture, and unusual geography. Have a boat tour of the dam lake for about an hour and have lunch. set off to Gaziantep, where you'll spend two nights (a 2-hour drive). Gaziantep is one of the magical stops of the historical Silk Road. The city is known for its local cuisine (one of the cities in Unicef's cultural heritage program caused by gastronomy), pistachios, and baklavas. We will recommend you try the thin phyllo "yufka" pastry stuffed with cheese, pistachios, and sugar, "katmer," and the sweet pie "baklava," which became the first Turkish product with a European-protected designation of origin and geographical indication in 2013. Food in Gaziantep is different from the cuisine in other parts of Turkey because of the influence of Armenians, Turks, and Kurds and the culinary traditions of nearby Aleppo, an important regional administrative center of the Seljuk and Ottoman empires. Walking tour in the city center, visit the Coppersmith bazaar and Zincirli Bedesten (the Ottoman-era covered Bazaar), see some of the Historical Inns (Anatolia Inn, Kürkçü Inn, Tobacco Inn, and so on), drink the traditional coffee and transfer to your hotel and rest before dinner. Overnight Gaziantep.  

Have Breakfast and leave the hotel. Visit the Zeugma Mosaic Museum. It is one of the most prominent mosaic museums in the world. The museum's mosaics focus on the ancient city of Zeugma, which is said to have been founded by a general in Alexander the Great's army. Mosaics displayed in the museum are about 2000 years old and unique in design, color, and perfection. The world's famous Gypsy Girl mosaic is exhibited in the museum. Have a traditional lunch and taste some "küşleme" and "lokum" at Halil Usta's place, close to the museum. In the afternoon, visit the Mevlevi Lodge Foundation Museum; the dervish lodge is part of the mosque's külliye (Islamic-Ottoman social complex centered around a mosque). It was built in the 17th century. The Mevlevi Lodge Monastery is entered via a courtyard that opens off the square of the mosque. Visit Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum, a historical stone house built in 1904 which has been restored and turned into the Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum. Visit Hamam Museum (Turkish Bath Museum). Free time to explore the old city, eat some more baklava and do some shopping. Transfer to the Airport for the Istanbul flight. (Flight duration is 90 minutes).