Diyarbakır and Mardin

Diyarbakır, the City of Faith, is situated around a high plateau by the banks of the Tigris river; its core is surrounded by an almost entire set of high walls of black basalt forming a 5.5 km (3.4 miles) circle around the old city. With its Artuqid architecture, Mardin is under the protection of UNESCO and has a strategic location on a rocky hill near the Tigris river that rises steeply over the flat plains.  
Visit three cities in 8 days (3 nights in Istanbul – 1 night in Diyarbakır - 3 nights in Mardin).  
With this 7-Night & 8-Day program, you'll have the chance to explore the historical city of Istanbul, visit Diyarbakir, the City of Faith, and discover Mardin, the tale city of Turkey.    

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 at 9:00 am 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 Airport for the flight to Diyarbakır (90-minute flight). Diyarbakir, the City of Faith, is home to 9 prophets and 33 civilizations. The old city of Diyarbakır is surrounded by the City Walls, which are 12 m (39 ft) high and more than 5 km (3 miles) in length. Constructed from blocks of black basalt, the walls are pierced by four main gates (Harput, Yenikapı, Mardin, and Urfa) and studded with 72 towers. Have a delicious and traditional breakfast/brunch at the Hasan Pasa old Caravansary Palace in the ancient city while being informed about the daily itinerary. The walking tour (approximately two hours) starts by visiting essential places inside the City Wall, such as the Syrian Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary, the Armenian Apostolic Church of St George, Great Mosque (Ulu Cami) (an 11th-century mosque built by Seljuk Turkish Sultan Malik Shah, made of black basalt and white limestone), Four Footet Minaret (4 Ayaklı Minare). Please note that some buildings will be seen only from the outside. Have the traditional lunch, grilled liver. In the afternoon, visit Hevsel Gardens, the seven hundred hectares of cultivated fertile land which links the city with the Tigris river while supplying the town with food and water. The gardens became a World Heritage Site in 2015, along with the walls of Diyarbakır Fortress. Atatürk Köşkü, the mansion that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk used as his headquarters when he was the Corps Commander in Diyarbakır during the First World War, is a must-see place. Then you will relax and drink coffee or tea along the magnificent Ten-Eyed Bridge, built in the 11th century, with the waters of the Tigris (Dicle) flowing onwards to Iraq. The Tigris River is one of the four rivers in the Garden of Eden. The Tigris appears twice in the Old Testament. First, in the Book of Genesis is the third of the four rivers branching off the river issuing out of the Garden of Eden. The second mention is in the Book of Daniel, wherein Daniel states he received one of his visions "when I was by that great river the Tigris." Transfer to your hotel and rest before dinner. Overnight Diyarbakır.  

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. On the road to Mardin, stop by the Zerzevan Castle, a one-hour drive, also known as Samachi Castle. The Castle was an Eastern Roman military base and a strategic garrison settlement, dominating the entire valley and controlling the ancient road between Amida (now Diyarbakır) and Dara (now Mardin). The Castle played a key role due to its location on the border protecting the Roman Empire. Archaeological excavations at the site revealed the existence of underground structures such as a secret passageway, a Mithraic underground temple, and a subterranean sanctuary. It is the first and the only Mithras temple on the eastern border of the Roman Empire. The religion of Mithras was a religion of mystery widely popular among Roman soldiers. set off to Mardin, a one-hour drive, where you'll spend three nights. Mardin is a genuinely romantic town. The Castle towers above the old city on a rocky crag. Have lunch, and the walking tour starts at Oldtown Square, Cercis Konağı. Admire the beautiful stone carvings of the Artuqid dynasty's grand mosque, Ulu Cami's minaret, the finest stonework of the 19th-century villa, Post Office building. Zinciriye Medresesi is an old medrese (theological college) founded in 1385. It's one of Mardin's best-preserved buildings, where you'll adore the view of the entire town and the Mesopotamian Plains below. The complex comprises a domed mosque, a mausoleum, and two tranquil inner courtyards—free time in the Bazaar, a fascinating place for a stroll. Transfer to the hotel and rest for dinner. Overnight Mardin.  

Have breakfast and leave the hotel to set off to Deyrulzafaran Monastery, built on top of an ancient sun temple and once the patriarchal center of the world's Syriacs. The Syriac-Orthodox Christian monastery dedicated to Ananias, its complex contains three churches, which adjoin the rear facade of the arcaded courtyard, all surrounded by high fortress-like walls. Then you'll be heading off to the ancient Roman City called Dara (30-mn drive) where Alexander the Great and Darius the Persian king had fought. The ancient city of Dara (Anastasiopolis) was one of the significant settlements of Mesopotamia in ancient times. It was a military garrison on the Silk Road in the Eastern Roman period. Back to Mardin for lunch. In the afternoon, there will be old churches visits Mor Behram Kırklar Kilisesi (Forty Martyrs Church), a 4th-century church ornated with beautiful icons and paintings, the 160-year-old Mardin Protestant Church, one of the oldest Protestant churches in the Middle East; and finally the visit of the Mardin Museum. You'll have free time before the transfer to your hotel. Overnight Mardin.

Breakfast in your hotel and leave the hotel to set off to Midyat (80 km-50 miles, 1.5-hour drive). It is a small town composed of narrow streets. The ancient city is the center of a centuries-old Hurrian town in Upper Mesopotamia ruled by many different empires such as the Mitannians, Assyrians, Yezidis, Armenians, Medes, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Abbasids, Seljuks and Ottomans. You'll be informed about Syriac and Yezidis' cultures and lifestyles. Walking tour in the town, you'll admire the steepness of nine Syriac Orthodox churches peeping up above the old sandstone houses. Visit Mor Gabriel Monastery, a 5th-century monastery with several churches and memorial chambers. Have lunch, and you may visit shops selling handmade filigree silver jewelry in your free time. The filigree work of Midyat is one of the most basic artisan styles of the province. You may try homemade Syriac wine, which is very tasty. Visit Kıllit, a small Syriac town, one of the rare centers with churches belonging to Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox denominations. This old Syriac village, consisting entirely of stone houses, has been a ghost village for many years. Visit the 162-year-old Hacı Abdullah Mansion in Savur, one of the most beautiful structures in the region. Its 22 rooms have been restored, and the mansion has been converted into a museum. Transfer to your hotel and rest before dinner. Overnight Mardin.  

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. Visit Kasımiye Medresesi; it's a 15th-century medrese complex consisting of a theological college and a domed mosque. Free time in the Bazaar, have lunch, and transfer to the Airport for Istanbul. (Flight duration is 90 minutes)