“Turkey Discovery” May 24-June 5, 2010 $3,799.00 per person based on double occupancy • • • • •

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Round trip motor coach transportation from Peoria to O’Hare Airport. Air transportation from Chicago to Ankara and return from Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. In-flight meals and beverage service. All tours and transfers with permanent English Speaking guide Accommodations: 1 night Ankara Hotel Radisson Sas (4 star) 2 nights Cappadocia Dedeman (5star) 2 nights Pamukkale Hotel Lycus River (4 star) 2 nights Kusadasi Hotel Richmond Ephesus (4 star) 1 night Bursa Hotel Holiday Inn (4 star) 3 nights Istanbul: Hotel Titanic (4star) Meal Plan : 11 breakfast, 2 lunches, 10 dinners Entrance fees as per program described below Tips to hotels and restaurants Gratuity to Tour Director and driver. Departure taxes and fuel surcharges of the airlines, subject to change.

Not Included • Drinks during lunch/dinner • Optional Group Protection insurance package at $ 269.00 per person additional. For more information: Don Samford, Peoria Area World Affairs Council (309) 657-6267 Eskin Tours (800) 315-9179

May 24, Monday

Chicago en route

Depart Chicago this evening on Turkish Airlines non-stop flight to Istanbul. Dinner and breakfast will be served onboard. May 25, Tuesday

Istanbul/Ankara

Arrive Istanbul where you continue by a connecting flight to Ankara. You will be welcomed by your tour director and transferred to your hotel.

The town, once an important trading center on the caravan route to the east, had declined in importance by the nineteenth century. It became an important center again when Kemal Ataturk chose it as the base from which to direct the War of Liberation. In consequence of its role in the war and its strategic position, it was declared the capital of the new Turkish Republic on 13 October 1923.

May 26, Wednesday

Ankara / Cappadocia

After breakfast visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic. Visit, The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, close to the citadel gate, a 15th century Ottoman bedesten that has been beautifully restored. Since 1921, it houses a marvelous and unique collection including Paleolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Hatti, Hittite, Phrygian, Lydian, Urartian and Roman works. After lunch time, drive to Cappadocia for dinner & overnight. (B&D)

May 27, Thursday

Cappadocia

Today we will start out visits with the Goreme Valley museum, which consists of steep cliffs and many hidden churches dating from the second half of 9th century. We will continue to visit the villages of Avanos, a small town famous for its pottery, and then visit the troglodytic village of Zelve, which was inhabited until quite recently.

Last stop will be for visiting an underground city made to accommodate several thousands of people with seven subterranean floors. So far 36 underground cities have been discovered, some of them very recently. Dinner and overnight will be in Cappadocia. (B&D)

May 28, Friday

Cappadocia/Pamukkale

After breakfast, drive to Konya. In the days of the Roman Empire, Konya was called Iconium “the city of icons”. Konya has become a place of pilgrimage for Moslems because the leader of Mevlevis, Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi was buried there. Today we will visit the most important place in Konya, Mevlana’s Mausoleum, the mystic poet and founder of Sufism and the Whirling Dervish order. Apart from that there is Karatay Medrese, which was a theological school used as a tiles museum today, Alaaddin Keykubat Mosque from 12th century, and Ince Minare (Thin Minaret) Mosque. After visits, drive to Pamukkale for dinner & overnight. (B&D)

May 29, Saturday

Pamukkale, Laodicea, Hierapolis After breakfast visit Pamukkale, which translates as “Cotton Castle.” It seems as you approach across the valley that calcareous hot springs descending over a hundred meters have created fascinating travertine in the form of white terraces and basins. Visit the ancient city of Hierapolis. Visit the theater and famous Necropolis which is the largest one in the Asia Minor. Then visit one of the “Seven Churches of Apocalypse,” Laodicea; founded around 260 BC and after Christianity. The city hosted an important Ecumenical Council in the 4th century. Dinner and overnight will be in Pamukkale. (B&D)

May 30, Sunday

Aphrodisias

After breakfast drive to Aphrodisias, famous throughout the ancient world for its magnificent Temple of Aphrodite, Aphrodisias is undoubtedly the most spectacular city of Caria; it is the home of the greatest sculpturing school of antiquity. Before departing to Kusadasi , visit one of the textile factories, the major industry of the region besides tourism. Dinner and overnight will be in Kusadasi. (B&D)

May 31, Monday

Ephesus

After breakfast start to visit the ancient city of Ephesus, the Roman capital of Asia minor which remains the best preserved ancient city in the world and one of the “Seven Churches of the Apocalypse.” Ephesus was an important commercial and cultural center. The protector of the city was Artemis, the Goddess whose temple was one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World”.

Continue to visit, the House of the Virgin where it's believed the Virgin Mary passed the last years of her life. Last stop will be Basilica of St. John which was built in 6th century. The building was in the shape of a cross and was covered by 6 domes. Under the central dome was the tomb of St. John; that has a marble marker today. Dinner and overnight will be in Kusadasi. (B&D) June 01, Tuesday

Pergamum

After breakfast drive to Pergamum, the capital of the large and powerful pre-Roman Kingdom and one of the “Seven Churches of Revelation.” Visit the Acropolis of Pergamum, built by the Greeks and later expanded by the Romans; it also boasted one of the largest libraries in the ancient world. Visit includes the Theater, the Altar of Zeus, and the temples of Tragion & Athena. Then continue south, to the Asclepion known as the world’s first health center, a sanctuary to the God of Medicine, Asclepios. At the end of the visits, drive to Bursa for dinner & overnight.

June 02, Wednesday

Nicea - Istanbul Morning visit in Bursa and then drive to Nicea (Iznik), where the 1st and 7th Ecumenical Councils were held in Iznik in 325 and 787 A.D., respectively. The Vatican in 1962 declared Iznik a "holy city" for Christians. We will visit St. Sophia church, city walls and the Archaeological Museum. At the end of the visits, drive to Istanbul for dinner & overnight. (B&D)

June 03, Thursday

Istanbul tour

After breakfast visit Topkapi Palace (including main, treasury & harem sections), built by Sultan Mehmet II after the conquest of Istanbul in 15th century. The palace housed the sultans and their exotic entourage until mid 19th century. Then visit the Underground Cistern, built for wartime use by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, the cistern served for water storage. Then, visit the famous historical Grand Bazaar, the largest “souk” covered oriental shopping mall in the world, where you will find 4,400 shops under one roof where each trade has its own street. There is a wide selection of leather, jewelry, antiques, copperware, souvenirs, and famous hand-made Turkish carpets displayed in this historical shopping center. Dinner and overnight in Istanbul (B&D) June 04, Friday

Full day Istanbul

After breakfast, drive to old town Hippodrome Square, the scene of Chariot races and the center of Byzantine civic life, which was originally built by Roman Emperor Septimus in 203 AD. Then visit the Blue Mosque, built in early 17th century and know as Blue Mosque because of its magnificent interior decoration with blue Iznik tiles. It is also unique in the world to have 6 minarets.

Continue to St. Sophia Museum, built by Emperor Constantius is 360 AD. St. Sophia was for many centuries the world’s largest church and today is the fourth largest one after St. Paul’s in London, St. Peter’s in Rome and Duomo in Milan. After lunch, drive from Europe to Asia via transcontinental Bosphorus Bridge, unique in the world connecting two continents Asia and Europe. Visit Beylerbeyi Palace, situated on the shore at the Asian end of the Bosphorus Bridge and built between 1861 and 1864 by Sultan Abdulaziz. The palace is a three-story structure set on terraced grounds planted with trees brought from the entire world. The building itself, constructed in the French Baroque style, is made of stone and marble. It was used by the Ottoman sultans as a summer residence.

Farewell dinner at Kervansaray Night Club (show and dinner) Overnight in Istanbul. (B,L&D)

June 05, Saturday

Istanbul/Chicago

Bid farewell to your tour director as you board your flight on Turkish Airlines back to Chicago. “Welcome Home”

Your Tour Director: Halit Ucan was born in a nomadic family in Southern Turkey in 1955. He grew up herding goats and sheep and attending the local school. He continued his education until he obtained his PhD in Literature. After experiencing teaching for a while he decided not to be a teacher in a classroom anymore. He went back to school to study social sciences like history, archeology, religion (especially comparative religions), etc. at the Fine Arts School of Istanbul University to be an official tour guide. Halit has been working as a tour director in Istanbul since 1983 and married Brigitte, a teacher. They have a son, Timur, who is attending the same university his parents attended in France and is pursuing his PhD in philosophy. The three of them are very much in love with books, music, sports (especially hiking volcanoes) and traveling.