VISIT BIBLICAL ANATOLIA FOR THE CENTURY'S LAST SOLAR ECLIPSEAN 8-DAY TOUR INCLUDING AIR FOR $200 A DAY
This journey to the ancient Biblical land of Cappadocia combines time at the beginning and end of the tour to explore Istanbul, the City of Sultans where east meets west. Included is a half-day orientation tour to get you started on sightseeing. You'll visit such renowned sights as the Byzantine Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque, the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum with its collection of priceless oriental carpets, and the legendary Topkapi Palace Museum, for centuries the Imperial residence of the sultans. There also is ample time to wander on your own, exploring independently this city that has one foot in Europe, the other in Asia, with a 2,000-year history that captivated such writers as Mark Twain and Ian Fleming. Search for spices and folk remedies in the Egyptian Bazaar, admire the medieval mosaics in the city's Byzantine churches, shop chic boutiques around Taksim Square, and climb the Galata Tower for a panoramic view of old Istanbul. Leaving Istanbul, the tour heads for the striking lunar-like landscapes of Cappadocia. There is a short flight to Ankara followed by a drive across the rolling Anatolian steppe to Corum. After lunch at a local restaurant, preparations are made to view the solar eclipse (which will occur around 1 p.m. local time on August 11). Then comes a tour of Hattusas, ancient capital of the Biblical Hittite Empire (1900-1300 BC) and a visit to Uchisar, a village surrounding a lofty pinnacle of volcanic rock hollowed out to contain houses, stables, and storerooms. Nearby is the Goreme Open-Air Museum, one of Turkey's most breathtaking attractions a "moonscape" volcanic valley with beautifully painted medieval churches that are hollowed right out of the rock. Also spectacular is Zelve, a valley in which monks carved entire monasteries from volcanic rock and Kaymakli (Derinkuyu) where labyrinthine underground cities carved deep into the earth protected early Christians from marauders. Returning to Ankara, there is a tour of the world-renowned Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. Also visited is the city's medieval Citadel and the monumental Mausoleum of Ataturk, founding father of the Turkish Republic. The trip is scheduled for August 9-16. Included is international round-trip airfare from New York-JFK, domestic flights within Turkey, and six nights' accommodation with private bathroom at tourist-class (three-star) hotels upgrades to first-class (four-star hotels) $250 per person. Also included is breakfast daily, three lunches, and two dinners, plus specified sightseeing tours, and all airport transfers. Travelers also receive a complimentary copy of a Lonely Planet Publications' 800-page guidebook packed with maps and information and a Turkish phrase-book and 90-minute language-learning audiocassette to help you learn a little Turkish before you go. For Reservations and additional information Travel In Style e-mail: kingtut916@aol.com Edited by Shekeria Brown |
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TM
There's no second chance to watch the last solar eclipse of the 20th century. And there's no more appropriate place to observe this intriguing phenomenon than in Biblical Anatolia. The other element that falls into place for an eight-day adventure to Turkey is price. Cost of this trip is only $1,599 per person (double occupancy) that's just $200 a day including round-trip airfare. The program is being offered this August by Travel in Style.