Turkish tour operator Bodtur has offered this special price to CIR.  The price includes 4- and 5-star hotels in each city, all breakfasts, an English-speaking guide and a small bus for just the CIR group.  It even includes one domestic flight, returning to Istanbul from Cappadocia.  International airfare is not included.  The trip begins on September 2 in Istanbul so you must plan to leave Santa Fe no later than September 1 for Istanbul.

For information, please email or telephone the CIR Travel Committee Chairman, Steve Kutay .  Steve can answer any questions regarding the tour or help with making arrangements getting to Istanbul.  He can also offer advice about other places in the region you might want to visit either before or after the tour.  Anyone using frequent-flyer miles can generally book their ticket with stopovers en-route.  You might also be able to make Istanbul itself a stopover and extend your trip to such exotic cities as Baku or Tbilisi, which are considered part of Europe by the airlines.

Bodtur has prepared this comprehensive and educational tour for CIR Members who wish to see and experience the pagan Kingdoms, Ionic and Hellenistic civilizations, Roman and Byzantine monuments and Seljuk and Ottoman architecture within beautiful natural settings and kept alive by the warmth and hospitality of the Turkish people.  This vast and fertile land has been a cradle to more than 20 different civilizations throughout history, all of which have left their mark and their legacies of an exotic and glorious past.  You will experience the splendor of mosques, ancient temples, synagogues, and churches.  Only in Turkey can one witness such a vast mosaic of history.  Visit Bodtur’s website for more information.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 - Istanbul
Arrival at Istanbul airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.  Dinner at hotel.

Day 2 - Old city Istanbul
Following breakfast, we drive to the “Old City” where we will visit the Hippodrome, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, the Blue Mosque, famous for its delicate blue ceramic tiles and Saint Sophia.  This church (turned mosque, turned museum) takes the breath away with the sheer architectural size of its interior and magnificent dome.  Next we will visit the spectacular Topkapi Palace.  Built on one of the seven hills of Istanbul, this huge complex commands views of the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus and the Golden Horn.  It was the seat of government for the Ottoman Empire for many centuries (1453-1852 AD) and we will see the extravagant Treasury.

Day 3 - Istanbul
Our morning starts with a visit to the aromatic Spice Bazaar, where the smells of cinnamon, cloves, and thyme rise from hundreds of colorful muslin bags at every storefront.  We then board our ferryboat for a relaxing cruise along the shores of the legendary Bosporus, the natural gateway that divides Asia and Europe.  As you sit back and enjoy Turkish coffee or well-brewed tea from traditional small cups, numerous summer palaces and palatial homes will pass by on either side.  Disembarking at the northern end of the Strait, we proceed to a restaurant for a tasty meal of local fish.  Following lunch we will travel by coach to the Suleymaniye Mosque, built by master architect Sinan during the reign of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver.  The last stop will be the Grand Bazaar with nearly 4,000 shops of antiques, jewelry, gold, carpets, and leatherwear.

Day 4 - Canakkale (Troy)
After an early breakfast, we will begin our scenic drive down to Gallipoli, historically famous for being the site of many WWI battles.  Following a lunch break, we will cross the second strategic waterway, the Dardanelles, and proceed to Troy.  Referred to in Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey,” Troy has in fact nine cities superimposed one upon another.  Troy VI pertains to the famous Trojan War of Homer where the legendary heroes included Agamemnon, Achilles, Ulysses, and Nestor on the Greek side and Priam, Hector, and Paris on the Trojan side.  We will check-in to our hotel in Canakkale for the evening.

Day 5 - Smyrna - Izmir
On our journey to Izmir we will stop by the hauntingly beautiful Pergamon. A mong the impressive structures of this city, dating from 399 B.C., we will see the Altar of Zeus, Temple of Dionysus, and the 200,000 volume library which was surpassed only by that found in Alexandria at the time.  The Asclepieum of Pergamon was a famous health center where methods of treatment included blood transfusions, music therapy, and meditation.  Leaving Pergamon behind us we settle at our hotel in Izmir.

Day 6 - Kusadasi
Following an early breakfast we will proceed to the old section of Izmir called Kadifekale, which was a bastion built by Alexander the Great when he moved the city to this commanding location over the Bay of Izmir.  Heading further south, we will arrive at the ancient city of Ephesus and first visit the Basilica of St. John, who came here with the Virgin Mary and wrote his Gospel.  To the southwest of the Basilica stands the Isa Bey Mosque and further in the same direction is the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.  Ephesus was undoubtedly one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world.  Impressive structures we will see include the Library of Celsus, Temple of Hadrian, Theater, and Odeon.  We will also visit the Museum of Seljuk.  Close by is the House of the Virgin Mary where she is believed to have spent her last years.  On August 18th, 1961, Pope John XXll proclaimed the House of Virgin Mary at Ephesus to be sacred.  You will have a chance to take a phial of Holy Water from the Sacred Spring.

Day 7 - Kusadasi
We will leave early and journey to Priene, which is an example of a truly ancient city whose history dates back to the 10th Century B.C.  Highlights include the Temple of Athena Polias, the Ecclesiasterium, and the Agora.  We next visit Miletus where the Philosopher Thales was born. Thales coined the phrase “Know Thyself.”  We will inspect the Delphinion, Baths of Faustina, and the Council Chamber.  Our last visit is to Didyma, which served as a religious sanctuary to the god Apollo.  The oracular inscriptions date as far back as 600 B.C.  Among the highlights are the Temple of Apollo and the Stadium.  We then return to Kusadasi for the night.

Day 8 - Pamukkale (Hierapolis)
Leaving our hotel early after breakfast, we will journey to Pamukkale.  On the way, we will stop at one of the most attractive ancient sites of the Aegean Region.  Aphrodisias was famous throughout the ancient world for her Temple of Aphrodite and enjoyed great prosperity during the Roman period.  Some of the highlights include the Stadium, the Baths of Hadrian and the Theater.  We continue on to Pamukkale where the thermal water flows from natural pools in white terraces.  The ancient city of Hierapolis was named after Hiera, wife of the founder of Pergamon.  Highlights include the Roman Baths, the Temple of Apollo, and the Nymphaeum.  Overnight stay in Pamukkale.

Day 9 - Antalya
We leave our hotel straight after breakfast and begin a scenic journey towards the sparkling Turquoise Coast.  After checking into our hotel in Antalya, we even have time for a swim before dinner.

Day 10 - Antalya
A leisurely visit to three cities.  With its architectural and archaeological wealth, Perge is one of the most interesting ancient cities.  Even though there is not much left to see on the Acropolis, there are wide porticoed streets, lined with many fine buildings, market places, and gymnasiums.  Next on our itinerary is Aspendus whose Theater is the best preserved in the world with marvelous acoustics.  Two of the other highlights will be the Agora, and the Nymphaeum.  Our last stop for the day will be at Side, the last of these three antique cities.  Present-day Side sits on top of the old city.  Highlights include the Temples of Athena and Apollo, the Agora, and the Museum.

Day 11 - Konya whirling dervishes - Konya
Our trip today will take us over the beautiful Taurus Mountains via the Lake District into Konya, the center of the Seljuk Empire, with many examples of Turkish Islamic art and architecture.  Konya is situated in the midst of a wind-swept plateau at an altitude of 1,030 meters.  The city is so old that a small hill has been excavated here containing the bones of Bronze Age Man.

Day 12 & 13 - Cappadocia
After a city tour of Konya, we proceed to Cappadocia.  On the way we stop by Sultanhani Caravansary and Derinkuyu for a look at this underground city, which goes down eight different levels into solid rock.  We now journey into Cappadocia, where the sights of the Fairy Chimneys are phenomenal.  The natural wonder of Cappadocia is a result of volcanic deposits being eroded away by wind and water over millions of years.  These soft rocks were hollowed out by early Christians and used as secret dwellings as they were being sought first by their Roman and later Byzantine persecutors.  We will also visit many churches that have been decorated with vivid frescoes that have withstood the corrosive effects of time.  We check-in to our hotel for a night of relaxation.

Day 14 - Kapadokya - Istanbul
Following breakfast, transfer to Kayseri Airport.  We’ll fly into Istanbul.  After transfer and check-in to our hotel, leisure day for sightseeing, optional visits, and shopping.  Overnight at the hotel.

Day 15 - Istanbul
Transfer and flight home.