An Archaeological Study Tour
Hidden Treasures of Eastern Turkey
September 9- 28, 2007
Led by Professor Antonio Sagona


Hidden Treasures of Eastern Turkey is scheduled for June after the snows melt in the mountainous areas of Ararat and the Transcaucasia. The tour will touch the warm Mediterranean coast, visiting Adana and ancient Antioch, travel through the fertile Mesopotamian steppe around Diyarbakír, visit the mountaintop sanctuary of Nemrut Dag, continue to the rugged highlands north of Lake Van and drive through the dense forests and tea plantations of the Black Sea coast. Recalling ancient rulers - the Hittites, Assyrians, Urartians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Armenians – we will see a land little changed over the centuries.

Sunday, Monday, Day 1 & 2: ISTANBUL: Our Turkish Air flight departs New York in the evening and arrives into Istanbul the next morning. We will spend the night at the Eresin Crown Hotel.
Meals: Dinner

Tuesday, Day 3: ADANA: After an orientation lecture, we will visit the Archaeological Museum before flying to Adana. Hilton Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner

Wednesday, Thursday, Day 4 & 5: ANTAKYA: We depart for Anavarza (ancient Anazarbus), an eastern Roman colony, continuing to Karatepe, the Neo-Hittite capital of Azitawanda, to see its monumental sculptures and reliefs restored and in situ. We then continue through the Plain of Issos, where Alexander the Great won a decisive victory over the forces of Asia. Thursday, touring continues with St. Peter’s Church, the outstanding collection of mosaics at the Archaeological Museum, and a drive via the hundreds of tells dating from the Neolithic to the Hellenistic periods in the Plain of Amuk to Acana, ancient Alalakh. SavonHotel.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch daily & 1 dinner

Friday, Day 6: URFA: Driving north we stop at Yesemek, a neo-Hittite stone carving workshop, where dozens of partially completed sculptures and reliefs are scattered on a hillside, and the museum in Gaziantep. We then cross the Euphrates and continue to the El-Ruha Hotel in Urfa.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, Day 7: KAHTA: This morning we drive through the plains of Mesopotamia to Harran, where Abraham stopped on his way from Ur. We will explore ancient Harran and visit the Ulu Cami, as well as the unusual “beehive” mud-brick houses of modern Harran. Our route to Kahta, is via the recently cultivated fields made possible by the new dam. Hotel Zeus.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sunday, Day 8: DIYARBAKÍR: An early morning ascent of Mt. Nemrut brings us to the terraces of colossal statues of gods and kings in the funerary sanctuary of King Antiochus I of Commagene, erected 2,000 years ago. We continue to the ruins of Arsameia and the burial mounds of the queens and princesses of Commagene. In the afternoon, we drive on to Diyarbakír, Dedaman Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Day 9, 10 & 11: VAN: Our drive to Van takes us through the valley of Guzel Dere and the towns of Bitlis, Tatvan, and Ahlat, where we stop to visit a unique Seljuk cemetery and museum. Touring in Van begins with a cruise across Lake Van to Akhtamar Island to visit the 10th century, Church of the Holy Cross, famous for the reliefs on its outer walls. We will also visit the local museum and study the Urartu civilizations at Çavustepe, where excavations have revealed the temple, altar, storage areas, water system and Royal Palace, and Van Kalesi. Here, after having reached the citadel we will see the site of the Urartian temple and several tombs of Urartian kings. There will also be time free for browsing in the local rug shops or wandering in the market. Merit Sahmaran Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily

Thursday, Day 12: KARS: We drive along the foothills of Mt. Ararat, to Dogubayazit visiting the baroque Turkish Palace of Ishak Pasha Sarayi before continuing through the heartland of ancient Armenia to Kars, where we visit the local museum. Sim-Er Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Friday, Day 13: ERZURUM: We begin our day touring Ani, located near the Georgian/Armenian border. Ani, once the capital of the Bagratid Princess, is now a site of romantic beauty. We continue to Erzurum, where we will visit as many of the Seljuk and Ottoman monuments as time permits. Hotel Polat Renaissance.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, Sunday, Day 14 & 15: TRABZON: Today begins with an ascent through the wild landscapes of Transcaucasia and the Pontus Range, the most unspoiled and spectacular scenery of Turkey. After lunch in the charming mountain town of Artvin, we descend to the Black Sea coast with its lush vegetation and vast tea plantations. The day ends at the Zorlu Grand Hotel in Trabzon. Sunday touring begins at the Byzantine Monastery of the Virgin in Sumela. Returning to Trabzon we tour its major sites: the Yeni Cuma and Fatih Mosques, the Byzantine Chapel of Hagia Anna and the well-preserved frescoes of Hagia Sophia.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch daily & 1 dinner

Monday, Day 16: AMASYA: Our drive to Amasya is along the Black Sea coast through seaside villages and the port of Samson. We will stop for lunch and a swim reaching the Apple Palace Hotel in time for a stroll in this award-winning town renowned for its old wooden houses.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Tuesday, Day 17: BOGAZKALE: After touring the many Seljuk and Ottoman monuments in Amasya, we depart for Bogazkale, stopping to visit the fortified Hittite city of Alacahüyük, known for it’s Sphinx Gate and Royal Tombs. We will overnight at the small Hotel Asikoglu.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Day 18, 19 & 20: ANKARA: Our last day in the countryside includes the most exciting Hittite site in Turkey, Hattusas, capital of the Hittite empire and its adjacent cult center, Yazílíkaya. The monumental architecture and sprawling temples and palaces add to our understanding of this great empire. After visiting this complex we continue to the Hilton Hotel in Ankara. After a full morning at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, we will have an afternoon at leisure before our farewell dinner. Friday, our Turkish Air flight departs for New York.
Meals: Breakfast daily, 1 lunch & 1 dinner

Please Note: Tourist facilities in Eastern Turkey are not well developed. Hotels are simple and there are early morning departures with long drives on roads that may be in poor condition. Though the rewards are great...an unspoiled wilderness and a scarcity of tourists...this is a strenuous trip, and only those willing to accept some discomforts should consider taking it.