2. HAGIA SOFIA & THE BLUE MOSQUE Emperor Justinian took his own breath away at first sight of Hagia Sofia, the cathedral he built in Constantinople (“I am now greater than Solomon,” he declared) and you can feel his breathless awe when you enter this miracle of Byzantine art and engineering under soaring vaulted ceilings, gilded mosaics, and a massive dome that seems to float, unsupported. The cathedral became a mosque (Ayasofia) when Ottoman Turks conquered the city (and later was an inspiration for Islamic architecture throughout the Middle Ages). From the airy, natural light of Hagia Sofia, descend to the watery “underground palace,” a vast Roman cistern of marble colonnades and sculpture that once supplied water to the city. Emerge to meet the splendor of the Blue Mosque, built by Sultan Ahmed I to surpass Hagia Sofia, with multiple cascading domes and minarets, finely carved marble and stained glass windows, and namesake blue tiles covering the walls within. From the Blue Mosque it’s a short walk to the Green House (Yasil Ev) where you’ll have lunch in the gracious setting of a 19th-century mansion, an oasis of calm in busy Sultanahmet, the historic district of Old Istanbul. Meals BL
3. MYSTERIOUS TOPKAPI PALACE, GRAND BAZAAR Lose yourself in the labyrinthine grounds of Topkapi Palace, official residence of the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire; explore its gardens, courtyards and opulent homes, including the Harem (with its 400 rooms), and the Imperial Kitchens. Outside, a mercantile maze awaits you at the Grand Bazaar, the oldest covered marketplace in the world, with 4,000 shops offering exotic treasures in a warren of streets, passageways and vaults. Escape for a breath of sea air on a cruise of the Bosphorus through the heart of Istanbul, arriving at the home of an artist and businessman who will share his inside views of Turkish life with you. Meals BD
Tauck Value Includes:
A boat cruise on the Bosphorus Strait, which runs through the heart of Istanbul
Visits to the private home of an artist/businessman in Istanbul who shares his inside views on life in Turkey, and a traditional caravanserai (roadhouse inn) on the ancient Silk Road
A hot air balloon flight over the “fairy chimneys” of Göreme, with breakfast afterward among the famous rock formations
A performance by a company of Whirling Dervishes in the rock cave of an ancient monastery
Private lecture on the status of women in contemporary Turkish society
Visit to a family who lives in a modern “cave home” carved into a hillside in Capadoccia
A private cooking class teaching the art of making Turkish coffee Airport transfers upon arrival and departure as noted
27 meals (11 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 9 dinners); gratuities to local guides, taxes, service charges, admission fees and porterage
4. IZMIR AND THE RUINS AT SARDIS Fly to Izmir, the “Pearl of the Aegean,” a modern shipping port with 3,000 years of history. Depart for Sardis, a commercial center of antiquity at the foot of the Tumulus Mountains, where Romans and Persians once vied for its wealth (the first gold currency in the world was minted here) evident in the extravagant ruins of the Temple of Artemis, the Gymnasium, and the Roman synagogue, one of the largest of its time, with its Greek and Hebrew inscriptions, marble columns, and mosaic floors. Meals BLD
Iconic photos... at the Blue Mosque; finding a fez; staying in the fairy-tale “cave suites” at the Anatolian Houses in Cappadocia.
Call your travel agent or Tauck at 800-468-2825
www.tauck.com 49
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116