A wonderful adventure!
TREASURES OF ISTANBUL - CAPPADOCIA & the Ancient Greek Cities of Ephesus & Troy
September 26-October 7, 2012

Dear Travelers:

We invite you to join us to see the cultural wonders of Turkey with a superb archaeological leader.

Our expedition will begin in the enchanting international city of Istanbul, situated on the Bosporus Strait (the route to the Black Sea) and a bridge between Europe and Asia! Here we will visit the outstanding Topkapi Palace, which once housed Sultans who ruled much of the Middle East. We will also walk under the dome of the great Blue Mosque, and see priceless treasures from around the world.

We will then fly to ancient Cappadocia, a city of caves, and one of the oldest cities in the world. We will stay in a cave-like hotel carved in the rock cliffs while we explore the ancient sites of the Goreme Valley and Asikli Hoyuk, the oldest site in Anatolia.

A short flight will take us to the Aegean Coast where we can ramble among the superb Greco Roman ruins of Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis (Diana) which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The following day we will visit Pergamum, famous for inventing parchment paper. It had a large library, Acropolis, the altar of Zeus, and the 10,000-seat amphitheater. We will then follow a winding road to the picturesque village of Asclepion, a fourth century shrine to the God of Medicine.

Other adventures will await us in Assos and renowned Troy, one of the oldest discovered sights along the Aegean Coast, with nine different settlements and 30 outlying cities with its centerpiece the symbolic wooden Trojan Horse.

We invite travelers with an appetite for adventure and discovery to explore the wonders of Turkey. Enjoy trip leadership by Seyhun Aktoprak, our popular archaeological guide!

Sincerely,

Margaret M. Betchart
President, Betchart Expeditions Inc.
For AAAS Travels, Sigma Xi & ACS Expeditions

L E A D E R S H I P
Leading the expedition will be Mr. Seyhun Aktoprak. Seyhun received his MA in Art History at Istanbul University and has been leading specialty study tours throughout Turkey since 1989. As a youth, Seyhun lived in Istanbul, Malta, and Libya, and returned to Turkey in 1985. He studied American Culture and Literature at Istanbul University for his Bachelor’s degree. Seyhun has a tremendous interest in the heritage of Turkey, and looks forward to sharing his knowledge of ancient archaeological and historical sites in Turkey with you. He was a popular leader of our recent Turkey trips and looks forward to welcoming you to Turkey.

$3,995 plus air.

Brochure (Requires an Adobe pdf reader to view)

Photo courtesy of John Ryan