8 Days Mesopotamia and East Anatolia Tour with Accommodations

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Meeting Point 12.30 Gaziantep Met Gold Hotel
2 stops
1
Zeugma Mosaic Museum
Zeugma Mosaic Museum: in the city of Gaziantep, Turkey, is the biggest mosaic museum in the world, containing 1700 m² of mosaics. It opened to the public on 9 September 2011. The 30,000 m² museum features 2,448 m² of mosaic and replaces the Bardo National Museum in Tunis as the world's largest mosaic museum.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket not included
2
Gaziantep Province
3-hour walking tour encompassing the copper artisans' bazaar, Gaziantep Castle, Gaziantep water cisterns, Gaziantep baths, and Silk Road caravanserais offers a therapeutic experience of understanding the soul of Gaziantep.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 2
Halfeti / Kahta / Mount Nemrut
4 stops
3
Halfeti
Halfeti Boat Tour: The Zeugma Mosaic Museum, which we visited in Gaziantep and which houses the remains of the ancient city of Zeugma, actually owes its existence to the Birecik Hydroelectric Power Plant. This historical waterway, including Nevali Çörü, has enabled the excavation of many ancient settlements. When the dam began to hold water in 1999, dozens of villages and houses, including Savaşan Village, were submerged. Today, the Savaşan Village Mosque, with half of its minaret still underwater and the mosque itself completely submerged, still beckons to you.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
4
Karakus Tumulusu
an ancient tumulus belongs to mother, sister and wife of Mithridates.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free
5
Cendere Bridge
Cendere (Septimus Severus Bridge) Historical Bridge from The Period of Septimus Severus over Chabines River.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free
6
Mount Nemrut
Mount Nemrut:
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket not included
Day 3
Göbeklitepe / Şanlıurfa / Harran
4 stops
7
Sanliurfa
Lake with the fishes
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket free
8
Gobeklitepe
Göbeklitepe: Oldest Known Religious Structure: Göbekli Tepe is widely regarded as the world's oldest known temple complex, dating back to around 12,000 years ago (10th–8th millennium BCE). It predates other major ancient sites like the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge by thousands of years. Its age makes it a critical discovery in understanding the origins of religious and ceremonial practices in human history. Today, Göbekli Tepe is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its discovery continues to inspire both scientific inquiry and public fascination with the ancient past.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket not included
9
Sanliurfa Archeology and Mosaic Museum
Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum: About 10.000 artifacts are being exhibited at Şanlıurfa Archaeological Museum. This figure is much above Turkish standards. Those who visit the Museum will be able to see the oldest statue of the world, imitation of Göbeklitepe D Temple, original Nevali Çori Temple, numerous periodical animations, Prophet Abraham Animation, about 10.000 artifacts and most esthetical mosaics in the world at the New Şanlıurfa Museum.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket not included
10
Harran Ruins
Harran Ruins and Conic Houses
45 minutes • Admission ticket not included
Day 4
Dara / Beyazsu / Midyat
3 stops
11
Dara Mesopotamia Ruins
Dara, one of the most important settlements in Upper Mesopotamia, was founded in 505 by the initiative of Emperor Anastasius (491-518) as a military garrison city to protect the eastern border of the Eastern Roman Empire against the Sassanids. With the collapse of the Roman Empire, the city lost its importance over time.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
12
Lunch Break
1 hour 15 minutes • Admission ticket not included
13
Midyat
Midyat City Tour
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket free
Day 5
Artuklu-Mardin / Kasımiye / Deyrulzaferan
3 stops
14
Mardin
Half day city tour
4 hours • Admission ticket free
15
Deyrulzafaran Monastery
After the 15th century, the monastery began to be called Deyrulzafaran (Saffron Monastery) because of the zafaran (saffron) plant that grew around it. Today, the monastery is one of the important religious centers of the Syriac Church.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
16
KasImiye Medresesi
Kasimiye Medresesi:
30 minutes • Admission ticket included
Day 6
Diyarbakır / Tigris Bridge / Fortress / Mound Amida
4 stops
17
10 Arched Bridge
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
18
Diyarbakir City Walls
One of the greatest, and most well-maintained, set of ancient walls in Diyarbakir city. The Diyarbakir city walls have an ancient history dating back to the Romans. Today, the walls are largely intact, and form a ring around the old city that is over 5km (3miles) in circumference. The walls are over 10 meters (about 33 feet) high and are 3-5 meters (about 10-16 feet) thick.
30 minutes • Admission ticket included
19
Four-Legged Minaret
Sheikh Mutahhar Mosque in Diyarbakır was built in 1500 by Kasım Bey, one of the Akkoyunlu rulers. It is one of the most important monumental works of the Akkoyunlu. It was built on the land where Sheikh Mutahhar's tomb is located. It is popularly known as Sheikh Matar Mosque, but in historical sources it is also referred to as Kasım Bey Mosque or Kasım Padişah Mosque.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
20
Diyarbakir
The Great Mosque
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
Day 7
Akdamar Church / Castle of Van / Cat House
2 stops
21
Akdamar Island
Akdamar Church:
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket included
22
Van Kalesi
Urartu Castle
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket not included
Day 8
Ishakpasha Palace / Noah’s Ark / Salt Cave / Ani Ruins
3 stops
23
Ishak Pasha Palace
Ishakpasha palace 17th century Ottoman Palace constructed in Seljuken style
1 hour 15 minutes • Admission ticket not included
24
Salt Cave
45 minutes • Admission ticket free
25
Ani Ruins
Ani Ruins:
2 hours • Admission ticket not included

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

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