Turkiye
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The Collis Family and Friends
Istanbul, Ephesus and Rhodes

Outline Itinerary

Saturday 18 August
Hotel in Istanbul: Ayasofya Pansiyonlari (ASP)

Your Tour Leader in Istanbul will be Emin Saatçi, who has lived all his adult life in Istanbul and has an intimate knowledge of this beautiful city.

All those arriving at Istanbul Atatürk Airport will be met on exit from the customs area and will be taken to the ASP, a private street of finely restored houses immediately behind Ayasofya, which has been successively a church, a mosque and a museum.

Dinner will be taken at Hamdi Restaurant, which enjoys extensive views over the Golden Horn and the entrance to the Bosphorus.

Sunday 19 August

This is quite a full day and we will be leaving the hotel about 0815. We will walk to the underground Basilica Cistern (which featured in the James Bond film From Russia with Love). Our aim is to be there whilst it is still relatively empty, so that we can enjoy the very special atmosphere of this magnificent underground 'cathedral'.

We then cross the street to Ayasofya, where we expect to spend at least an hour. Our local guide will explain the main architectural features of this extraordinary building and introduce us to the mosaics in the galleries.

We continue on foot to the Archaeological Museum to see the so-called Alexander Sarcophagi. These sarcophagi are beautifully ornamented and in pristine condition.

Next, to the huge Topkapi Palace complex where we will concentrate on the Treasury, the exquisite porcelain collection and the charming pavilions. We have lunch in the palace grounds at Konyali Restaurant, which has great views up the Bosphorus and over the Sea of Marmara.

We devote the afternoon to the bustling Covered Bazaar and we will take you to some of the lesser visited areas - the so-called Hans - where you can see jewellery and leather goods being made.

Dinner will be in the courtyard at the Green House Hotel - close to the ASP - from where we should be able see the Blue Mosque well illuminated.

Monday 20 August

This pace will be rather slower today. We take the tram down to Sirkeci Station - once the terminal of the famous Orient Express - and then cross the road to embark on a leisurely boat trip to the Princes Islands.

We disembark on the largest island, Büyükadi, where there are no cars and the finest surviving examples of the great wooden mansions for which Istanbul was once famous. We take horse-drawn gharries for a tour of the island. Those with energy can walk up to the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St George where there are great views across the Sea of Marmara and often as far as Mount Olympos. Those who do not want to make the 25 minute ascent can relax in a café or do further exploration in gharries.

A light lunch will taken in a traditional restaurant and in the afternoon we aim to return to Istanbul in the swifter Sea Cat.

In the evening we walk down to the Balikçi Sebahattin Restaurant for a great atmosphere. Delicious mezzes and some of the best fish in Istanbul are served here.

Tuesday 21 August

Starting around 0830 we walk down to the Spice Bazaar and then to the small Rustem Pasa Mosque - well away from the main tourist trail. This mosque has some of the finest Iznik tiling in Istanbul and was fully restored a few years ago.

Our private bus will then take us on to the biggest fully functioning mosque in Istanbul - the Süleymaniye - built by Sinan, the greatest of all Ottoman architects, for Süleyman the Magnificent.

We then move on to the Kariye Museum - formerly a mosque and, before that, the Church of St Saviour in Chora. The exquisite mosaics and frescoes are the most important and extensive representations of Byzantine art in Istanbul.

We will have lunch at the Asitane Restaurant in the vine-covered courtyard of a restored Ottoman house, just across the street from the Kariye.

In the afternoon, our bus takes us through the impressive city walls, built by the Emporer Theodosius, to the Teahouse of Pierre Loti, frequented by the French novelist who was also Naval Attaché at the Embassy to the Sublime Porte in the early part of the 19th century. Those who wish to do so will have the opportunity to visit Eyüp, one of the holiest shrines in Islam. The shrine is always crowded, but is provides a fascinating insight into popular religious practices in Turkey today. It is however important that conservative clothing is worn and your Tour Leader, Emin, will advise accordingly.

We return to our hotel, passing almost the entire length of the Theodosian Walls on our left and vast cemeteries on the right. We re-enter the city when we reach the Sea of Marmara and enjoy splendid views across the water to Asia. When we arrive back at the hotel, we will, hopefully, have a little free time to relax or time for more personal exploration.

As we have an early start the following morning, we will have an early dinner, either at Sarniç Restaurant near our hotel or at the beautiful Zeyrekhane Restaurant near the former Church of the Pancrator.

Wednesday 22 August

A rather early start - around 0600 - to get our flights to Izmir, but it will deliciously cool and we can enjoy our last views of the city without the traffic!

You will be met at Adnan Menderes Airport, Izmir, by Jeremy Barnett, your Tour Leader for the main part of the tour and Richard Ashton, your Lecturer.

The detail and order of the programme today depends on when we get away from the airport. We hope that this will be around 10.00. The journey to Selçuk, the small town near the site of Ephesus should take us around 45 minutes.

We will aim to see the Museum of Ephesus before lunch. This is one of the best museums in Turkey and is a very good introduction to the site of Ephesus. The visit will take us around 45 minutes.

We take lunch in a pleasant family restaurant, just outside Selçuk, where you are invited to choose what you want from a splendid array of Turkish home cooking.

After lunch we make a brief visit to the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven Wonders of the Ancient World. There is very little standing, but actually locating the temple was one of the most exciting of archaeological discoveries.

If time allows, we will visit Meryemana (or Mary's House) where, according to tradition, the Blessed Virgin spent the last years of her life. This diversion will take us a little over an hour.

But the most important visit this afternoon is the main site of Ephesus. We will stroll down the Street of the Curetes, where there are splendid monuments at almost every step. An important diversion to the so-called Mosaic or Painted Houses will be made. These have been painstakingly restored over the last decades and have only relatively recently been re-opened to the public. For many, these houses are the highlight of a visit to Ephesus. We visit the restored Library of Celsus and, of course, the great Theatre where St Paul was denounced.

Then, to our boat 'Aegean Clipper' (Captain Ergün) in the Marina at Kusadasi, a ride of less than half an hour. Dinner on board.

Thursday 23 August

A relaxed day on the boat. We sail through the narrow channel between the Greek island of Samos and the Turkish mainland, and, after crossing the delta of the Maeander River, we anchor for the night near Altinkum, where there is good swimming.

Friday 24 August

A fairly long morning, but a relaxed afternoon on the boat. We disembark early and our bus takes us to Priene - a ride of around an hour. Priene is a well preserved site in beautiful surroundings which gives an excellent idea of how a medium-sized city worked in the late Classical and Hellenistic periods.

Then, to Miletus, one of the wealthiest cities of Ionia. Here we concentrate on the truly magnificent theatre, from which you get a splendid view of the whole city.

Next, to the great oracle-temple of Apollo at Didyma, which, for many, will be the highlight of the day. We aim to be back on board for a late lunch.

After lunch, the Aegean Clipper moves on Iasos where we either spend the night in the small harbour or a quiet bay nearby.

Saturday 25 August

Those who want to do so will have an opportunity to make a short visit to ancient Iasos, on a peninsula by the harbour. But as part of the walk is quite steep, we suggest an early start - perhaps even before our main breakfast. If we are lucky - they are not always open - we may be able to see some of the very fine mosaics, which a team of Turkish and Italian archaeologists have been working on for many years.

We then cross the Gulf of Güllük, stopping for a swim and lunch en route. Sometime in the afternoon we reach the sheltered natural harbour of ancient Myndos, now the pretty village of Gümüslük. There are some very pleasant cafés and we should be able to see the sun set over the Greek islands of Kalymnos, Pserimos and Kos.

Sunday 26 August

We sail past Kos and across the mouth of the Ceramic Gulf to Knidos, a spectacular and remote site on the south-west tip of Asia Minor. There is no modern town here and we anchor in the ancient southern harbour, from where you get an excellent overview of the whole site. The swimming is very good.

We usually tour the main site in the late afternoon - the military harbour, the walls, the temples, the churches, the cisterns and the splendid theatre. The site is under active excavation by the Selçuk University at Konya and it is fascinating to see an ancient city slowly coming to light. The different layers - Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine - can be well seen on a number of buildings here.

Monday 27 August

If you are up on deck early, you will see the rugged coastline of the Knidos peninsula, as we make our way towards Datça from where we make our official exit from Turkey. Whilst the exit formalities are carried out - this will take an hour or so - we can explore this pleasant, laid-back village with its many carpet shops.

Our crossing to the Greek island of Symi will take no more than an hour and we are usually allowed ashore immediately. The harbour at Symi is one of the most beautiful in the Aegean. On both sides of the narrow inlet, terraces of mainly 19th century merchant houses, many in pastel shades, rise steeply. After the First World War, Symi went into sharp decline, but the fortunes of the town have now been reversed and money has been poured into tasteful restoration projects. The extraordinary number of churches - and many of them are substantial - testify to a once sizeable and wealthy community.

In the relative coolness of the late afternoon, we usually walk up the stepped streets to the highest churches for spectacular views.

Tuesday 28 August

We leave early for the island of Rhodes and breakfast and swim en route - possibly beneath the towering cliffs at St George's Bay on Symi's eastern side. The crossing to Rhodes will take us about two and a half hours and we will probably have an early lunch on the way.

On arrival in the large harbour in Rhodes town - right by the city walls - our bus with a local guide takes us to the town of Lindos, halfway down the island. Here we walk up easy steps to the acropolis, dominated by the Temple of Athena. We enjoy splendid views all along the coast.

Back in Rhodes town, we spend the night in the harbour and there should be time - either before or after dinner - to wander through the medieval city with its many magnificent buildings.

Wednesday 29 August

We spend the morning exploring the medieval town - especially the Street of the Knights and the well restored Palace of the Grand Masters. Those who wish to do so, can also visit the fine archaeological museum.

In the early afternoon, we hope to cross back to Turkey and spend the night at Loryma, where there is a beautiful inlet with excellent swimming. As there is no town at Loryma - and it is not officially a place of 're-entry', this is an informal arrangement and the formalities are carried out at Datça the following day.

At Loryma - which the Turks call Bozukkale or 'broken castle' - there is a splendid ancient fortress, with walls almost intact. We often walk up to this to see the sunset.

Thursday 30 August

A long sail back to Knidos (via Datça, for the re-entry formalities). However there will be an opportunity to swim en route.

Depending on the amount of time available to us when we reach Knidos, we will be able to consider various options - a walk along a narrow path to the lighthouse to see the sun set over the volcanic island of Nisyros, a steepish climb up to the Temple of Demeter ('excavated' by Sir Charles Newton in the middle of the 19th century) or perhaps a more gentle amble up the road to see the necropolis.

Friday 31 August

We leave early and have a last swim in a bay just outside Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassus.

Those who wish to do so can visit the Mausoleum of Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders. There is little remaining of the actual mausoleum, but the site has been superbly excavated and there is a well set up museum on the site, showing how it might have looked in antiquity.

In the afternoon we visit Bodrum Castle. Built by the Crusaders, the castle has now been beautifully restored and houses a number of interesting exhibits - including amphorae, ancient glass and two restored wrecks with the contents well displayed.

In the late afternoon we return to the Aegean Clipper for our final dinner together.

Saturday 01 September

We have an early breakfast on board and then leave for Bodrum airport - a journey of around half an hour. The flight to Istanbul takes an hour or so and your Istanbul Tour Leader, Emin Saatçi, will be on hand to assist with transit arrangements in Istanbul and deal with any queries that members of the party may have.