Ports of call in Turkey: |
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| Istanbul | Izmir | Kusadasi |
Istanbul by Night (IST–01)
Half day tour
Take
part in the entertainment and night life at one of the finest night clubs in the
city. Depart by motor coach and after a short drive through the illuminated
streets of Istanbul you will arrive at one of the best known Night Club of
Istanbul. Enjoy a variety of Turkish specialties while you are entertained by
Turkish musicians, belly dancers and folk dancers, performing dances from
different regions of Turkey. At the end of the show, join in the singing of
popular and favourite songs. Board your motor coach and continue your
sightseeing by night before returning back to the ship.
Above shore excursion is available during the: |
|
| 7-Day Splendours of Greece & Turkey cruise |
7-day Greece & Turkey cruise |
Highlights of Istanbul / lunch on board (IST–02)
Full day tour
Begin the
excursion with a sightseeing drive through the business centre of the modern
city, across the Galata Bridge, along the banks of the Golden Horn and under the
Byzantine Aqueduct of Valens. On the way, you can see the Süleymaniye Mosque,
dedicated to Sultan Süleyman The Magnificent. Continue around the mighty city
walls, which once protected Constantinople from the many invasions and attacks
it suffered over the centuries. In the Old City, the first visit will be to the
Byzantine Hippodrome, which was once one of the largest chariot race arenas in
the Byzantine Empire. Visit the Sultanahmet Mosque, where large groups of
pilgrims start their pilgrimage to Mecca. It is decorated with 21,000 blue Iznik
tiles from where it gets its name, the "Blue Mosque". Walk to the world famous
monument of Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine Church of Divine Wisdom, where you can
see the superb mosaics and the marble decorations. Return to the ship for lunch
on board. After lunch continue the tour with a visit to the Topkapi Palace, the
official residence of the Ottoman Sultans. See the famous treasury and the "Spoonmaker’s
Diamond", the 7th biggest diamond in the world. During the tour you will also
have the opportunity to get a cultural taste of Turkey by enjoying an exhibition
of oriental carpets, jewellery or leather goods.
REMARKS: Shoulders
and knees must be covered while visiting the Mosque and shoes must be removed.
Above shore excursion is available during the: |
|
| 7-Day Splendours of Greece & Turkey cruise |
7-day Greece & Turkey cruise |
Highlights of Istanbul with lunch (IST–03)
Full day tour
Begin the
excursion with a drive through the business centre of the modern city, across
the Galata Bridge, along the banks of the Golden Horn and under the Byzantine
Aqueduct of Valens. On the way, you can see the Süleymaniye Mosque, dedicated to
Sultan Süleyman The Magnificent. Continue around the mighty city walls, which
once protected Constantinople from the many invasions and attacks it suffered
over the centuries. In the Old City, the first visit will be to the Byzantine
Hippodrome, which was once one of the largest chariot race arenas in the
Byzantine Empire. Visit the Sultanahmet Mosque, where large groups of pilgrims
start their pilgrimage to Mecca. It is decorated with 21,000 blue Iznik tiles
from where it gets its name, the “Blue Mosque”. Walk to the famous Hagia Sophia,
the Byzantine Church of Divine Wisdom, where you can admire the superb mosaics
and the marble decorations. Time for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch,
the tour continues with a visit to the magnificent Topkapi Palace, the official
residence of the Ottoman Sultans. See the famous treasury and the “Spoonmaker’s
Diamond”, the 7th biggest diamond in the world. During the tour you will also
have the opportunity to get a cultural taste of Turkey by enjoying an exhibition
of oriental carpets, jewellery or leather goods.
REMARKS: Shoulders
and knees must be covered while visiting the Mosque and shoes must be removed.
Above shore excursion is available during the: |
|||
| 3-Day Istanbul & Izmir |
7-Day Splendours of Greece & Turkey |
7-day Highlights of Greece & Turkey |
7-day Greece & Turkey |
Scenic Bosporus Cruise (IST–04)
Half day tour
Start
the tour with a short drive through the modern city of Istanbul, crossing the
Galata Bridge en route to the Golden Horn. The impressive Süleymaniye Mosque,
built by Turkish architect Sinan and dedicated to Sultan Süleyman The
Magnificent, can be seen on the way. At the Golden Horn, take a short walk to
the Cruise Boat Station where your private boat will be waiting for your
exciting trip on the Bosphorus. You will sail past Dolmabahce and Ciragan
Palaces built on the European shore, glide under the Bosphorus Bridge and past
Beylerbeyi Palace, Anatolian Fortress and Kanlica on the Asian shore. You will
have the chance to take amazing photographs sailing between these two
continents.
Above shore excursion is available during the: |
|||
| 3-Day Istanbul & Izmir |
7-Day Splendours of Greece & Turkey |
7-day Highlights of Greece & Turkey |
7-day Greece & Turkey |
Secret Treasures of Istanbul with lunch (IST–05)
Full day tour
This tour
is designed to give you a glimpse of the best and the most famous monuments in
Istanbul remaining from the Byzantine Empire era. Depart from the pier for an
interesting tour of Istanbul with a city sightseeing drive through the business
centre of the modern city, across the Galata Bridge, along the banks of the
Golden Horn and under the Byzantine Aqueduct of Valens. On the way, you can see
the Süleymaniye Mosque dedicated to Sultan Süleyman The Magnificent, built by
the famous Turkish Architect, Sinan. Arrive at Chora Museum. This 11th Century
church of St. Savior in Chora is the most important Byzantine monument in
Istanbul after St. Sophia museum. There is a collection of 14th Century
frescoes, gold-inlaid mosaics and some of the World’s finest Byzantine
paintings. Continue with a drive along the ancient Byzantine city walls to the
Byzantine Hippodrome where the chariot races and celebrations in honour of the
emperors, once took place during the Byzantine era. Visit the ancient church of
St. Sergius and Bachus which belonged to the monastery of Hormisdas and was
built as the result of a vow made by Justinian when he was on the point of being
executed for conspiring against his predecessor. The tour continues with a visit
to an Underground Cistern, consisting of a network of waterways built as far
back as the 3rd Century B.C., to protect the city against long sieges. Continue
to Balat area, another historical part of Istanbul, for lunch at the restaurant.
After lunch, visit The Patriarchate which is located just 50 m away from the
restaurant or just relax strolling along the Golden Horn. Drive to Rustem Pasha
Mosque, located at Eminonu close to the Spice Market. This Mosque was built by
Sinan in 1550 for Rustem Pasha, a grand vizier who married one of the daughters
of Süleyman The Magnificent. Inside and on the façade you can see some beautiful
Iznik faience. The Mihrab, completely covered with faience tiles and the Mimbar
are particularly striking.
REMARKS: Shoulders and knees must be
covered while visiting the Mosque and shoes must be removed.
Above shore excursion is available during the: |
|||
| 3-Day Istanbul & Izmir |
7-Day Splendours of Greece & Turkey |
7-day Highlights of Greece & Turkey |
7-day Greece & Turkey |
Ports of call in Greece |
Izmir
is Turkey's third largest city, with an inhabited area of more than 12,000 km2
and a population of over 3 million. It has always been famous for its port,
which is one of the most important in the country for trade and exports of dried
figs, sultanas and hazelnuts, and at first glance looks like an extremely modern
city. But traces of Izmir's ancient past will appear before your eyes in all
their magnificence amidst the skyscrapers and concrete apartment blocks. Indeed,
right in the heart of the city you can admire the remains of the ancient agora,
built during the Roman period by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius in 178 B.C.. It was
used for political gatherings and elections by the representatives of the Roman
government,
but was also the main commercial area of the city. Your local guide will show
you the only two-storey agora known to scholars: the first floor was reserved
for wholesale trade, with workshops, cooling cisterns and warehouses for goods,
whilst the second floor was designed for political meetings and retail trade.
Many of the exhibits on display at Izmir's New Archaeological Museum, another
remarkable stop on your itinerary, were discovered in the agora. The Museum's
three large galleries (dedicated to statues, objects and ceramics respectively)
are equipped with a modern lighting system that will guide you through the
numerous precious exhibits on an evocative journey through history.
Depart
from the port of Izmir for an itinerary of great historical interest which will
take you, in more or less 1 ½ hours, to Pergamum. The main centre, together with
Alexandria, of the Hellenistic civilisation in the East and capital of the Roman
province of Asia, Pergamum enjoyed over three centuries of economical prosperity
which resulted in exceptional cultural and artistic development. It is possible
to appreciate the ability of Greek and Roman architects in developing this
challenging location to the urbanistic requirements of a great capital city. You
will visit the "Asklepion" complex built to honour Asclepio, god of medicine ("Esculapio"
for the Romans),
former
place of worship and therapeutical centre among the most celebrated in the
ancient world. After a short drive you will board the cable car and where
en-route you will enjoy an awesome scenery. You will then reach the Acropolis
which dominates the surrounding plain from a height of 275 m. Originally fenced
by three walls, of which few traces remain, on this rocky spur many temples,
palaces, public and private buildings were erected. After this wonderful visit
you will re-board the cable car and reach the parking lot. Return to Izmir and
the ship.
Drive through
the colourful town of Kusadasi to reach Mt. Koressos. Situated in a small
valley, the humble chapel lies on the site of the little house where the Virgin
Mary is believed to have spent her last days. Despite the many controversies,
the Christian World still favours this belief and the site has been officially
sanctioned by the Vatican for pilgrimage. Continue on to Ancient Ephesus
accompanied by your guide walk through the Magnesian Gate which is the entrance
to the ancient city of Ephesus. Your guided walking tour will take you through
one of the most magnificent excavations in the world. See the Odeon (concert
hall), the Fountain of Trajan, the steam-heated Baths of Scolastika, the Temple
of Hadrian and the Latrians, the Library of Celsus and The Great Theatre, the
largest one in antiquity with a capacity of 24,000 seats where St. Paul
preached. Walk back to the coach along the Arcadian Way, where Mark Anthony and
Cleopatra once rode in procession. While driving back to Kusadasi and just
outside Ephesus, view the Basilica of St. John, which was erected over his grave
in the 6th century A.D. by Emperor Justinian. Before returning to the ship, get
a cultural taste of Turkey by enjoying an exhibition of oriental carpets,
jewellery or leather goods.
Drive
through the colourful town of Kusadasi and along the coast to reach Ephesus,
famous in antiquity for its Temple of Diana - one of the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World - and later the home of St. John. During the years of the Roman
Empire, the Greek port of Ephesus became the greatest city in Asia Minor. Upon
arrival at Ephesus follow your guide to enter the ancient site through the
Magnesian Gate. Discover innumerable monuments including the Forum, the Odeon,
the Library of Celsus, the Thermal Baths of Scolastika and the Great Theatre
built in the Greek era and reconstructed in the Roman period, which is still
noted for its remarkable acoustics. View the symbols all around and marvel at
the fact that one is still able to read the inscriptions in the ancient Greek
language. Walk back to your coach along the Arcadian Way, where once Mark
Anthony and Cleopatra rode in procession. As you drive back to Kusadasi, on a
hill above Selcuk, just outside Ephesus, view the Basilica of St. John, which
was erected over his grave in the 6th century A.D. by Emperor Justinian. Before
returning to the ship, get a cultural taste of Turkey by enjoying an exhibition
of oriental carpets, jewellery or leather goods.
