Turkey 1997

TK-97 - Turkey trip Date of travel: Oct 12 - Oct 26, 1997 ITINERARY: On Oct 12 afternoon a drive in a rented car from Vista to Los Angeles airport (LAX) and flight to Frankfurt, Germany, landing there in mid morning Oct 13. That was followed by a flight to Istanbul, TURKEY, where Orient and Occident meet. On Oct 14 full day tour of Istanbul (originally Constantinople) visiting among other places Justinian’s Hagia Sophia and Sultan Ahmet’s Blue Mosque. The following day the Topkapi Palace before crossing Bosporus over a bridge to the Asian part of Turkey (also known as Asia Minor or Anatolia). During the next 10 days traveling by bus the following places were visited: the cities of Bursa and Eskisehir, Gordion (where Alexander the Great cut the proverbial knot), the Turkish capital Ankara (sightseeing and paying respect to Ataturk the first president of modern Turkey at his mausoleum). Then visit to caravansaries on the Silk Road on the way to Cappadocia with the moonlike landscape at Goreme, the troglodyte village of Avcilar and the underground city of Kaymakli. After a stop at a carpet store, a drive to Konya the most religious city in Turkey and sightseeing of its holy places. From Konya over the Taurus Mountains to Antalya with its lush vegetation and the Mediterranean Sea resorts. A day is spent to see the excavations of ancient cities Perge and Aspendos. Then back over the mountains to Hierapolis with a thermal resort of Pergamene king from 190 B.C. later improved by Romans and Pamukkale with its spectacular white lime cascades formed by the hot springs. Then all the way west to Aegean Sea to view the famous excavations of Ephesus followed by Izmir. North along the coast sightseeing the remnants of Pergamum after the German archeologists took apart its major parts and assembled them in the Berlin Pergamum Museum in early 20th century. Few hours later we stopped at Troy found by Heinrich Schliemann late in 19th century. From Canakkale by ferry across Dardanelles and a visit to the WWI battlefields at Gallipoli where many British, Australian and New Zealanders lost their lives in 1915. From here we returned to Istanbul. Most likely due to late season it was raining most of the trip with only few sunny days. Travel office: Globus (arranged by MAY CO. Travel in Carlsbad) Who took part: There were 38 travelers mostly from North America, Turkish leader from Globus and a Turkish driver of the bus.