Türkiye

OVERVIEW

Türkiye’s location at the crossroads of Asia and Europe has given rise to a remarkable blend of Eastern and Western cultures and history. The Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires have bestowed the country with a legacy of unique historical riches that we encounter at its superb archeological sites and museums.

Our new 16-day tour commences in the heart of the Eastern Roman Empire with an exploration of Istanbul’s great monuments: the Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cisterns and a private visit to the Istanbul Archeological Museum. Our visits continue with a focus on Ottoman sites at Topkapı Palace and the city’s grand mosques.

Travelling to Cappadocia, we discover unique landscapes and ancient subterranean cities, and take a walk through the Ihlara Valley. The glory of the Roman Empire is on display at Ephesus and in the Greco-Roman city of Aphrodisias, and at Pergamon and Troy we uncover Homer’s legendary cities. Finally, we spend a full day of reflection at Gallipoli and its ANZAC sites, before our journey concludes in Istanbul.

TOUR LEADER

Dr Helen Pope has a PhD in Latin and has taught Classics at St Stephen’s International School in Rome for over thirty years. For five years, she taught in the Visual Arts department at Monash University, and she has led numerous tours for students as well as for adults to North Africa, Türkiye and the Middle East.

Helen has lived and travelled extensively in Greece and Italy, and has lived in Rome for 35 years.

Highlights

• Discover a Roman legacy in Istanbul’s hippodrome, Basilica Cisterns and impressive Theodosian walls, as well as the historic rise of the Ottoman Empire at Topkapı Palace and the Blue Mosque

• Enjoy an after-hours visit to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum and a private cruise along the Bosphorus

• Admire Cappadocia’s stunning fairy chimney landscapes, subterranean cave cities and beautiful frescoes in rock-cut churches

• Appreciate Roman ingenuity and engineering at Ephesus, one of the best-preserved cities of the ancient world

• Be moved by the spirit of the ANZACs at Anzac Cove and Lone Pine Memorial on the Gallipoli Peninsula