Delve with us into the vast culture of handcrafts of Turkey, ancient and modern. Along the way, we’ll enjoy a range of sites, from ornate palaces to humble timeless villages, alternating with hands-on opportunity to learn about a wealth of artisans’ fiber arts, worthy of empresses and everyday domestic goddesses.
The wisdom of women – modern, traditional and legendary – will be a recurring theme during our travels. We begin in the Roman, Greek, Byzantine, Ottoman and Republic cultural melange of Istanbul. We’ll then travel to the land of the earth goddess half woman, half snake of the Shameran, a distinctly different side of Turkey, ancestral home to Kurds, Arabs and Surianis. Finally we’ll visit the valley of Amazon legend Kybele and Greek goddess of the hunt Artemis, Ephesus.
About us, your hosts: Catherine and Abit Bayar along with Celeste Nossiter
First Trip: May 15th – 30th, 2012
Day 1: Arrive in Sultanahmet, Istanbul’s Old City within ancient walls. We will arrange transport from Ataturk Airport – please advise us of your arrival information. Evening group welcome at our hotel, with a casual introductory conversation about our trip during dinner.
Day 2: We’ll plunge right into Sultanahmet’s most treasured sites, within short walking distance from the hotel: the Topkapi Palace including the Harem, the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, including the adjoining Carpet Museum. Late afternoon conversation about Turkish stranded knitting, with Celeste introducing her own hat design pattern and yarn kit, included in the cost of the trip.
Day 3: Ancient culture meets ‘modern’ commerce within 15thC walls: We’ll spend the morning in the Archaeological Museum, the afternoon in the Grand Bazaar. We admit we’re denizens of the latter, so we’ll navigate your way through the best shops. After all that visual simulation, we’ll have an early night.
Day 4: Heading East! Morning flight to Sanliurfa GAP Airport, where our driver will collect us for the drive to the village of Yuvacali. Welcome explanation of the history of the village and Kurdish culture over tea and homemade cake. After lunch, we’ll have free time in the afternoon to explore local crafts. Early evening offers a guided 90-minute archaeological walk, showcasing 6000 years of unexcavated history. Dinner and overnight with village families.
Day 5: An early start for bread making and breakfast. Off to Nemrut Dag, crossing the ancient Euphrates river by ferry. Free time at the summit, then lunch at a local pension. We’ll then visit Arsameia, Cendere Bridge and Karakus Tumulus, re-cross the Euphrates and head back to Yuvacali for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: We leave Yuvacali after breakfast and head to Gobekli Tepe, with free time to explore the ancient site. Then we’ll drive to Urfa’s city centre and the legendary fishponds, and the nearby bazaar with its bright fabrics and tailors working in the open air. After lunch in Urfa, we’ll arrive in the early university town Harran late afternoon, where we’ll dine with a local Arabic family and overnight in basic but fascinating beehive houses.
Day 7: Driving through semi-desert terrain, we’ll stop at Sogmatar moon worshipping center, the Bazda Caves, the Shrine of Jethro and a Caravanserai, before having lunch with some of Abit’s family in the small Kurdish market town of Viransehir. After a late afternoon arrival in Derik, we’ll stay with Abit’s extended family in hillside homes where they’re lived for generations.
Day 8: Morning stroll around Derik seeing small town southeast life, visiting relatives in their businesses, a felter and the family’s ancient olive grove in the town center. After lunch we’ll make a stop for tea in Abit’s village of Ambarli (which may be flooded by then, though we hope not!) with a late afternoon arrival in Mardin’s boutique Zinciriye Hotel. Dinner at Kamer Restaurant.
Day 9: Morning visit to Deyrul Zafaran monastery. After lunch, we’ll visit the crafting women’s coop KEDV and take a stroll around the Bazaar and ancient center. Our second night at the Zinciriye.
Day 10: We’ll leave Mardin in the morning for the ancient Suriani churches of Midyat, the monastery of Mor Gabriel and the endangered site of Hasankeyf. Late afternoon arrival to the city of Diyarbakir. We’ll overnight at Buyuk Kervansaray, where travelers have stayed for centuries.
Day 11: After a free morning, we’ll transfer to Diyarbakir airport for an early afternoon flight to Izmir Airport, with a jaunt just south to Selcuk, our other home base in the West. We’ll stay with our friend Atilla at his Getaway, a family orchard turned relaxed garden inn, just over the hill from Ephesus. Barbeque dinner with his family of Aussie Turks and other international guests.
Day 12: An early morning visit to the site of Ephesus, the most well preserved of several locations in the Selcuk Valley of this Eastern Roman capitol. Afternoon visits to Ayasuluk Hill to see St John’s Basilica, the last column of the Temple of Artemis, the Isa Bey Mosque, and the sunset from the Byzantine era castle at the top. Tea with Abit’s family in our old stone house, then dinner in Sirince, at our favorite schoolhouse turned restaurant. (Full disclosure: where Catherine and Abit got married in 2002!) Another night at Atilla’s, with time to knit and chat around the pool.
Day 13: This morning we return to Istanbul via a flight from Izmir Airport. After we check back in, we’ll head to the nearby Islamic Arts Museum, then the Mosaic Museum in the Arasta Bazaar. We’ll learn how to make oya in the late afternoon.
Day 14: Our final day will be another full one – so much to experience in Turkey. An after-breakfast tram ride over to Galata, the newly art-filled neighborhood around the Tower. We’ll wander up the modern heart of Istanbul, then back down to the water at Kabatas, for a taxi up the Bosphorus to the Sadberk Hanim Museum in Sariyer. Dinner at our hotel to celebrate the end of a wonderful trip.
Day 15: Travel day home…or onward, as you wish. Gule gule!
Cost: $3,800 USD Contact us here to secure your place with a 50% deposit, OR click on the Pay Now button at the top right to visit PayPal. Trip costs must be paid in full by April 1st, 2012. Group size will be limited to 10, not including hosts plus driver and facilitator in the East.
Already live in Istanbul, so only want to join us for the Southeast and Ephesus? We offer that too, here.
Included: All accommodation, internal airfare, transport to and from Ataturk Airport, private bus in the southeast, meals and entrance fees, yarn and pattern for a stranded hat with Turkish designs.
Not included: Transport to/from Istanbul, alcohol, personal items, any tips you care to give to hotel and home-stay staff plus our driver – always appreciated here, but not mandatory! (Not to worry – we’ll explain how it works) Trip deposits are refundable until April 1st, 2012.
