EasternTurkeyTours North Eastern Turkey & Georgia

Transcription

1 EasternTurkeyTours North Eastern Turkey & Georgia Exceed your expectations

2 Hagia Sofia Day 1: ArriveTurkey Arrive Trabzon: Overnight Trabzon Day 2: Trabzon Trabzon, the major city of the region, was founded in the 7th century BC. Visit the jewel of Trabzon the restored 13th century Byzantine church used for centuries as a mosque it is now the Aya Sofya Museum. Wooden houses fill the old quarter nestled in the ancient fortifications, which stil retain the spirit of a medieval town. Also visit Ataturk Villa, Gulbahar, Cami and the tea at Boztepe with its fine panoramic view of Trabzon. After visiting the sites in Trabzon, return to the hotel for your overnight Above: Sumela interior Below: Sumela Monastery Day 3: Trazon-Erzurum We will start the tour with a visit the Hagia Sophia Mosqye/ Museum, a significant 14th century Byzantine church, overlooking the Black Sea, which boasts some frescos of considerable importance. From Trabzon we travel north, a short way up the Zigana Valley, to Macka in the Altin Dere National Park to visit the Monastery of the Black Virgin at Sumela. In this truly spectacular setting, the seven story Sumela Monastery hangs from the side of a 1200 ft cliff overlooking a steep river valley. Passing through Zigana Valley Pontic Mountains, across the Zigana Pass and onto Erzurum. Dinner and overnight Erzurum

3 Day 4 : Erzurum-Georgian Valley Haho-Ösk Vank, Khakhuli-Yusufeli Erzurum to Yusufeli: After breakfast see the Great Mosque, Yakutiye and Double minaret, Medreses and other central sites including the bazaar. After sightseeing in Erzurum we will have lunch and depart for Yusufeli, Drive on through the Tortum valley visiting the church at Haho after Haho drive to Uzundere to visit the 10th century Georgian monasteries of Ösk Vank and Khakhuli north of Erzurum. Known as Tao-Klarjeti, this area was an important part of medieval Georgia, ruled by the Bagratid kings. Osk Vank Both monasteries were founded by David the Great: Khakhuli, an important literary centre, retains its cross-dome triple-apsed church, with fine relief carvings and frescoes still surviving. Ösk Vank is even more impressive, with scallop-shell arches, high relief mouldings and sculpted column capitals. Dinner and Overnight Yusufeli Day 5: Yusufeli-Dort Kilise ( Tekkale) Dort Kilise Church After breakfast take the minibuses leave for Dort kilise. After visiting the church come back to Yusufeli and then leave for Kars. On the way to Kars visit the mountain village of Ishan. In this village, which was once an Armenian then a Georgian bishopric, stands the ruins of an 8-9th century cathedral and a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in After Ishan leave for Kars.Ovrnight Kars. Dort Kilise Church

4 Day 6: Kars-Ani From Kars and continue for Ani to spend the morning at the former capital of the great medieval Armenian kingdom of Ani. In the mid 10th century, nothing in Europe could rival this capital of this Armenian kingdom in terms of either size or magnificence. The remains of the ruined city include several churches as well as the shell of the Cathedral of Ani, the citadel and a mosque along with an extensive and well preserved defensive wall. There are also some exciting remains of frescoes in the Church of St Gregory (Tigran Honentz) despite exposure to the elements for many centuries. Overnight Kars Day 7: Turkey-Georgia border (Posof) Vardzia Akhaltsikhe Today after breakfast we will leave for the border Turkey and Georgia we cross the border to Georgia, meet our Georgian guide and a driver and continue the tour to this land of wine, traditions, culture and beautiful scenery. We have a photo stop at Khertvisi fortress (10th century) and then travel to Vardzia Cave Town one of the highlights of the trip. It stretches over half a kilometer along the river Mtkvari and has 19 tiers. There used to be about 3000 caves. It s got a church hewn out in rock with amazing 12th century frescos. The complex also includes dwellings quarters, small halltype churches, refectories, wine cellars, pharmacy. We enjoy homemade lunch at a local s place and travel to Akhaltsikhe to visit a recently reconstructed citadel and fortress of Rabat. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at hotel Lomsia in Akhaltsikhe. Ishan Church Khertvisi fortress (10th century) Vardzia Cave Town

5 Narikala - the main fortress of Tbilisi (4th c.) Day 8: Depart Akhaltsikhe in the afternoon for Tbilisi Day 9: Sightseeing Tbilisi Day 10: Depart Tbilisi EasternTurkeyTours North Eastern Turkey & Georgia Exceed your expectations info@easternturkeytour.org Visit: