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DAY 1
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20.04.2000
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| Afternoon departure from Melbourne by Emirates. | ||
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DAY 2
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21.04.2000
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| Mid morning arrival in Istanbul. Transfer to hotel. Remainder
of morning free to rest and settle in. Afternoon cruise on the Bosporus,
for some panoramic views of the city. Visit to the look-out at Camlica Gardens.
Dinner at the hotel. Orientation by Henk after dinner. Overnight: Istanbul |
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DAY 3
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22.04.2000
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| Full day tour of the traditional quarter of Istanbul around
the old Roman Hippodrome, with its Obelisk and the twisted column. The first
highlight will be a visit to the Aya Sophia, once the greatest building
of Christendom. We will then visit the Blue Mosque of Sultanahmet, with
its six minarets. The afternoon will be spent in the Topkapi complex, from
where the sultans once ruled the Ottoman world. The museum will bring us
face to face with some of the most impressive relics of the Muslim world,
including a number of artifacts associated with the Prophet Muhammad himself. Overnight: Istanbul |
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DAY 4
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23.04.2000
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| A morning walking tour of the district of Sultanahmet. We
will roam the lanes among the old wooden houses, now being gradually restored.
We will visit the Little Aya Sofia Mosque, the main church in Christianity
before the Aya Sofia was built. We will also call in at the little Rustem
Pasha mosque, a late masterpiece by the architect Sinan, with its resplendent
walls of Iznik tiles. After lunch we will explore the bazaars: the Grand
Bazaar with its famous gold market, and the Egyptian Spice market on the
shores of the Bosporus. Overnight: Istanbul |
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DAY 5
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24.04.2000
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| Departure from Istanbul by coach to Gallipoli. We will travel
along the sea of Marmara. The peninsula where the Australian nation gained
its maturity boasts a number of famous sites which have entered Australian
folklore: Anzac Beach, the trenches, the Lone Pine Cemetery, the military
museum. We will spend the afternoon visiting them, so that tomorrow we can
concentrate on the Anzac Day ceremony. Overnight: Eceabat |
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DAY 6
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25.04.2000
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| ANZAC Day. This will be a very long day packed with interest.
We will attend the official Wreath Laying Service at Lone Pine which takes
place at 11.30 a.m. The service will be concluded about midday when we will
leave the Peninsula. After crossing the Dardanelles, we will visit the major
archaeological site of Troy, site of Homer's Iliad, and famous for Helen
of Troy and the wooden horse. Overnight at Assos on the coast, where Luke
the Evangelist wrote his Gospel. Overnight: Assos |
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DAY 7
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26.04.2000
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| It is now time to go south along the Aegean coast of Turkey,
with visits to some major sites along the way. First stop is Bergama, or
Pergamon: the medical centre of the ancient Greek world, stunningly situated
on a hill overlooking the sea. The theatre and temple at Pergamon offer
wide views over the Aegean coast. A little further along, we will walk the
corridors of the Aesclepion, where in ancient times the sick were expected
to be cured by meditating in its ancient vaults. Overnight: Kusadasi |
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DAY 8
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27.04.2000
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| Kusadasi brings us close to the ancient world, and to earliest
Christian times. We will visit the charming town of Selcuk, with the shrine
of the Virgin Mary. Legend tells us that John the Apostle and Luke the Evangelist
brought the Virgin Mary to this spot, and this is where she died. We will
also call into the Seljuk Museum, whose exhibits include the famous Artemis
with the multiple breasts, goddess of fertility, to which the whole region
was dedicated in ancient times. Our tour along the coast will then continue
southward to the city of Ephesus, marvel of the Ancient World, where our
walk will include visits to the Library, the Roman baths, the theatre, and
the Arcadian Way. Overnight: Kusadasi |
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DAY 9
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28.04.2000
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| Today's tour will bring us to Miletus, romantically situated
on a peninsula jutting out into the Aegean Sea, with its ancient theatre.
Some 20 kilometres further offers us Didyma, once the proud site of the
enormous temple to Apollo. The courtyard still gives a good idea of the
size of the complex, whilst the two columns which are still intact are gigantic.
Also look out for the carved head of the Medusa, the mythological monster
who had snakes instead of hair, and who had the power to turn to stone anyone
who looked at her. Overnight: Kusadasi |
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DAY 10
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29.04.2000
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| We will leave Kusadasi to go inland for the first time, through
the Meander valley to Pamukkale, well known and popular since ancient times
for its natural hot sulphur springs. This is the region where in ancient
time the cult of Aphrodite was so strong. For most of the way we will follow
the Meander River, detouring into the country to visit Aphrodisias, arguably
the prettiest ancient Greek site in Turkey. Its vast hippodrome, still in
excellent condition, is one of the wonders of the ancient world. Overnight: Pamukkale |
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DAY 11
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30.04.2000
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| We will make the short trip to the vast necropolis at Hierapolis,
and will also spend some time around the salt pans for which the region
is so famous. But this will be a day of relaxation, with plenty of time
to take the waters in the pools in the hotel at Pamukkale. Overnight: Pamukkale |
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