BODRUM

Bodrum Peninsula is situated on the southwest coast of Turkey, in the eastern Aegean cost. The Peninsula extends 42 km in the E-W direction & 6km - 23.8 km in the N-S direction between the bays of Gulluk and Gokova. The Bodrum Peninsula is surrounded by 32 islands and islets and forms a 174 km long coastline. Villages on the north coast were more successful with fishing. The beautiful Bodrum Peninsula suits people interested in a subdued and relaxing atmosphere. Enchanting villages, with guest-houses and small hotels on quiet bays of the peninsula.

On shore, you can enjoy quiet walks through the orange and tangerine groves bordering the beach. Turgutreis, Gumusluk and Yalikavak, all with excellent beaches, lie on the western side of the peninsula and are ideal for swimming, sunbathing and water sports. See the north coast of the peninsula - Torba, Golturkbuku and Gundogan - by road or, even better, hire a boat and crew to explore the quiet coves, citrus groves and wooded islands. 

Little windmills which still provide the energy to grind grain, crown hills covered with olive trees. Plenty of old Turkish houses with carved timbers and latticed windows provide examples of the vernacular architectural style.

ANTALYA

Antalya, also known as the Turkish Riviera, where the pine-clad Toros (Taurus) Mountains sweep down to the sparkling clear sea, is the tourism capital of Turkey. The region, bathed in sunshine for 300 days of the year, is a paradise for sunbathing, swimming and water sports, yachting, trekking, mountaineering and golf. If you come to Antalya in March or April, you can even ski at Saklıkent in the mornings and in the afternoons swim in the warm waters of the Mediterranean.

Antalya is a jewel of a city sitting in the tiara of a coastline arcing from beaches to mountains. Set in ancient lands and ornamented by natural wonders, the weather in Antalya is bathed in sunshine. It is a modern holiday resort and these enticing shores embrace the ever-changing blue of the Mediterranean. Antalya's historical Old Town area known as the Kaleici offers beautiful harbour views and is surrounded by medieval fortified walls, which date back before both the Roman and Byzantine periods and have been restored many times. 
The Antalya Museum (Antalya Muzesi) really does stand out and offers an insight into the city's Roman and Ottoman past. Another good bet is the Suna and Inan Kirac Kaleici Museum, while close by, further museums await in the neighbouring seaside resort city of Alanya.

There is a truly extraordinary selection of tourist attractions situated on the outskirts of Antalya, including spectacular Roman remains, picturesque stretches of coastline and national parks. For the most impressive ruins, a day trip to either Patara or Termessoswon't disappoint. Antalya is also within reach of the port town of Bodrum, the Turkish capital of Ankara, and the cosmopolitan city of Istanbul, as well as popular tourist destinations such as Aspendos, Izmir, Kemer, Olimpos (Olympos) and Demre - the home town of the world-famous Saint Nicholas of Myra, who to most is perhaps best known as simply Santa Claus.

ANI ANCIENT CITY

Ani is a ruined and uninhabited medieval Armenian city in Kars Province founded on far east of Turkey at the beginning of the 9th century, in Armenian border. It was the capital of medieval Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia until the 11th century Byzantine conquest, covering today much of Armenia and Eastern Turkey. Natural disasters and invasions of the Mongols and then Tamerlane destroyed much of Ani, resulting in an appearance of a medieval town surrounded by the remains of its imposing walls.

Ani Ancient City was abandoned and largely forgotten for centuries but still reminds us of its glory and dignity with reddish brown colored buildings and impressive fortified walls still encircling the ruins of several churches, mosques and caravansarais.

Ani is primarily known for its magnificent monuments based on Armenian architecture. The ancient city houses several churches, cathedrals, palaces, and fortifications which were amongst the most technically and artistically advanced structures in the world. The surviving churches and the remnants of the city walls attest to the high quality of Armenian stonework during the Middle Ages. The medieval ruins spread over an extensively large area displays excellent examples of the Armenian civilizations. The ancient city also has the oldest mosque of Turkey from 1041 as well.

If you wish to see the past of the Armenian history, you should definitely incorporate Ani to your Eastern Turkey tour. Kars is the right place to start your excursion to Ani, approx. 45 km distance from the city.

SUMELA MONASTERY

Sumela Monastery, built on a ledge of a steep cliff on the slopes of the Black Mountain (Karadag) overlooking the Altindere valley, located inside the territory of the Altındere village in the Macka district of the Trabzon Province, is called "Meryem Ana" (Mother Mary) among the people. This building, about 300 m above the valley, continued the tradition of building monasteries outside of cities, in forests, caves and near bodies of water.

According to the legend, this monastery was built by two priests, Barnabas and Sophranius, who came from Athens during the reign of Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius I (375-395). It was restored and enlarged upon the request of Emperor Justinian by one of his generals, Belisarius, in the 6th century.

It is known that the site of the Sumela Ruins has preserved its present form since the 13th century. During the reign of Alexios III (1349-1390), ruler of the Empire of Trabzon (Trebizond) founded in 1204, the monastery gained prominence and its revenues increased thanks to imperial decrees. During the reigns of Manuel III, son of Alexios III, and the subsequent princes, the Sumela Monastery was enriched by new decrees.

After the establishment of the Turkish rule in the Eastern Black Sea region, Ottoman sultans protected the rights of the Sumela Monastery, like those of many others, and granted some privileges. In the 18th century, many parts of the Sumela Ruins were renovated and some walls were decorated with frescoes. In the 19th century, with the addition of large buildings, the monastery attained a magnificent appearance, and passed through its most prosperous and bright era.

During the Russian occupation in Trabzon between 1916 and 1918, the monastery was seized, and it was completely abandoned after 1923. The main sections of the Sumela Ruins are the main rock church, many chapels, the kitchen, student rooms, the guesthouse, the library and the holy spring. This group of buildings was constructed over a quite large area.

SANLIURFA

Sanliurfa is a very special Anatolian city which has figured in all the Holy Books. The history of Sanliurfa is recorded from the 4th century BC, but may date back to 9000 BC. Urfa was conquered repeatedly throughout history and has been dominated by many civilizations. It has a very deep-rooted history and traces a wide range of cultural, religious and architectural remarks from the city past.

According to both the Bible and Quran, it is the birthplace of Abraham before his migration to Canaan, now Palestine. It was first in Sanliurfa that early Christians were permitted to worship freely, and the first churches were constructed openly. Pagan temples were converted to synagogues, synagogues to churches, churches to mosques, and this resulted in a unique eclectic architecture.

Sanlıurfa is a city of ancient traditions, friendships and mystical associations as bringing together people sharing the same pleasures, world views and ideas. Today, Urfa is a surprising mix of the Turkish, Arab and Kurdish population, with both peasants haggling in the traditional bazaar and also young technocrats and engineers in modern section. The city has an oriental atmosphere with a very rich cultural fabric reflecting many customs and traditions.

The old trading centres, today serving as touristic bazaars, Kazzaz Bazaar, Sipahi Bazaar and Huseyniye Bazaars are worth to visit with an authentic value and local commodities, dresses, kilims etc. You can also meet many artizans of traditional handicrafts like felt making, tannery, stone working, weaving, woodworks, copper works, saddle making, fur making and jewelry works.

HARRAN

Harran, which is a town an hour away distance from the city center, is standing in the desert with its beehive-like dwellings and its great castle. You can visit Harran Fortress and the ruins of the mysterious Temple of Sin (known as the first university in the world).

As the city of Urfa is such a deeply rooted in history, it has also a unique cuisine, an amalgamation of the cuisines of several civilizations that ruled in Urfa. The city is mostly famous for its very rich kebab culture made of lamb meat, fat, offal and hot.It is also widely believed that the city is the birthplace of many dishes including Raw Kibbé. According to the legend, it was crafted by Abraham from the ingredients he had in hand.

GOBEKLITEPE

Gobeklitepe is a pre-historic site, about 15 km away from the city of Sanliurfa. What makes Gobeklitepe unique in its class is the date it was built, which is roughly twelve thousand years ago, circa 10,000 BC.

Archaeologically categorised as a site of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A Period (c. 9600–7300 BC) Göbeklitepe is a series of mainly circular and oval-shaped structures set on the top of a hill. Excavations began in 1995 by Prof. Klaus Schmidt with the help of the German Archeological Institute. There is archelological proof that these installations were not used for domestic use, but predominantly for ritual or religous purposes. Subsequently it became apparent that Gobeklitepe consists of not only one, but many of such stone age temples. Furthermore, both excavations and geo magnetic results revealed that there are at least 20 installations, which in archeological terms can be called a temple. Based on what has been unearthed so far, the pattern principle seems to be that there are two huge monumental pillars in the center of each installation, surrounded by enclosures and walls, featuring more pillars in those set-ups.

All pillars are T-shaped with heights changing from 3 to 6 meters. Archeologists interpret those T-shapes as stylized human beings, mainly because of the depiction of human extremities that appear on some of the pillars. What also appears on these mystical rock statues, are carvings of animals as well as abstract symbols, sometimes picturing a combination of scenes.

SAFRANBOLU

Safranbolu is a typical Ottoman city that has survived to the present day. It also displays an interesting interaction between the topography and the historic settlement. By virtue of its key role in the caravan trade over many centuries, Safranbolu enjoyed great prosperity and as a result it set a standard in public and domestic architecture that exercised a great influence on urban development over a large area of theOttoman Empire.

The site of Safranbolu has been occupied by human settlements since prehistory, as evidenced by rock-cut tombs. Turkish People conquered the town in the 11th centuryand in the 13th century  and it became an important caravan station on the main east-west trade route. Surviving buildings from this early period include the Old Mosque, Old Bath, and Medresse of Suleyman Pasha, all built in 1322.

The caravan trade reached its apogee in the 17th century, when the central market was extended to meet the requirements of travellers. Many buildings survive from this period, including the Cinci Inn with its 60 guestrooms (1640-48), Koprulu Mosque (1661) and Izzet Pasha Mosque (1796), as well as many stores, stables and baths.

The Old Town preserves many old buildings, with 1008 registered historical artifacts. These are: 1 private museum, 25 mosques, 5 tombs, 8 historical fountains, 5 Turkish baths, 3 caravanserais, 1 historical clock tower, 1 sundial and hundreds of houses and mansions. Also there are mounds of ancient settlements, rock tombs and historical bridges. The Old Town is situated in a deep ravine in a fairly dry area in the rain shadow of the mountains. The New Town can be found on the plateau about two kilometers west of the Old Town.

The name of the town derives from 'saffron' and the Greek word 'polis' (city), since Safranbolu was a trading place and a center for growing saffron. Today saffron is still grown at the village of Davutobası which is 22 km east of Safranbolu and probably one of the best quality saffrons in the world.

Safranbolu was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1994 due to its well-preserved Ottoman era houses and architecture.

THE ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE OF TROY

Troy is a unique example in an Aegean context of the oriental city at the junction between Anatolia, the Aegean and the Balkans. It is also probably the most famous archaeological site in the world. It may be considered to represent the starting point for modern archaeology and its public recognition.

Troy II and Troy VI in particular are characteristic examples of the ancient city, with a majestic fortified citadel enclosing palaces and administrative buildings, surrounded by an extensive lower town, also fortified. Troy is directly associated with the universally significant literary works of Homer (The Iliad) and Virgil (The Aeneid).Hellenistic tumuli were erected over the supposed burial places of these heroes, such as Achilles, Ajax, Hector, and Patroclus.

Human occupation on the site of Troy began in the early Bronze Age. The first defensive wall round the citadel was built around 3000 BC. Then Troy VI expanded, making it one of the largest towns in the Aegean region with an important trading role. An earthquake in 1350 BC caused grave damage to Troy VI, but the town quickly recovered and was rebuilt in a more orderly layout. The evidence of widespread fire and slaughter around 1250 BC, which brought Troy VII to an end, has led to this phase being identified with the city besieged by the Greeks during the Trojan War, immortalized in The Iliad . The real cause of the Trojan war was intense commercial rivalry between Troy and the mercantile Mycenaean kingdom, the prize being control of the Dardanelles and the lucrative trade with the Black Sea. In 306 BC, Troy became the capital of a league of cities in the Troad and in 188 BC it was identified by the Romans as the Ilion of Homer and recognized as the mother-city of Rome (Ilium Novum). The town prospered under Roman rule and survived a severe earthquake in the early 6th century. Abandoned once again in the 9th century, it was reoccupied in the later Byzantine period and not finally deserted until well into the Ottoman period.

The contemporary history of the site and its subsequent exploration and conservation dates from 1793, when it was discovered. It was identified by scholars, first as Ilion in 1810 and then as Troy in 1820. Heinrich Schliemann first visited the site in 1868. Between then and his death in 1890 he carried out seven major campaigns, completed in 1893-94 by his assistant, Wilhelm Dörpfeld. It was in 1873 that he found the famous gold hoard, known erroneously as 'King Priam's Treasure', as it came from Troy II, not Troy VIIA.

Excavations over more than a century have revealed 23 sections of the defensive walls around the citadel, eleven gates, a paved stone ramp, and the lower portions of five defensive bastions. These date for the most part from Troy II and VI; however, a section of the earliest wall (Troy I) survives near the south gate of the first defences. The great residential complex from Troy II consists of five parallel long buildings with porches (megara ). The largest of these is considered to represent the prototype of the Greek temple. The ensemble is considered to have constituted some form of palace. The remains of a number of long rectangular houses from Troy II are to be seen at the bottom of one of the most striking features off the site, the so-called Schliemann Trench, dug by the famous 19th-century excavator in search of the 'Citadel of Priam', the object of his search.

The Greek and Roman cities at Troy are represented above all by the sanctuary complex. Roman urban organization is reflected by two major public buildings on the edge of the agora. The odeon (concert hall) has the traditional horseshoe-shaped plan and tiers of seats made from limestone blocks. The nearby bouleuterion (council house) is smaller but similar in plan. The surrounding landscape contains many important prehistoric and historical sites: cemeteries, Hellenistic burial mounds, Greek and Roman settlements, Roman and Ottoman bridges. Troy has been added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1998.

HATTUSHA: THE HITTITE CAPITAL

Hattusha exerted dominating influence upon the civilizations of the 2nd and 1st millennia BC in Anatolia and northern Syria. The palaces, temples, trading quarters and necropolis of this political and religious metropolis provide a comprehensive picture of a capital and bear a unique testimony to the disappeared Hittite civilization. The city's fortifications, along with the Lion Gate and the Royal Gate and the Yazılıkaya rupestral ensemble with its sculptured friezes, represent unique artistic achievements as monuments.

The ruins of ancient Hattusha, the modern village of Bogâzkale and the great capital of the Hittite empire, are framed by the grandiose backdrop of the high Anatolian plains 200 km to the east of Ankara. The site was partially occupied at the end of the 3rd millennium by a pre-Hittite population which, as was also the case in other regions, permitted Assyrian traders to settle there. From a number of epigraphic documents we learn that the city was then called Hattus (Hattush) and that it was destroyed around 1720 by Anitta, a Hittite sovereign. The vicissitudes of a complex history rich in events did not spare Hattusha from the 18th to 12th centuries and are borne witness to by monumental vestiges of the built-up and rupestral ensembles.

The site, discovered in 1834, was not comprehensively excavated until 1906, which was the memorable date of the discovery of a copy of a peace treaty between Hattushili III and the Pharaoh Ramses II, which made possible the identification of Hattusha. Since then, joint efforts on the part of German and Turkish archaeologistshave made decisive progress in knowledge of the Hittite capital. The exploration of Hattusha should serve as a model of long-term archaeological research planning and has given rise to a host of publications and to a specialized periodical issued by the Deutsches Archaologisches Institut.

In the 13th century, the city was surrounded by a system of double walls forming a perimeter of roughly 8 km. It was protected at the east end by the Kayalı Bogaz outpost, 1.5 km from the Royal Gate. To the north, beyond the walls, were located a necropolis cut into the rock at Osmankayası and the great rupestral sanctuary of Yazılıkaya, whose walls decorated with bas-reliefs are the undisputed masterpiece of Hittite art.

Inside the walls whose most impressive remains lie to the south and the east and comprise primitive Hittite fortifications, with underground passageways, the city is built on two levels. To the northwest, not far from the present-day village of Bogazkale, which occupies part of the site, is the lower town.

The most remarkable monument is the great temple, dedicated to the god of storms and the goddess of the Sun, Arinna,and surrounded by an array of buildings including stores. Thousands of cuneiform tablets were found in this area. Slightly to the north of the temple is the Assyrian settlement's karum with its houses built around a central courtyard. Part of it dates back to the pre-Hittite period.

To the south is located the upper city, a complex layout. The most important element is the royal residence of Buyukkale, a veritable palace-citadel perched upon the main peak.

It is on other fortified peaks the area between the Lions' Gate to the west and the Royal Gate to the east (the only well-preserved vestiges of the five original monumental entrances) that the best preserved stretches of the double wall are to be found. This wall protected Hattusha, its residential quarters, its palaces and four temples. The Hittite Capital city of Hattusha has been added to UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986.

MOUNT NEMRUT

The tomb or The Hierotheseion of Mount Nemrut bears unique testimony to the civilization of the Kingdom of Commagene. Antiochos I is represented in this monument as a descendant of Darius by his father Mithridates, and a descendant of Alexander by his mother Laodice. The tumulus at Mount Nemrut illustrates, through the liberal syncretism of a very original pantheon, a significant historical period. The landscaping of the natural site of Mount Nemrut is one of the most colossal undertakings of the Hellenistic epoch (some of the stone blocks used weigh up to 9 tonnes).

When the empire of Alexander the Great was breaking up, numerous kingdoms were formed in the Hellenized provinces of the East. One such kingdom was Commagene, which, from 162 BC to AD 72, existed as a semi-independent state, its sovereigns defending their autonomy first against the Seleucids and then against the Romans.
The monarchs of this dynasty bore the Greek names of Antiochos or Mithridates. They left behind, in the mountainous region that stretched from the north of the high valley of the Euphrates, not far from Adiyaman, several breathtakingly beautiful funerary sanctuaries. Locations include Eski Kahta, Karakus and, especially, Mount Nemrut, where the most impressive of all the tomb sites is found, that of Antiochos I of Commagene (69-34 BC).

Discovered by chance in 1881 by Charles Sester, an engineer, it was not until 1953 that exploration of the site was undertaken. Dominating the summit of Mount Nemrut is a conical tumulus of stone chips. This funerary mound, whose interior layout remains unknown despite numerous attempts to locate the dromos, is surrounded on the east, west and north sides by artificial terraces. 

The east terrace has two distinct levels dug out of the rock. On the upper level, a row of five colossal seated figures (7 m high)representing deities shares a common substructure with two pairs of equally immense statues, each pair comprising a lion and an eagle, symmetrically positioned at either end. Inscriptions on the statues identify them from left to right as being: the god Apollo-Mithras-Helios-Hermes; the goddess Tyche of Commagene; the god Zeus-Oromasdes; Antiochos himself; the god Heracles-Artagnes-Ares.

The heads of these statues have broken off and tumbled to the lower terrace, which is bordered on its east side by a pyramid-shaped altar, and on the north and south sides by rows of orthostats. On the north side, these stones are decorated with relief sculptures representing the Persian ancestors of Antiochos. On the south side, his Macedonian ancestors symmetrically face the others. Engraved inscriptions on the backs of the slabs identify the genealogical links.
The west terrace has similar features, with the same series of five statues between the two lion-eagle pairs, but does not have an altar. The orthostats repeat the dual genealogy of Antiochos I, the Persian branch on the south, the Macedonian on the west. The symmetry is somewhat modified by the topography of the mountain.

Three superb reliefs show Antiochos exchanging a handshake with Apollo-Mithras-Helios-Hermes, with Zeus-Oromasdes and Heracles-Artagnes-Ares. They are framed by an allegorical group of Antiochos and the Commagenes on the left and an astrological relief called 'the king's horoscope' on the right. The inscription, which has been deciphered, gives the date 10 July 62-61 BC: the date that Antiochos I was invested as king by the Romans. Mount Nemrut has been added to UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.

KONYA

Konya is one of the first inhabited cities in the history of mankind, and still contains traces of many ancient civilisations which gives it the atmosphere of a museum city. Because of its locations in the middle of the barren Anatolian steppe, it used to be one of the most important trading centres on the Silk Road. The fertile land around the city means Konya is also the heart of Turkey’s grain industry, with farming a major industry. Steeped in tradition, it is one of the most conservative and religious places in the country, and best known as the adopted home of Celaleddin Rumi, the Sufic mystic who founded the Whirling Dervish sect. Today it is still a centre of Sufic practice and teaching, and one of the highlights for visitors is the Mevlana Museum, the former lodge of the dervishes.

Mevlana Museum/Mausoleum of Rumi (in Turkish 'Mevlana Müzesi'),  This must see tourist destination of Konya, is the tomb of the famous mystic/sufi/thinker Rumi (known shortly as Mevlana in Turkish, or with the full name Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi in English literature), as well as the neighboring museum that displays relics of his life and his time. The items on display in the museum range from old manuscripts, hand written copies of the Koran, musical instruments used at Rumi's time, as well as numerous art works dating from the Seljuk era.

Catalhoyuk Ancient City, 50km south-east of Konya, is said to be the second settlement in the world with houses and sacred buildings dating back to 6800 BC. The remains were discovered by British archaeologists in 1958, and research shows 13 different strata with evidence of houses that had to be entered by holes in the roof as there were no streets. There is little left at the site, except the remains of mud brick houses, murals, plaster reliefs and pottery. Construction was from adobe, wood and reed, and most of the findings are now in the Konya Museum of Archaeology.

AMASYA

The city where the Sultans’ sons were educated and the legendary city where Ferhad had to mine the mountains to reunite with his beloved Shirin, Amasya has been one of the major cities of many civilizations since the ancient times. Nestled in the foothills of Mount Harsena and along the Yesilirmak valley, Amasya province leaves an unforgettable impression on tourists both for its historical monuments and its natural wonders.

Located in the Central Black Sea Region, Amasya is one of the first settlements in Anatolia. The climate of the region is a mixture of the Black Sea and Continental climate.  The region is not so hot and dry in summer but receives little rainfall in winter.

Amasya is of great importance to Ottoman history as it had been thebirthplace of many Sehzades (Sultans’ sons) where they received also their education.

It is known that the first settlement occurred in 5500 BC and that the region came under the domination of the Hittite, Phrygian, Lydian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman civilizations. Well-known for its cultural diversity, Amasya province is rich in historically significant monuments and artifacts amidst a lush green and generous landscape.

The King rock tombs of the Pontic Empire before the Common Era are among the most important ancient monuments of the region. Carved into limestone rocks on the slopes of Mount Harsena, these tombs mark the city skyline a Hellenistic flair.

Made during the Early Roman period and mentioned in the legend of Ferhat and Shirin, the Ferhat Water Channel was built into carved rocks to provide the region with water supply. Positioned parallel to the present day highway the channel is about 6 km in length.

Amasya Castle is another attraction that is situated on the steep slopes of Mount Harsena. Offering a unique view of Amasya, the castle bears the ruins of the Girls Palace in the southern section and borders the Tombs of the Kings on the other side.

MARDIN

Mardin is located in between the rivers of famous Euphrates and Tigris and is a well-known town for its mixed heritage, a town incorporating a Babel, Kheldani and Syrian past with different religions and cultures living together. It is very easy to see active churches and mosques next to each other. Mardin is counted as “The Jerusalem of Turkey”. Arabs, Kurds, Turks and others with different backgrounds live together peacefully in this city.

There are so many places to visit in Mardin, but we will highlight the most important ones for you:

Deyruzzafaran Monastery

The monastery was a settlement for Assyrian Orthodox Patriarchs for 640 years until 1932 when it was moved to Damascus and consisting of three floors, got its present form in 18th century, with additions made beginning from 5th century. The monastery was built on a complex which was used as a sun temple which is about 4000 years old and then as a tower by Romans. After a big restoration launched by Saint Hananyo, Metropolitan of Mardin, in 793, the monastery was called with his name as Mor Hananyo Monastery.

After 15th century, it began to be called as Deyrulzafaran (Saffron Monastery), because of the zafaran (saffron) plant growing around the monastery. The monastery, which is a fine architecture example with its domes, arched columns, wooden handcrafts, stone embroideries in both inner and outer places, was one of religious education centers of Assyrian Church through its long history.

Deyrulzafaran Monastery, which was a settlement of Mardin Metropolitan, is still one of the most important religious centers for Assyrian Church today.

Deyr-ul Umur (Mor Gabriel) Monastery

This Syriac Orthodox monastery is one of the oldest functioning monasteries in the world. Located on a hilltop, the monastery was built in 397 with a financial benefaction from the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius. Various additions have been made over the years. The mosaics on the floor and ceiling of the apse of the main church are the finest surviving examples of eastern Byzantine mosaics.

The octagonal Dome of Theodora was built with a benefaction from the wife of Justinian, who visited the monastery. Built in the first half of the 5th century, the domed structure is thought to have originally served as a baptistery.

In addition to the main church, the monastery has three other churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Kırk Sehitler (Forty Martyrs) and Mor Simeon, one of the founders of the monastery.

The Mor Simeon Church houses an octagonal mausoleum known as the Tomb of the Egyptian Monks as well as three burial chambers. The monastery was restored to its original condition in 1997.

ANKARa

Ankara is the second most populated city in Turkey with around 5 million people. It is also the capital city of Turkey. The are many official buildings such as The Parliament, The Embassies of All Countries and all the ministry buildings. Most of the people in this city are either workers in the official buildings or students.

The Mausoleum of Ataturk is the most important monument in Ankara. The eternal resting place of the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Mausoleum is at the same time a museum harboring many towers. It is possible to see and understand the entire process of founding the republic with the artifacts and written documents in the museum section.

Anatolian Civilizations Museum in Ankara is one of the most attractive and well-designed museums in Turkey.

The museum is housed in a 15th-century bedesten (covered market). The central room houses reliefs and statues, while the surrounding hall displays exhibits from Paleolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Assyrian, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartians and Lydian periods. Downstairs are classical Greek and Roman artifacts and a display on Ankara’s history.

The exhibits are chronologically arranged in a spiral: start at the Paleolithic and Neolithic displays in the room to the right of the entrance, then continue in an anti-clockwise direction, visiting the central room last. It is highly recommended to visit this museum to see all the civilization artifacts at one place.

Gordion (Gordium) was the capital of the kingdom of Phrygia. It was one of the most important settlements of Ankara province, which was the home of many antique monuments and artifacts. The “tumulus of Midas”, the greatest tumulus near Gordium, was excavated in 1957. Its diameter is a little short of 300 meters and it is 43 meter-high. In the wooden chamber, which measured 5 x 6 meters, a man’s corpse was found, and even the contents of his last dinner could be reconstructed. It is still possible to see this “tumulus” type of graveyard in Gordion.