THE LOST WORLDS OF ANATOLIA

Transcription

1 ALUMNI TRAVEL PROGRAM presents Turkish Treasures THE LOST WORLDS OF ANATOLIA October 19-November 2, 2012 A Small Group Tour for MIT Alumni and Friends 15 days from $3,795 air & land inclusive

2 Tour membership limited to 24 MIT alumni and friends TURKISH TREASURES THE LOST WORLDS OF ANATOLIA 15 days from $3,795 air & land inclusive it s a land fashioned from a sultan s dream, immortalized in myth, and ennobled by antiquity. A crossroads of civilization East and West... the ancient world and contemporary culture. From splendid Istanbul and stunning Mt. Nemrut, to southeastern Turkey s biblical lands and Cappadocia s surreal landscape, our small group enjoys a broad view of a fascinating nation. Izmir Aegean Sea Istanbul Destination Black Sea Air Motorcoach Extension (air) Ankara Entry/Departure TURKEY Adiyaman/Mt. Nemrut Cappadocia Mediterranean Sea Gaziantep Sanliurfa (Urfa) Avg. High ( F) Oct Nov Istanbul Urfa Small Group Tour Highlights Exotic Istanbul, including Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, Bosphorus cruise Gaziantep s renowned cuisine with cooking lesson Euphrates River cruise Abraham s Pool and ancient city walls in Urfa Visit to ancient city of Harran King Antiochus statues and temples at Mt. Nemrut Cappadocia s surrealistic landscape: Goreme Valley, underground cities, and open-air museums Ancient Hittite site at Hattusha Ataturk Museum and Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara Day Itinerary Hotel Rating 10/19 Depart U.S. for Istanbul Central Palace 10/20-10/22 Istanbul Sup. First Class Hotel 10/23-10/24 Gaziantep Tugcan Hotel First Class 10/25-10/26 Urfa Hilton Garden First Class Inn 10/27 Adiyaman Bozdogan Hotel Not Rated 10/28-10/30 Cappadocia Uchisar Kaya First Class 10/31-11/1 Ankara Hilton Ankara Deluxe 11/2 Depart Ankara for U.S. Hotel ratings based on the Hotel & Travel Index, the travel industry standard reference. Unrated hotels may be too small, too new, or too remote to be listed. Friday, October 19: Depart U.S. for Istanbul, Turkey Saturday, October 20: Arrive Istanbul Arrive in Turkey s cultural and spiritual heart today, and transfer to the hotel, located near Taksim Square, the heart of modern Istanbul. As guests arrival times may vary greatly, there are no group activities or meals planned today. On your own, explore the area surrounding the hotel or simply relax. Dinner tonight is on your own. Sunday, October 21: Istanbul Today s tour begins at the vast Grand Bazaar, housing 4,000 shops, and the aromatic Spice Market. Then take a private cruise on the Bosphorus, the waterway that separates Europe from Asia. Stop in the village of Ortakoy, known for its trendy art scene, cafés, and boutiques. There s time to explore here and have lunch on your own. This evening, take a short walk to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner of traditional Turkish fare. B,D Monday, October 22: Istanbul Today, encounter Old Istanbul, beginning with the ancient Roman Hippodrome, the 3,500-yearold obelisk brought from Egypt in 390 AD. Continue on to the renowned Museum of Turkish & Islamic Art, housing priceless artifacts from the 8th-20th centuries. Next, visit the Blue Mosque, with its 20,000 blue Iznik tiles and signature six minarets, and Hagia Sofia, the 6th-century church that became a mosque in the 15th-century. Later, tour splendid Topkapi, the medieval palace of Ottoman sultans, now a museum. B,L Tuesday, October 23: Istanbul/Gaziantep Mid-day, fly to Gaziantep (Antep), one of the Cover photo: On October 27, we encounter Mt. Nemrut's ancient statues venerating the burial place of Antiochus I.

3 On October 22, we visit Istanbul's legendary Blue Mosque. world s longest continuously inhabited cities, and center of Turkey s pistachio cultivation and bakklava production. Upon arrival, tour Gaziantep s Museum of Archaeology, featuring a stunning collection of well-preserved mosaics unearthed from nearby sites. B,D Wednesday, October 24: Gaziantep This morning, visit the Gaziantep City Museum for an enlightening orientation to the city and eastern Turkey. After lunch in a local restaurant, where you ll also enjoy a Turkish cooking lesson, visit the semi-enclosed bazaar and several workshops in this city known especially for its handcrafts. A renowned center of Turkish cuisine, Gaziantep boasts many acclaimed restaurants; dinner is in one such local restaurant tonight. B,L,D Thursday, October 25: Gaziantep/Urfa Leaving Gaziantep, take your motorcoach to Halfeti for a cruise on the Euphrates, the 1,700- mile waterway that fed the development of ancient civilization. Pass Rumkale Castle, a strategically sited fortress dating to the Assyrians, and see the ghost towns abandoned by the construction of a dam. After disembarking, continue on to Urfa, notable in both the Old Testament and Islam, reaching the hotel in the city s old town late this afternoon. B,L,D Friday, October 26: Urfa/Harran Drive this morning to Harran, where Abraham is said to have stayed on his way to the Promised Land. In antiquity, a major Assyrian center of culture and commerce, Harran today is an important archaeological site and hardscrabble village. Visit the ruin of the cultish Moon Temple, and also see the city s adobe beehive houses, which were inhabited as recently as the 1980s. Returning to Urfa, visit the Halil-ul Rahman mosque, built on the site where Abraham was thrown into a fire that turned into a pool, the atmospheric marketplace in the old city, and Gobekli Tepe, site of the oldest place of worship yet discovered (since this is an active archaeological dig, entry may or may not be possible). Tonight, dine at a local restaurant overlooking Urfa s ancient city walls. B,L,D Post-Trip Extension: November 2-5, 2012 IZMIR: EPHESUS & PERGAMUM 4 days/3 nights for $895 Single Supplement: $195 From the lively port city of Izmir, discover the superb ruins at Ephesus, among the world s best preserved archaeological sites; and the ancient Greek city of Pergamum in a stunning hilltop setting. Your Price Includes Air transportation Ankara/Izmir 3 nights accommodations at Swissotel Grand Efes (Deluxe) 7 meals: 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners Extensive included sightseeing of Ephesus and Pergamum Services of a local, English-speaking tour director Private motorcoach transportation Gratuities for dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers Land only guests: please add $200 for in-country flights

4 Saturday, October 27: Urfa/Mt. Nemrut/ Adiyaman Depart early this morning for the three-hour drive to the UNESCO site of Mt. Nemrut, the presumed 1st-century BC mountaintop burial site of Antiochus I, with temples, altars, terraces, and decapitated statues of ancient gods and their heads scattered about. Having withstood both time (two millennia) and attempted destruction by iconoclasts, the colossal 26- to 33-foot high statues evoke a very distant and storied past. Walk to the summit and enjoy a picnic lunch in this spectacular setting, then tour the archaeological site and museum here. B,L,D Thursday, November 1: Ankara This morning, visit the Ataturk Mausoleum, honoring the founder of the Turkish Republic, Kemal Ataturk, and the notable Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, which chronicles the history of Asia Minor. This afternoon is at leisure, before tonight s farewell dinner at the hotel. B,D Friday, November 2: Depart for U.S. Early today, fly to Istanbul and board your flight to the U.S. B Sunday, October 28: Adiyaman/Cappadocia Depart early this morning for the daylong journey to Cappadocia, arriving late this afternoon. B,L,D Monday, October 29: Cappadocia Centuries of volcanic eruptions dumped mud, ash, and lava here, later sculpted by rain and wind into whimsical cone, needle, and chimney formations, in which early Christians built thousands of churches in the Goreme Valley. They also built the rock city of Uchisar, and the underground village of Kaymakli, all of which are explored on today s tour. B,L,D Tuesday, October 30: Cappadocia Today s touring features the vast Zelve Valley complex of caves laced with dwellings, churches, and public spaces, where villagers lived until just 40 years ago, the amazing fairy tale chimneys at Pasabag, Urgup winery, and the medieval Ottoman town of Avanos, where local craftspeople fashion pottery and weave rugs. B,L,D Wednesday, October 31: Cappadocia/ Hattusha/Ankara Leaving Cappadocia this morning, travel to the Hittite site of Hattusha, former capital of the Hittite empire dating to the 2nd-millennium BC, and known for its thoughtful urban layout. Tour this UNESCO site, then continue on to Ankara. B,L,D Your Trip Price Includes Round trip air transportation from listed cities; all flights within itinerary 13 nights accommodations in Deluxe, Superior First Class, First Class, and unrated hotels 33 meals: 13 breakfasts, 9 lunch, 11 dinners Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees Services of a local, English-speaking tour director Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip Luggage handling for one bag per person Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers Rock dwelling in Cappadocia Trip Departs: October 19, 2012 New York $3,795 Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, $4,095 Tampa, Washington, DC Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, $4,195 Detroit, Minneapolis Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland (OR), $4,295 San Francisco, Seattle Land Only (transfers not included) $3,595 Please call if your city is not listed. Prices are per person based on double occupancy. Single travelers please add $695. All tour prices above are guaranteed. Business Class upgrade on round-trip Trans-Atlantic flight is an additional $4,995 per person. (Business Class upgrade is subject to availability and the pricing is subject to change.) Airline taxes and departure fees of $389 per person are subject to change and will be listed separately on your invoice. Please note: This trip involves considerable walking on uneven or cobblestone streets and at sites of ancient ruins. You should be in good physical condition to enjoy the tour the fullest. For reservations or more information please contact the MIT Alumni Travel Program at Or compass@mit.edu Or call Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. toll-free at Monday-Friday, 9:00a.m-7:00p.m, Eastern Time

5 Dear MIT Alumni and Friends, Join us for a unique journey this fall to Turkey. From the historic capital of Istanbul, to the less traversed southeastern biblical lands, to fascinating and surreal Cappadocia, this two-week adventure will be truly unforgettable. Begin this sojourn in exotic Istanbul, and explore its famous sites: the ancient Roman Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, iconic Hagia Sophia, the Grand Bazaar, and legendary Topkapi Palace. Then, travel off the beaten path to southeastern Turkey s biblical lands. Highlights here include Gaziantep, one of the world s longest continuously inhabited cities, and a center of gastronomy where we enjoy a Turkish cooking class. Visit Urfa, believed to be Abraham s birthplace, Harran, where Abraham is said to have stayed on his way to the Promised Land, and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Mt. Nemrut, the presumed 1st-century BC burial site of Antiochus I. Explore this stunning landscape, with temples, altars, terraces, and colossal decapitated statues and their heads scattered about. Continue on to the surreal landscape of Cappadocia to visit the Goreme and Zelve valleys, home to the fairy tale chimneys; thousands of bizarre mud, ash, and lava formations that were carved into early Christian churches. The tour ends in the Turkish capital of Ankara, where we visit the Ataturk Mausoleum, honoring the founder of the Turkish Republic, Kemal Ataturk. Space on this tour is limited to 24 travelers and will fill quickly, so register today. If you have questions, or wish to make a reservation, please call the MIT Alumni Travel Program at or us at compass@mit.edu. You may also contact the tour operator, Odysseys Unlimited, Inc., at Sincerely, Melissa Chapman Gresh Director, MIT Alumni Travel Program P.S. Please visit our website at for details and updates on all our programs. MIT ALUMNI TRAVEL PROGRAM RESERVATION FORM: TURKISH TREASURES Enclosed is my/our deposit for $ ($500 per person) for person/people on Turkish Treasures, departing October 19, I/we understand the final payment is due at least 95 days prior to departure (but no later than July 16, 2012). Payment may be made by American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or VISA or by personal check. Please make check payable to Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. and send (with completed reservation form) to: MIT Alumni Travel Program, 600 Memorial Drive, W98-2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, or call the MIT Alumni Travel Program at Or contact the tour operator, Odysseys Unlimited, at Full Passport Name Date of Birth Gender Badge Name MIT Affiliation Full Passport Name Date of Birth Gender Badge Name MIT Affiliation Address City State ZIP Home Ph. ( ) Cell Ph. ( ) Book my/our air from I will share a room with I/we request a Business Class upgrade I request a single room (limited availability) Post-Trip "Izmir: Ephesus & Pergamum" Extension: Please sign me/us up Please Note: The undersigned has read the schedule of activities for Turkish Treasures, October 19-November 2, 2012 and agrees that their signature below represents their acceptance of the General Terms and Conditions: Signature(s) Date Method of Payment Check American Express Discover MasterCard VISA Account # Security Code Exp. Date Name of Cardholder Signature Final invoicing will be sent by our tour operator, Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. The balance of the program price must be paid to Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. Final payment is due by July 16, 2012 and is payable by check or credit card.

6 GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS Please read this information carefully, as payment of a $500 deposit per person represents your acceptance of the following Terms and Conditions. Not included in tour price Airfare when purchasing a Land Only tour package; costs of passports and visas; airport and departure taxes, which will be listed as separate items on your invoice and are subject to change; personal expenses such as beverages, laundry, room service, and meals not specified; airline baggage fees; airport transfers when purchasing a Land Only package; communication charges; gratuities to your Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director, which are at your discretion (suggested gratuities $10-$15 per traveler, per day); optional sightseeing; travel protection insurance. Cancellations, refunds and changes If you must cancel your trip, the effective date of cancellation will be upon our receipt of your written notification. Refunds for cancellations are subject to the following per person charges: Cancel 95 days or more before departure: $200 charge; Cancel days before departure: 25% of tour price; Cancel days before departure: 50% of tour price; Cancel days before departure: 75% of tour price; Cancel 29-0 days before departure: No refund. If a guest makes any changes to their reservation within 94 and 30 days prior to departure, Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. will apply a $100 per person administrative fee, in addition to any fees or penalties imposed by third parties. If your reservation changes from double occupancy to single occupancy for any reason, you will be charged the single supplement. No changes are allowed within 30 days of departure. Upon reservation you must provide your full legal name as it appears on your passport as well as your date of birth and gender. In the event an airline ticket is issued with incorrect information you have provided, you will be responsible for charges associated with the ticket s reissue. Responsibility The liability of the MIT Alumni Association, as sponsor, and Odysseys Unlimited, Inc., as tour operator, is strictly limited. Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. purchases transportation, hotel accommodations, restaurant and other services from independent suppliers not under their control. Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. serves only as agent for these suppliers in securing tour arrangements, and therefore will not accept responsibility for wrongful, negligent, or arbitrary acts or omissions of these independent contractors, their employees, agents, servants or representatives. The MIT Alumni Association and Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. are not liable for injury, damage, loss, accident, or delay that may be caused by events not within our control, including without limitation, acts of terrorism, war, strikes, the defect of any vehicle, or the negligence or default of any third party. All coupons, receipts, and tickets issued are subject to the terms and conditions specified by the air carriers, cruise line, and other independent suppliers. Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. and the MIT Alumni Association will make every effort to operate this tour as planned, but Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. and the MIT Alumni Association reserve the right to make itinerary changes as necessary. If unforeseen circumstances require a hotel change, alternative accommodations of the same or better quality will be selected. If you choose to make your own air arrangements, Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. and the MIT Alumni Association shall not have any liability for any loss resulting from cancellation of this tour or changes in this tour. Alumni Travel Program 600 Memorial Drive, W98-2nd Floor Cambridge, MA Presorted Standard U.S. POSTAGE P A I D Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. Health and Medical Issues Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. and the MIT Alumni Association request that you be in good health to participate in this tour. There is a reasonable amount of walking, and you must be able to get on and off motorcoaches on your own. If you require the use of a wheelchair or have other personal needs, you must be accompanied by a companion who will assist you. Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. reserves the right to remove anyone whose physical or mental condition, in its opinion, compromises the operation of the tour or detracts from the enjoyment or safety of the other passengers. In that event, Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. and the MIT Alumni Association assume no financial responsibility for any unused portion of the tour. Turkish Treasures: The Lost Worlds of Anatolia October 19-November 2, 2012