Day 1 Arrival into Istanbul be met at the airport and taken to the hotel. After checking in we will enjoy a full day exploring Istanbul. We will visit the Hagia Sophia Museum. Originally constructed by the first Christian Roman Emperor Constantine in 347 AD, it was consecrated to Hagia Sophia the Eastern Orthodox figure of the heavenly Wisdom. Our next stop will be Sultan Ahmet Mosque, and then the Topkapi Palace. Overnight in Istanbul.

Day 2 After breakfast we will continue our visit in Istanbul by going to the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is a labyrinth of streets and passages housing more than 4,000 shops. The names recall the days when each trade had its own quarter: the goldsmiths' street, the carpet sellers' street, and the street of the skullcap makers. Still the commercial center of the old city, the bazaar is the original shopping mall. Overnight in Istanbul.

Day 3 After breakfast we will check out and transfer to the airport for our flight to Antalya. Upon our arrival will visit the Antalya Museum, Termessos, and the old city. Situated on Mt. Solyhmos, some 20 miles northwest of Antalya, Termessos is located on a mountaintop in dense woodland and is one of the best-preserved archaeological sites in Turkey. Among the remains are a gymnasium, Hellenistic theater, an agora, a necropolis with good examples of Pisidian sarcophagi and rock-cut tombs. After a picnic lunch in Termessos, we will drive to the Archaeological Museum, for a glimpse of the area's rich history. Overnight in Antalya.

Day 4 In the morning we will drive to Antalya and visit Aspendos and Perge on the way. Perge was a center of native culture and a seat of the worship of Artemis, a purely Anatolian nature goddess. The ancient Pamphylian city of Aspendos is noted for its Roman ruins. A wide range of coinage from the fifth century BC onward attests to the city's wealth, which was based on trade in salt, oil and wool. The hilltop ruins of the city include a basilica, an agora, and some rock-cut tombs of Phrygian design. A huge theater, possibly the finest in the world, is carved out of the northeast flank of the hill. Overnight in Antalya.

Day 5 We will spend the morning exploring more of Cappadocia before driving to Konya. The underground city of Kaymakli was cut out of volcanic tufa as deep as 300 feet during the period covering the 6th to the 10th centuries. On our way to Konya we will visit Agzikarahan, one of the numerous Selcukian caravan-serai built on the Silk Road. Once at Konya, the 13th century capital of the Selcuks, we will visit the Mevlana Museum, once the cloister of Mevlana, a great mystical philosopher of the 13th century, and Mevlevi, the Whirling Dervishes. Overnight in Konya

Day 6 Today we will explore the valleys of Cappadocia, well known for its rock churches that date to the period of the persecution and for its underground cities-amazingly intricate systems of tunnels cut into mountains of rock. Our first stop will be the Goreme open-air museum, which was one of the earliest settlements in the area. Then on to Zelve, where you will see many red-cone-capped dwellings and chapels from various periods. After our visit to Zelve, we will drive to Uchisar, a fortress-type settlement hewn into a high outcrop of rock. The view of the Cappadocian landscape from this location is unique. In the afternoon there will be an optional walk led by your guide through one of the valleys. Return to Urgup Perissia for overnight.

Day 7 We will have an early morning climb to Nemruddag for the sunrise. After the visit we will drive to Cappadocia. Along the way we will visit Nemrutdag National Park and the Karakus Cemetery, the tumulus where the royal women of Kommagene were buried. Kommagene's eastern boundary on the Euphrates River, at the conjunction of sever al routes over the Taurus Mountains, gave it a strategic position between the Roman and Parthian empires. Overnight in Urgup Perissia

Day 8 After breakfast we will drive to Harran and then to Adiyaman. Harran was once an ancient city of strategic importance. Located on the road that ran from Nineveh to Carchamish. The most impressive of the ruins we will see is that of Ulu Cami, (The Great Mosque) built in the 700s by Marwan II, last of the Umayyad caliphs. The village of Altinbasak is another place of interest with its unique, beehive-shaped, houses. Overnight Adiyaman.

Day 9 After breakfast we will drive to Urfa, which lies in fertile plains ringed by limestone hills. Traditions of its earliest foundation refer to the legendary Assyrian King Nimrod. Muslims associate the place with the prophet Abraham, whose birthplace is shown there in a cave under the citadel. A pool of sacred fish, flanked by a 17th century Islamic theological school, is believed to be the lake created by God to protect Abraham when he was thrown on a funeral pyre by the angry Nimrod. A walk in the old Covered Bazaar, with its still unchanged architecture and atmosphere, will take us back centuries in time. Overnight in Urfa.

Day 10 After breakfast the group will drive to ancient Antiocheia. Located near the mouth of the Orontes River, it was once the center of the Seleucid Kingdom and one of the wealthiest cities of the Hellenistic and Roman world. The city was one of the earliest centers of Christianity, serving as the headquarters of St. Paul in about 47-55 AD. The Grotto of St. Peter is a cave church where St. Peter is believed to have preached and taught to the first Christian community of Antiocheia. We will be crossing the border into Syria at "Bab El Hawa" after going thru secruity and customs control we will continue our tour to the basilica of St. Simeon where the monk St. Simeon settled in 412. In his devotion and worship, he lived on the top of a column for nearly 42 years, surrounded by pilgrims. After contemplating the ingenuity that must have been put in to practice to accommodate the basic needs of a human living for such a great length of time on top of a column about 5-6 feet in diameter, head to Aleppo for overnight.

Day 11 Enjoy a full day tour of Aleppo (Haleb, which means milk, and is named from a story of Abraham, which you will no doubt hear once you arrive in Aleppo), touring the restored citadel, the old city, the National Museum and the souk - the best place for shopping for hand crafts by local artisans, and it is still used by the local inhabitants who buy kitchen wares, coffee, spices, material, perfumes, and much more there. Overnight in Aleppo.

Day 12 After breakfast we will depart Aleppo and visit the city of Ebla (Tel Mardika) and the crusader castle of Sahyunan. We will then continue on to Apamae . Then head to Crac De Chevaliers, the 12th century fortress that was occupied by the crusaders in 1110 B.C. The fortress was the key to defending the surrounding area as it guarded an important pass and has magnificent views of miles and miles of territory. After exploring this impressive castle travel to Hama where you will be able to see the water wheels, or norias. Overnight in Homs

Day 13 Wake up early today and start on the road to Palmyra , city of Queen Zenobia. Visit the museum, the ancient ruins and views of the oasis from the Arab fort high on top of a nearby hill. Later in the afternoon we will continue our sightseeing and watch the sunset from the Arab fort.overnight Palymra.

Day 14 Head south to Seydnaya and Ma'aloula, the villages where Aramaic, the language of Christ is still spoken, followed by a visit to St. Sergius's and St. Taqla's Mountains. Continue on to Damascus for dinner and overnight.

Day 15 After breakfast, enjoy a city tour of Damascus, which vies with Aleppo for the distinction of being the "oldest continuously inhabited city of the world', and was once the capitol of the Islamic world under the Umayyad Caliphs. Explore the famous Umayyad Mosque, the Grand Bazaar and the "Street Called Straight" where St. Paul received his vision. Then tour the Damascus museum to learn about the ancient history of this country. Overnight in Damascus.

Day 16 Early morning check out and transfer to the airport for your flight home.

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