EasternTurkeyTours

Luxury At Empire’s Edge

Fully escorted group & private toursacross Central & Eastern Turkey and beyond...

2

“Be an open door, be a step among steps”Experience the magic of a Turkey less travelled in the care of local guides who will transport you into an adventure you willnever forget. Breath-taking natural beauty, magnificent historic sites, exciting fully guided tours which will enrich yourunderstanding and appreciation of this inspirational country and its cultures both ancient and modern.

With an intimate knowledge of both the rich historical sites and the hidden places loved by the people of the region you areassured of a journey into the heart of Anatolia. We look forward to introducing you to the culture, traditions, folk lore andfood of our unique region, which is known for its friendliness, history and pastoral beauty. Our tours will bring you closer tothe people so that you will experience their hospitality first hand.

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

“All of our tours have been carefully planned to ensure that the pace and tempo of travel will allow us time to stop and visitthe people we meet along the road and spend time at the extraordinary places we visit. After a tour across eastern Turkeywith the Alkan family we want you to have a wealth of memories to treasure and above all, we would like to see youreturn.

Caring for our region is at the centre of our business and the foundation of our values. We not only know the regions betterthan anyone else but we care about the people and environment because we live there.”

Sabahattin Alkan, Director & founder of Alkans Tour Agency

Church of the Holy Cross (Sourp Khatch) onAkdamar Island (Aghtamar), Lake Van. 10th century

3

What is this life if, full of care,We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughsAnd stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth canEnrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this is if, full of care,We have no time to stand and stare.

William Henry Davies

4

“Let me be surrounded by luxury, Ican do without the necessities!”

Oscar Wilde

Luxury At Empire’s Edge

5

Eastern Anatolia is a region that has, formillenia been both the point of contact anda zone of conflict between Empires and greatcultures. It has also been a highway forpeople travelling between east and west aswell as a major highway for the movementof whole peoples westward. Anatolia wasonce described as being like a great marestretching her head out into theMediterranean and for the Turks with theirnomadic history, arriving in the 10th century,this is probably the best analogy of all. Backin the earliest times of recorded history theeastern Anatolian region was home to theUrartians; the greatest of the region’sindigenous cultures to make the journey into

empire building, the Urartians built anextensive empire between 850 BC and 600BC, encompassing what is now easternTurkey, Armenia and North Western Iran.Known as talented military and irrigationengineers they left their mark across theregion and especially in Van, known to themas Tushpa, their Imperial capital. They comedown to us in our history due to a biblicalerror in translation; Urartu became Araratand known to us as the region where Noah’sark came to rest after the deluge.

The list of peoples to have left their markhere is a long and illustrious one. From theAssyrians, Persians, Hittites, Armenians,

Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and more latterlythe many Turkish tribal groups such as theSeljuks who staked their claims at the battleof Manzikert in 1071 and established theSeljuk Sultanate of Rum identifyingthemselves, by their choice of name, as theheirs to Rome. After the Seljuks, theOttomans delivered Anatolia into themodern era. All of their remains and theirachievements are here, in central andeastern Turkey, waiting to be discovered.

As a place in the world where shiftingfrontiers have always made it feel remote,distant and far from the centre of thingseastern Turkey still has the feel of a borderregion. But it’s a border region that hasembraced the modern world. The transportinfrastructure has been modernised withnew airports supported by excellent flightconnections and extensive roaddevelopment. Add to this a constantlyevolving and growing stock of luxury hotelsand we can truly say that eastern Turkey is onthe map for the luxury traveller.

The hotel stock across eastern and southeastern Turkey encompasses all ranges andtypes from the artfully renovated townhouses of Mardin, Şanliurfa or Gaziantep tothe elegant conversions of substantial oldbuildings right up to unashamedly modernand opulent brand new hotels. Here are justa few examples.

Experience Luxury at Empire’s Edge

An exquisite room at the Erdoba Evleri Hotel

Unique rooms carved through solidrock at the Museum Hotel, CappadociaElegant lighting at the Izala Hotel, Gaziantep

6

ErzurumThe Polat Renaissance Hotel

The Polat Renaissance in Erzurum also a modern hotel, part of theMarriott group, that compares to its equivalents anywhere. Part of thePalandoken ski resort the Polat is just minutes from the centre ofErzurum. Amenities such as ski passes and fitness classes in the gym areall included for the hotel’s guests.

www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/erzbr-renaissance-polat-erzurum-hotel

In our home base of Van our flagship hotel falls into the “modern andopulent” category. Recently built, the Elite World of Van is a luxurioushotel located in downtown Van and boasts all the five star amenities youwould expect from hotels in major cities around the world.www.eliteworldvan.com.tr

VanThe Elite World Hotel

7

KarsThe Cheltikof Hotel

The Cheltikof Hotel in Kars is one of those places that can be calledquirky and eclectic. The Cheltikof is a converted mansion from theRussian period of occupation. After the Russo-Ottoman war of 1877 theKars region was incorporated into the Tsar’s empire. It was regained byTurkey shortly after the First Word War. Built as a merchant mansion justafter the Russian occupation began the building was variously an operahouse, a school, a military pharmacy and a maternity hospital beforebeing transformed into a unique luxury boutique style hotel in 2011.

www.hotelcheltikov.com

MardinThe Erdoba Evleri Hotel

Mardin is particularly spoiled for choice in luxury hotels with a numberof converted and adapted Mardin town houses but, forced to pick, wemight chose the Erdoba Evleri. Erdoba Evleri, simply meaning “ErdobaHouses” is made up of five buildings along one side of a street in oldMardin and converted with exquisite taste to produce a hotel of one’sdreams.

www.erdoba.com.tr

MardinThe Izala Hotel

Just opposite the Erdoba Evleri is the Izala Hotel, a group of modernisedand adapted public buildings producing a hotel of elegance andmystery.

www.izalahotel.com

8

ŞanliurfaThe El Ruha Hotel

Known in ancient times as Edessa, Şanliurfa is a town with anvenerable pedigree but with a modern forward looking face. The El Ruhlembodies these two aspects of Şanliurfa; a modern build with all theamenities of a modern luxury hotel but built in traditional style of Urfastone and located adjacent to the historic centre of old Urfa with itscitadel, the Pools of Abraham, its bustling Ottoman era bazaar andstate of the art modern Archaeological Museum complex, the locationcould not be any better.

www.hotelelruha.com

GaziantepThe Şirehan Hotel

Gaziantep has a superb choice of hotels that compliment its fiery kitchen.The fabulous Şirehan Hotel is a converted 16th century Caravanserai thatwas once an important stop on the Silk Road. Tastefully and elegantlyappointed the Şirehan is a hotel that will stand out in the memory.

www.gaziantepsirehanhotel.com.tr

CappadociaThe Museum Hotel

Cappadocia is a remarkable region known for its other worldlygeological formations and extraordinary landscapes. The region boastsmany superb hotels but the unique nature of Cappadocia has anexclusive hotel to act as its luxury flagship. Built from the houses andcaves that cascade down the castle rock of Uchisar, the Museum Hotelis that hotel. No room is the same and all rooms and suites have beenfurnished with antiques, designed to convey a magical atmosphere andenhance a mood that is unique for each and every visitor.

www.museum-hotel.com

The City of Ani derives its name from theAncient Persian Goddess Anahid. Closelyidentified with Aphrodite, Anahid wasparticularly revered by Armenians beforetheir conversion to Christianity under theguidance of Gregory the Illuminator. The citygrew up in a bend of the gorge created bythe Arpacay River which provided a principalcomponent in the defences of the city.Located on one of the major branches of theAncient Silk Road, Ani reached its apogee inthe 10th and 11th centuries under BagratidKings who enjoyed considerable autonomyfrom the alternating over-lordship of theByzantines and Persians. The revenue

generated by its position astride importanttrade routes allowed the rulers of Ani toendow the city with great churches,monasteries and palaces and a majordefensive city wall which survives to this dayand at its height boasted a population of200,000 competing in size andmagnificence with Constantinople, Cairoand Baghdad. Ani finally succumbed to acombination of Mongol raids and a majorearthquake in 1319 as trade routes shiftedand the region declined into obscurityleaving us with the magnificent and remoteremains of ancient Ani today.

Ani: A cultural treasure on the Ancient Silk Road

9

Seen on:

12 Day Tour of Eastern Turkey

Between Ararat & The Caucasus

10

Ishak Pasha Saray

11

The Silk Road, Ipek Yolu or as the Turkssometimes referred to it, Uzun Yol (LongRoad), is an ancient trade route connectingthe occident and the orient; runningbetween China and Europe it has been animportant conduit of commerce andknowledge since Classical times. Theexpansion of the Macedonian Empire underAlexander the Great probably provided theimpetus that created the early Silk Road andit was further developed by the Roman andByzantine Empires. The Byzantines inparticular, treasured the luxuries that camefrom the east and improved the roads in thewestern reaches of the route.

Under the Mongols, who unified most of thelands of central Asia traversed by the roadand who developed a sophisticated mailservice the road improved yet again. But itwas under the Seljuk Turks that the AncientSilk Road really came into its own and mostof the Hans and Caravanserais to be foundacross Turkey date from Seljuk times. Nearlyone hundred Seljuk caravanserais along theSilk Road still exist in lands once controlledby the Seljuks in Turkey. Accommodationand provisions at the Seljuk caravanseraiswere provided free of charge to travellers for

up to three days at a time; this practice wasan integral part of the caravanserais’charitable status as they were alwaysconnected to a religious establishmentfunded by the state or local rulers. In fact,the Turkish language and its many regionalvariations can be heard all along the routefrom Western China, across central Asia andAnatolia, right into the Balkans even today.In effect, the Silk Road is also a Turkish Roadand it only began to decline with theopening up of maritime trade routes bywestern European powers and the discoveryof the New World in the later Ottomanperiod. However, in many respects, the SilkRoad was an idea that has a romance,mystery and resonance today even for thosewho know little about it; as much as a road,it has a conceptual meaning and importancethat is gripping imaginations today asTurkey, the new nations of Central Asia, andChina reach out to each other using theshared experience of the great Uzun Yol. TheSilk Road had numerous spurs and branchesand the routes we have designed fullyexplore all these varied possibilities- fromConstantinople, present day Istanbul, toAnkara, along Turkey's Great Salt Lake toCappadocia and then on to Kayseri,

Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Bitlis, Tatvan and Vanbefore finishing at the great border fortressof Hosap near the Iranian frontier or at Hopaon Turkey’s north eastern border withGeorgia.

The Silk Road; an ancient artery across Turkey

Hosap Castle

12

UrartuFor twenty eight centuries

the citadel of Van hasstood guard...

13

For twenty eight centuries the citadel of Vanhas stood guard over the lands of easternAnatolia and the crystal blue water of LakeVan; built in the 9th century BC the citadelof Van saw action for the last time just afterthe First World War. Used and continuouslyreused by many cultures and dynastiesacross the ages, Van citadel is one of themost remarkable places in the world.

The Kingdom of Biainili, better known as theKingdom of Urartu, was the most powerfulpolitical and military culture to emerge ineastern Anatolia in pre-classical times.Known for their military engineering, Vancitadel exemplifies their skills. It was from

here, their capital city of Tushpa, that theyruled an empire incorporating easternTurkey, Armenia and north western Iran andfrom here that their kings rode out tocampaign against their enemies each springled by their Principal God, Haldi:

“The chariot of Haldi wentforth………With the awe inspiringsplendour of Haldi; with the aweinspiring splendour of the chariotof Haldi; Menua, son of Ishpuini,went forth. Haldi went before him”

Inscription of Menua: 810-785 BC

Our home base of Van, the Urartian capital Tushpa

Carved chariot wheel mouldsUpper Anzaf Fortress, Van

14

On behalf of everyone...I want to express our happiness andappreciation for a great, great trip!

On our last evening together…your patience, understanding,accommodation and humor wasterrific.

The hotels and restaurants were perfectand Cemil was a superb guide, givingus history, culture and context that Idon't think we could have gottenanywhere else.”

Joanne

Sumela interior

Sumela Monastery, Black Sea region

Beginning in Trabzon- ancientTrebizond- on the Black Sea coastthis tour encompasses a broadsweep through eastern Turkey thattakes in three millennia of history ina part of the Near East that saw thebirth of western civilisation. Fromthe stunning cliff hanging monasteryof the Virgin Mary at Sumela theroute takes us up the Black Seacoastline to Hopa and then throughTurkey’s precipitous tea growingregion, down the Georgian Valleysand on to the eastern city of

Erzurum. From here the road takesus to Kars and the Ancient Armeniancity of Ani and skirting the greatmountain of Ararat, on to theancient city of Van with its 3000 yearold Urartian citadel. Van is the basefor exploring the beautiful lake andthe 10th century Armenian Church ofthe Holy Cross on the Island ofAkdamar. From the high mountainvalleys and passes of the east wedescend to the valleys of the Tigrisand Euphrates taking in the Christiancentres of Mardin, the ancient walled

Twelve Day Tour of Eastern Turkey

Caption

Beginning in Trabzon- ancient Trebizond- onthe Black Sea coast this tour encompasses abroad sweep through eastern Turkey thattakes in three millennia of history in a partof the Near East that saw the birth ofwestern civilisation. From the stunning cliffhanging monastery of the Virgin Mary atSumela the route takes us up the Black Seacoastline to Hopa and then through Turkey’sprecipitous tea growing region, down theGeorgian Valleys and on to the eastern cityof Erzurum. From here the road takes us toKars and the Ancient Armenian city of Ani

and skirting the great mountain of Ararat,on to the ancient city of Van with its 3000year old Urartian citadel. Van is the base forexploring the beautiful lake and the 10thcentury Armenian Church of the Holy Crosson the Island of Akdamar. From the highmountain valleys and passes of the east wedescend to the valleys of the Tigris andEuphrates taking in the Christian centres ofMardin, the ancient walled city of Diyarbakir,the funerary monument of Antiochus at thesummit of Nemrut and Urfa, the City ofProphets, before arriving at the

extraordinary centre piece of this tour, the12,000 year old site at Gobekli Tepe. Theancient site of Gobekli Tepe comprises aseries of enclosures containing massivecarved standing stones; built at a time whenmankind was making the transition from ahunting and gathering society to settledagricultural communities Gobekli Tepe is theoldest ritual and religious structure yetdiscovered. The tour concludes in Gaziantepand the world famous Zeugma MosaicMuseum.

Twelve Day Tour of Eastern Turkey

The Church of the Redeemer, Ani

Ishak Pasha Saray

15

Mosque at the Kasimiye Medresse in Mardin

16

The whole trip was perfect and likebeing with old friends they looked afterme so well, I can't sing their praiseshighly enough.

I took over one thousand photos andwill have great fun editing them all.There are several places that I wouldlike to re visit so I am sure that I willbe in contact with you again.

Hazel

Balloon over the Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia

17

This is a unique opportunity to explore theancient history of central Anatolia. Travellingfrom Ankara to the Hittite capital ofHattusha and onto the astoundinggeological mysteries of Cappadocia, knownfor its many rock carved churches andmonasteries, and for many centuries animportant centre for ecclesiastical andmonastic life in Anatolia. The tour will takein the main rock churches as well as the

underground city of Derinkuyu. The highlightof the Cappadocia section is a balloon flightover the fairy chimneys.

From Cappadocia we proceed down asection of the Silk Road visiting Kayseri andthe Karatay Han, an important Caravanseraion this section of the road, and on toAdiyaman with a visit to Mt Nemrut to viewthe spectacular mountain top funerary site

with its enigmatic carved heads. FromNemrut the tour goes on to Urfa, City ofProphets known in ancient times as Edessa,with a visit to the nearby archaeological digat Gobekli Tepe which, at about 10,000 BC,is the oldest man made religious structureyet discovered. The tour concludes with avisit to Gaziantep and the world famousZeugma Mosaic Museum.

Ancient Cappadocia to Gobekli Tepe

The entrance to Derinkuyu, the underground cityKaratay Han on the Ancient Silk Road

Nemrut, Mountain of the Gods

18

In the classical period the name of Mardinwas Marida or Merida deriving from the oldSyriac word for “fortress.” It was animportant Christian centre and wasconnected to Edessa as a suffragan see. Itremains an important centre for SyriacChristians today and there are a number ofimportant churches and monasteries inMardin and the surrounding Tur Abdin area.The architecture of Mardin dates from theSeljuk and Ottoman periods and gives thetown its distinctive air. The buildings of old

Mardin cascade down the slopes of thecitadel southward towards theMesopotamian plain and are considered tobe an open air museum of late medievalarchitecture with caravanserais, churches,public buildings and many private merchanthouses built from distinctive sand colouredstone. The narrow streets around the centralpart of the town make up a thriving bazaarand market area and there are shops sellinglocal wine produced by the Syriaccommunity.

Mardin

19

Situated on the northern edge of the FertileCrescent, Urfa is a town that can trace itshistory of human habitation back earlierthan 9000 or 10000BC. Numerous Neolithicsites can be found around the region mostfamous of which is Göbekli Tepe, theNeolithic cult sanctuary currentlyundergoing excavation. In Urfa itselfmonumental stone structures, like those atGöbekli Tepe and Nevali Çori have beendiscovered as well as what is thought to bethe oldest sculptured representation of aman yet to be discovered. In more “recent”classical times the city was known as Edessaand was the first independent kingdom to

accept Christianity in about 206 AD underAbgar IX. The Arab Muslims arrived in 638AD and the city continued to be a multiethnic, multi religious place until it becamea central point of friction between Islam andChristianity after it was taken by theCrusader Baldwin of Boulogne whoestablished it as the county of Edessa. Itremained a crusader possession until takenby the Turkish military commander Zenguiwith great slaughter in 1144. From thatpoint the city continued its history as aMuslim city but with a polyglot and multiethnic population. Known as the City ofProphets, Muslim tradition places it as the

birth place of both Abraham and Job and forChristians it is the place where the Shroudof Turin first came to light.Modern day Urfa is a dynamic, expandingcity growing on the back of the massiveirrigation project on the nearby Euphratesknown as GAP. In spite of this considerablegrowth and wealth, produced by the project,the heart of Urfa retains its age old beautyin the Pools of Abraham and its dynamicOttoman era Bazaar. The centre is nowgraced by a important state of the artmuseum which houses many importantartifacts from Göbekli Tepe, Nevali Çori andthe magnificent Haleplibahçe Mosaics.

Şanliurfa

Ottoman era Bazaar

Pools of Abraham

20

The Hittites represented a mysterious gap inour knowledge of the region identified byonly the lack of evidence of what shouldhave been an important player in the politicsof the ancient middle and near east. It wasas if a major part of a jigsaw was missing oran important element was missing from thePeriodic Table. Discovered only in the mid

1800’s, Bogazkale was an extensive andunknown city covering some considerablearea and defended by gigantic walls. Addingto the mystery was the existence of hugeamounts of cuneiform tablets in anunknown language, scorched and baked bya catastrophic fire. It was not until the1940’s that the language was properlydeciphered revealing a whole new area ofhitherto unknown history. Of particular notewas a copy of a peace treaty, replicated instone carved hieroglyphs at the Temple ofKarnak in Egypt; the Hittite copy was lodgedin the Royal Palace at Bogazkoy - Hattusha.This treaty, signed between Ramses theGreat and Hatusilli III in 1258 BC, isregarded to be the first recorded peacetreaty in the world and is the treaty thatformally concluded the war between theEgyptians and Hittites which ended at theBattle of Kadesh in 1274 BC. The treaty hadall the components of a modern treatyincluding non-aggression and mutualassistance clauses as well as provision forthe extradition of political exiles andcriminals. Hattusha was unique in that it was the onlycapital of an ancient Empire located awayfrom main arteries of communication

instead being located in a remote highlandfastness. The city was finally abandonedafter civil conflict and a break down in thegoverning system in around 1200 BC only afew years after the Hittites were recognisedas important and equal partners by theSuper Power of the age, Egypt. It is asalutary lesson that the great Hittite Empire,only a generation after its crowning glorysimply vanished without trace.

The Lions’ gate

Hattusha, capital city of the Hittite Kingdom

Postern gate tunnel

Hittite Gods, Yazilikaya sanctuary

Seen on Ancient Cappadocia toGobekli Tepe tour

20

21

“Eastern Turkey Tours, also known asAlkans Tours. This recommended Vanbased outfit specialises in easternAnatolia, Georgia and Armenia…..”

Lonely Planet Turkey guide13th ed. 2013

For more detailed information and tour brochures and schedules forhistorical, cultural and adventure tours visit us on our web site:www.easternturkeytour.org

For information on Trekking & Mountain adventures on Ararat andaround Lake Van visit our dedicated Trekking website:www.trekkingmountararat.com

• Hopa

• Erzurum

• Artvin • Ardahan

• Ararat• Doğubeyazit

• Van• Ahalat

• Nemrut• Artos

•Şemdinli

Kahramanmaraş•

•Gaziantep

• Şanliurfa

• Antakya

• Adana•Mersin

• Anamur• Demre

•Bodrum

• Ceşme

• Denizli

• Bergama

Gallipoli •

• Edirne

• Bursa

• Eskişehir

• Safranbolu

• Boğazkale

• Samsun

•Nevşehir

• Sivas

• Kangal

• Tbilisi

• Yerevan

• Konya

• Bayburt

• Mardin

•Diyarbakir

• Batman

• Süphan

• Iğdir

• Trabzon• Kars

• Adiyaman

• Kayseri

• Ankara

• Istanbul

• Ida

• Canakkale

• Bolu

• Kastamonu

Map Key:- West to East East to West

Trekking

Skiing

Hot AirBallooning

Gulet Cruising Airports

A warm welcome at the Anadolu EvleriBoutique Hotel in Gaziantep.

• Antalya• Marmaris•Dalaman

• Fethiye

• Kuşadasi

• Izmir

22

Here at Gobekli Tepe, in south easternTurkey, lie the remains of the earliestreligious structures built by man yet to bediscovered. At about 11,000 - 13,000 yearsold this site pre-dates both pottery andwriting and is far older than eitherStonehenge in England or the greatEgyptian Pyramids. In fact, less time

separates us from the builders ofStonehenge than separates the builders ofStonehenge from the last known users ofGobekli Tepe. Gobekli Tepe may have beenin use as a point of gathering for religiousand ritual events for over 2,000 years and itrepresents a major advance in ourunderstanding of man’s early history.

Re-imagining time

Seen on:

12 Day Tour of Eastern Turkey

Ancient Cappadocia to Gobekli Tepe

Daily departures from Istanbul

23

“It sounds silly to say that these tours can changeyour life, but they can. Now that I've been to theseplaces, reading about the historical events that tookplace in them really comes to life.”

Ed

EasternTurkeyTours

Alkans Tour Agency

Alkans Tour AgencyOrdu Caddesi, Yildiz Is Merkezi,

Zemin Kat, No: 2065100 Merkez / VAN

TURKEY

Tel: +90 432 215 20 92Tel: +90 (0)530 349 27 93Fax: +90 432 215 54 86

Tel: (UK office) +44 (0)1792 293 464Email: info@easternturkeytour.org

Email: info@trekkingmountararat.com

Tursab License No. 5904

www.easternturkeytour.org www.trekkingmountararat.com