Classical Turkiye
It may sound too good to be true but one can experience classical Turkiye for nine days and eight nights for US$1,888 per person… all in! This special package by Travel Warehouse, Inc. and Oman Air included round-trip economy airfare, all accommodations and all meals, entrance fees to sights, a private bus and a tour guide! This certainly is a bargain and here are some of the sights included in the tour of one of my favorite countries!
The ride on Oman Air was smooth. The great thing about Oman Air is their Business Class window seat has its own corridor so you’ll never have to bother the person next to you when you have to move around. The connecting flight from Oman to Turkiye was seamless and the transit time is short.
First stop when we got to Turkiye was Bursa, a large city lying in the foothills of Mount Uludag. This was my first visit ever to this quaint town where one will visit two mosques — the Ulu Mosque and Green Mosque. Bursa has many bustling markets but the Silk Market is where Byzantine merchants traded with their Iranian counterparts on the Silk Road. Try the regional specialty Iskender Kebab — slices of beef or lamb with tomato sauce, yoghurt, and butter on slices of bread. Stop by Troy and see the ancient ruins of the city and visit a replica of the fabled Trojan horse and the other horse used for the movie Troy is in the city center. Stroll around the city at night and try out Turkish street food such as grilled corn, rice-stuffed mussels with herbs, and huge roasted chestnuts! The following morning started with a trip to the ruins of Ephesus, one of the best-preserved ruins that include the famous Library of Celsus and large amphitheater where concerts are held to this day.
Nearby is the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary where she spent the last years of her life. Get some rosaries and holy water here — they make great and meaningful gifts! Also in the itinerary is Pamukkale where one will see the UNESCO-listed limestone travertine terraces. It is sad that water is running out of these beautiful pools.
Another sight to see here is Hierapolis, an ancient necropolis where one of the largest and best-preserved theaters of antiquity is a must-see! A short stop in Konya allows one to visit the Mevlana Museum where the tombs of dervishes are. There are a lot of little souvenir shops here as well! The tour will also pass a caravanserai — a roadside inn where travelers can rest and recover from the day’s journey — before heading to Cappadocia, definitely a highlight of this tour. The unique landscape here is dreamy and one can see this best on a hot air balloon ride (which is not included but is an option). There is time to wander around the UNESCO World Heritage Site Goreme Open Air Museum and explore the tiny cave churches with ancient religious frescoes. Turkish carpets are renowned and one will visit a carpet factory and see how these are made. A visit to (and crawl inside) the Kaymakli underground city tunnels which was built by Christians to hide and protect themselves from the Romans is interesting but is not really recommended for claustrophobics. Cappadocia is famous for their cave dwellings so try to stay in a cave hotel if you can.
Istanbul, formerly Constantinopole, is the largest city in Turkiye and the last stop of the Classical Turkiye tour. The tour covers the top three tourist destinations — Sultan Ahmet Mosque or the Blue Mosque; Hagia Sophia; and Topkapi Palace. Interestingly, Hagia Sophia was originally a Christian Church and the present Hagia Sophia is the third Hagia Sophia already, built in 537 AD. It was an Orthodox church until the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, then a mosque until 1935, then a museum and then, from 2020, a mosque again. Topkapi Palace is a museum and served as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire and was the main residence of its sultans. Time permitting, visit the Harem inside the Topkapi Palace (another ticket should be bought for this). Shop till you drop at the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops on a total area of 30,700 square meters. Another shopping option is the Spice Market of Egyptian Bazaar, the second largest covered market in Istanbul. Visit the neighborhood of Balat with narrow cobbled streets and colorful homes lined with cafés and interesting shops.
Enjoy a cruise on the Bosphorus Strait and see where Asia and Europe meet, since Turkiye is part of both continents. This was my third visit to Istanbul and I am glad that I finally got to see and go up the Galata Tower, an old Genoese tower built as a watchtower with great views of Istanbul.
The Classical Turkiye tour offers all these and more! Travel Warehouse can cater to the needs of travelers so you may request for quotes for business class or possible extensions in Turkiye. These trips are scheduled for Sept. 15 – 23, Oct. 20 – 28, Oct. 27 to Nov. 4, and Nov. 19 to 27. Book now for this wonderful experience!
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For inquiries, email Travel Warehouse at [email protected] or call landline (02) 8687 2490 up to 92. Visit www.twi.com.ph and www.omanair.com.
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