TURKEY

the golden bridge between East and West

Turkey is one of the most enthralling countries to visit, both for its unique position between East and West, and for its fascinating history. The Country was named after the French word Turquoise, the ornamental gem that – considering the strategic location of this land set in the heart of ëthe silk roadí- was supposed to come from there.

From the wonders of Cappadocia, to ancient port city of Ephesus (Efes) and the soaring Byzantine dome of Hagia Sofya in Istanbul, Turkey has more than its fair share of world-famous ruins and monuments. A succession of historical figures and empires ñ including the Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans ñ have all left their mark.

Nowadays, the country has also the rare feature of being two things at once, as it preserves traditional values while becoming increasingly modern and hip.

ISTANBUL HISTORY AND ART

Istanbulís strategic location has attracted many invaders over the centuries. The Greeks, Romans and Venetians took turns ruling before the Ottomans stormed into town. Not only the city straddles two continents, but it was also the final stage on the legendary Silk Road linking Asia with Europe. The many merchants who came to the city, added to its cultural diversity, still very much preserved:

• Let an art historian lead you to the Sultan Ahmed district, located at the heart of the ìOld Cityî. Walk the Hippodrome square, which was the centre of the sportive events and political activities of Constantinople in Roman and Byzantium periods while you listen to the stories linked to the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpentine Column and the German Fountain of Wilhelm II.
• Visit the Blue Mosque, famous for its blue Iznik tiles and its unique 6 minarets, built between 1609 and 1616 years, during the rule of Ahmed I. just like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasa and a hospice, and it still a place of worship.
• Head to the Hagia Sophia, one of the greatest marvels of the art & architecture history, built by the Emperor Justinian in the 6th century as the patriarchate cathedral.

• Enter the Museum of Archaeology of Istanbul, an archaeologist will take you through the unbeaten tracks and will offer you an exclusive visit to the library of the museum.

• Visit the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum. The exhibitions include centuries old handicraft examples of textiles, tiles, manuscripts, calligraphy and carpentry.

• Explore the fascinating Byzantine underground cistern and then Topkapi Palace that was not only the  residence of the Ottoman sultans, but also the administrative and educational centre of the state. Initially constructed between 1460 and 1478 by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople, and expanded upon and altered many times throughout its long history, the palace served as the home of the Ottoman sultans and their court until the middle of the 19th century. Your private guide will wait for you to show you the famous residence of the Sultans, and take you to an exclusive visit of the Harem.

• With the museum curator visit The Istanbul Modern; Turkeyís first museum of modern and contemporary art, committed to share Turkeyís artistic creativity and cultural identity, the museum hosts a broad array of interdisciplinary exhibits and activities.

INSTANBUL traditions along the Bosphorus

• Get access to the Dolmabahce Palace, the last residence of Ottoman Sultans, located on the shores of Bosphorus.  It was home to six sultans from 1856. The construction of the palace cost five million Ottoman Mecidiye gold coins, the equivalent of 35 tons of gold. The design contains eclectic elements from Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles.
• Embark a private yacht to cruise along the Bosphorus for an evening of cahrme woth dining and live folk entertainment, crossing under the two picturesque bridges that connect the European and Asian sides of the city.
• Enter privately into a Sufi centre, where from the voice of the head master you will learn the spiritual tradition of the whirling dervishes, their dedication and philosophy aiming to elevate their spirits to the highest realms, assist exclusively to their sacred dance ritual.
• Visit the Sabanci Museum, a little know museum that hosts one of the richest collection in Turkey of manuscripts and artefacts.

Istanbul Shopping and Entertainment

• With a personal shopper, walk around the luxury fashion district of Nisantasi. With its impeccable reputation as the district preferred by palace residents and later the Republicís intellectuals and influential elite, it is still one of the most important areas of Istanbul.

• Exclusively get access to an Ottoman mansion for an unforgettable dinner; previously owned by an Ottoman pasha, the palace has an incredible private collection of art, together with an art historian visit the collection and about the local thriving art scene.

• With a private fast boat reach the Maidenís Tower, for a wonderful dining experience with live music. With the Bosphorus on all sides, the views are magical. The signature of Istanbul, Maidenís Tower stands proudly in the intersection of the Bosphorus where the two continents of Asia and Europe meet. The towerís history stretches back 2,500 years, with a wealth of legends surrounding it.

• With a culinary expert access to the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, which still functions as a spice and dried foods market with mystical smells and aromas, spreading around from hundreds of shops selling spices, fruits, vegetables, nuts and flowers. Walk through the narrow alleys of the Grand Covered Bazaar for exploring its maze of 4000 shops for an authentic oriental shopping experience.

Northern Cappadocia
History and Tradition

• This regionís accordion-ridged valleys, shaded in a palette of dusky orange and cream, are an epiphany of a landscape:

• With an expert archaeologist, visit this Unesco World Heritage site, the Gˆreme Open-Air Museum. First an important Byzantine monastic settlement that housed some 20 monks, then a pilgrimage site from the 17th century, it is a  splendid cluster of monastic Byzantine artistry with its rock-cut churches, chapels and monasteries, among which is the  TokalI Kilise, one of Gˆremeís biggest and finest churches, with an underground chapel and fabulous, recently restored frescoes painted in a narrative cycle.

• Avanos is the town of traditional pottery art, enter privately to one of the family shop and discover their crafting methods through a kick-wheel-pottery workshop.

Northern Cappadocia
Activities and Dining

• Hike through the Red Valley and take part in a wine tasting and lecture about Turkish wines held by a local wine-maker. Cappadocia is actually one of the major wine producing regions of Turkey. Particularly notable names are Turasan and Kocabağ, who are two large scale wineries that call Cappadocia their home.

• In the mesmerizing landscape sit back and relax while youíll be served an exclusive lunch in a secret spot of the valley.

• At sunset, reach Uchisar Castle, the highest point of Cappadocia, immerse in the spectacular view of the scenery before boarding your own hot air balloon for a ride over the valleys and the region.

• Enjoy a superb dinner at Elai, one of the best restaurants in Cappadocia. Standing in the shade of ‹Áhisar Castle and overlooking part of the Red Valley and Pigeon Valley, the outdoor terrace offers magnificent sights. The splendid Cappadocian landscape stretches as far as Mount Erciyes and is a joy for the eye.

• In Avanos explore the traditional recipes of their finest cuisine in one of the famous cave restaurant for a memorable dining experience.

Southern Cappadocia
explore

• An easy morning hike through the Rose Valley. G¸ll¸dere Vadisi (Rose Valley) provides some of the finest fairy chimneyñstrewn vistas in Cappadocia. As well as this, though, they hide fabulous, little-visited rock-cut churches boasting vibrant fresco fragments and intricate carvings hewn into the stone.

• With an historian, visit the churches and the Christian & Greek village of Cavusin. The village is charming due to the many caves built in the upper part of the village between the 3rd and the 13th century. «avusin region has been a very important region for many years both for the Muslims and for the Christians. Islam entered with the Seljuks after 1200, and they built mosques and madrasas in the region.

• Visit the underground city of Derinkuyu, one of the best preserved and deepest underground cities in the world. Derinkuyu is 55 meters deep and has 8 levels open to visitors.

• Get access to Selime Monastery, carved out of the rock by Christian monks in the 13th century. The size of the church makes a visit here astonishing.

• Indulge in one of the best wellness experience of all times,  a luxury Turkish Hammam and spa  in a charming and picturesque setting.

Ephesus
History and Art

One of the greatest cultural and commercial metropolis of the ancient world, its excavated remains reflect centuries of history, from classical Greece to the Roman Empire ñ when it was the Mediterraneanís main commercial center ñ to the spread of Christianity. Paved streets wind past squares, baths and monumental ruins, the city was a vibrant center of over 250,000 inhabitants, the fourth largest in the empire after Rome, Alexandria and Antioch. So important and wealthy was Ephesus that its Temple of Artemis, on the western edge of present-day SelÁuk, was the biggest on earth, and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World:

• Visit the Virgin Maryís House. It is believed that the Mother of Christ spent the last years of her life and was buried here.
• Take a full private tour of the site with an archaeologist, walking through the largest ancient Roman theater, as well as the library of Celsus, the wonderful artistic remains of the ëHouses of the Richí , the Temple of Artemis (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world), the Basilica of St. John at the top of Ayasoluk Hill, and Isa Bey Mosque one of the oldest and most impressive works of Islamic architecture.
• With an art historian visit the Ephesus Museum, it houses finds from the nearby Ephesus excavation site. Its best-known exhibit is the statue of Artemis retrieved from the temple of the goddess in Ephesus.
• In Pamukkale visit the ancient city of Hierapolis with its staggering necropolis and get access to the picturesque, world famous cotton-white cascades hot springs.

Bodrum
History and the Sea

Bodrum has a history dating back to the 12th century BCE. The city which was called ëHalicarnassusí was the birth place of Herodotus. More than any other Turkish seaside getaway, it has an enigmatic elegance that pervades it, from the townís crowning castle and glittering marina to its flower-filled cafes and white-plastered backstreets.

• With an art historian, visit the Amphitheatre, one of the oldest theatres in Anatolia with a capacity of 13.000 guests.
• Take a private tour of Bodrum Fortress. This imposing structure, built by the Knights of St. John in the early 15th century, is the most prominent feature of Bodrum. It houses a rich collection of artefacts.
• Visit the Museum of Underwater Archaeology with an underwater archaeologist to immerse yourself in the deep blue of the remains of past civilizations.
• Embark a luxury cruise in a Turkish gullet around Bodrum, on Turkeyís southwestern coast. The peninsula is a painterly tableau of white-washed stucco homes, purple bougainvillea and olive-green hillsides. Enjoy a special sunset dinner on board, exclusively by the hands of a renowned chef.

Eastern Turkey
Göbekli Tepe, Nemrut, Mardin

Gˆbeklitepe ëthe first temple everí: dates back 12 thousand years ago, 8 thousand years older than the oldest pyramids and 7 thousand years older than the Stonehenge. It is the most significant archaeological discovery of the 21st century. Get access to the archaeological site with your private guide and witness some of the oldest marks left on our planet by mankind: engineering, religious practices and arts.

• In the city of Urfa walk around the old market district to breath in the oriental atmosphere in this culinary mecca for food enthusiasts from all over the world.
• Reach the peak of mount Nemrut, 2150 mt, it dominates the entire landscape and gives a visibility of over 100 km over the surrounding country. Here stand colossal sculptures built in 1st century B.C. under the Commagene Kingdom. These massive head sculptures of Greek and Persian gods are weighing 6 tons and guarding the burial of the thirty-three foot tall tomb and the temple complex of Antiochus I.
• The historic city of Mardin, known for its multicultural heritage, beautiful and unique architecture, manors, monasteries and medreses. With its medieval skyline, crowned by a citadel surrounded with narrow alleys of golden-colored houses, it is a living historical and cultural treasure all together.  Get access to the highlights of this millenary city and discover few spots that will leave you speechless.