Arrival at İstanbul Airport and transfer to our hotel.

We will meet at 5:00 p.m. for a group gathering getting to know our fellow pilgrims. We are now in the largest city in Turkey; the cultural and historical hub. Where East meets West.

At 7.00 p.m. we will dine together with Finbarr and Rabia to enjoy the unique fusion of flavors with our first Turkish cuisine.

Overnight in our hotel in İstanbul (D)

Day tour of Istanbul where we will discover why Istanbul (before, Constantinople) is world renowned for the unique transcontinental city it is; joining Asia and Europe.

In the afternoon we transfer to İstanbul Airport to board our flight to the Mesopotamian city of Sanliurfa, also known as The City of Prophets.

Upon arrival we transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight. (B & D)

After breakfast we depart for the immeasurably sacred site of Göbekli Tepe.

The oldest sacred place of worship in the world. It is an ancient temple known for its remarkable collection of some of the earliest megalithic structures and carvings, dating back to 10 millennia BCE. This neolithic site dates from the hunter gatherer period with no evidence of any agriculture or even human habitation; suggesting that it may have been the emergence of religion that led to the formation of civilization and perhaps even agriculture. The site contains an astounding array of circular structures and huge pillars considered to be the oldest in the world. Many are decorated with anthropomorphic details and sculptural reliefs with beautiful limestone carvings of lions, foxes, snakes and birds, believed to be the gatekeepers of the entrance to the next world.

After Lunch (on your own) we visit Sanliurfa Museum. The centerpiece of the museum simply has to be the Neolithic room, featuring a full-scale reproduction of Enclosure D from Göbekli Tepe. We actually enter allowing us to fully appreciate the magnificence and the scale of the Neolithic builders’ achievement. There is also a splendid collection of mosaica, stone cut cisterns as well as traces of activity from later periods.

Transfer back to Sanliurfa and visit Sanliurfa Museum

Overnight in our hotel in Sanliurfa (B & D)

This morning we transfer to Sanliurfa Airport for our flight to Ankara; the cosmopolitan capital known for its mohair, fine fruit and remarkable wheat. We visit the “City of Contrasts” with the ‘old quarter’ built uniquely around the ruins of an ancient citadel.

Enjoy lunch on your own.

In the afternoon we visit the expansive hilltop Mausoleum of Ataturk, honoring the founding father of the Turkish Republic including the Anatolian Civilizations Museum, situated below the citadel. With its crown of ten domes it was once a covered bazaar where fabric made from local angora wool was traded. In 1951 it was converted into the now world-famous museum, with a great collection of the Hittite Civilization antiquities with Neolithic statues dating back to the 5th millennium BC. There are many artifacts from Çatal Huyuk including Kemal Ataturk’s clothing and personal car.

Accommodation in Ankara (B & D)

Early morning departure for Catal Huyuk.

Today we visit the 9,000 year old Neolithic site of Çatal Huyuk, located on a vast prairie beside the active Hasan Dag volcano. The name means "forked mound" and refers to the site's mounds which formed as centuries of people tore down and rebuilt the settlement's mud-brick houses. Here existed a matriarchal, spiritual and art-loving people who worshiped the Mother Goddess of a fertility cult that perhaps was the precursor to Artemis, or Cybele as she is known in Anatolia. The room set aside as a shrine for the ancient Mother Goddess had a sculpture of the Great Mother of Çatal Huyuk seated with a tame lion on either side, showing that she was a woman of great importance, the Great Mother of Nature, and the tamer and civilizer of the world as well. There were also paintings of animals, cryptic symbols, and geometric patterns adorning the area. During excavation, it was found that the cult room was frequently rebuilt, and many religious articles were uncovered. Most were votive statuettes, in the form of pottery with reliefs of the Mother Goddess, bull’s heads and horns, women's breasts, and leopards. These religious items demonstrate a high degree of skill, and cultural refinement. The site was first discovered in the late 1950s. The excavation continued between 1961 and 1965, becoming famous internationally due to the large size and dense occupation of the settlement, as well as the spectacular wall paintings and other art that were uncovered inside the houses. Since 1993 an international team of archaeologists has been carrying out new excavations and research.

After lunch, we explore and experience the Mevlana Museum, with the tombs of the 13th century Persian poet, theologian and Sufi mystic Rumi, his family, and outstanding members of the Mevlevi order. In addition, ceremonial musical instruments and materials, handwritten books, and woven rugs of the time can be seen at the museum. We will take time to meditate near the tomb of this awe-inspiring mystic and see what worlds might open to us.

Lunch on your own.

Overnight in our hotel in Konya; famous for being Rumi’s resting place. (B & D)

After breakfast we depart for Nigde via Tyana

Kemerhisar is to the south of Nigde and is scattered over three hills on the site of the ancient town of Tyana. Semiramis, the legendary queen of Assyria and founder of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, is thought to have been instrumental in establishing Tyana, which dates back to 1200 B.C. as a late Hittite principality. Ancient remains on the site include a Doric marble pillar on the “Hill of Semiramis” and fifteen linked marble arches of a Roman aqueduct. A path leads from the south of the site to the Baths of Kemerhisar, which is mentioned in ancient writings. The warm spring water that pools there was sipped for its healing powers.

It is here that we get a ‘feeling’ of Apollonius, the great philosopher often referred to as a Greek, but who was actually born at Tyana. Excavations are now underway in Tyana; a temple that marked his birthplace. The area is rich in the many cave settlements, churches and other historical sites. Today we experience the very famous Gumusler Monastery carved out of a large single rock adorned with magnificent wall paintings.

Lunch on your own.

Nigde lies on a plateau embellished by volcanic peaks. It is this city of the Central Anatolian Region, which was called "Nahita" from the Hittite period. Since its foundation, it has been a major commercial center, standing on the ancient trade route between Anatolia and the Mediterranean.

We visit Nigde Archaeological Museum. The museum rooms contain written documents of the Hittite period, statues, masonry, lamps, bronze and rare golden objects from the Roman-Byzantine periods, coins from the Hellenistic to Ottoman periods, carved wooden doors from the Seljuk period and many other artifacts.

Late afternoon we depart for Cappadocia.

Overnight in our hotel in Cappadocia (B & D)

Today we experience Zelve Valley, The Uçhisar Village, The Pottery Village of Avanos,and the underground city of Kaymakli. One of the strangest regions on Earth, in addition to its surrealist landscapes and soaring rock formations, the geography is indeed unique with deep, rich and complex sacred history.

We visit Goreme Valley and some of its famous rock carved churches.

Lunch on your own.

Cappadocia saw the penetration of Christianity into Anatolia. Following the footsteps of St. Paul, the first Christians came to settle in the almost inaccessible natural grottoes. They created the rock carved churches and the underground cities. The churches were painted with brilliant colors illustrating the important episodes in the Bible. The apogee of Byzantine and Christian Cappadocia took place between the beginning of the 10th century and the second half of the 11th century. Its magnificent rock churches and Byzantine paintings constitute a prime example of Oriental-Christian art.

This evening we experience a Whirling Dervish performance by men dressed in the meticulously designed traditional garb including white gowns representing the shroud of the ego. The movement and the costume captures the essence of spiritual grace and rhythmic movement. The ecstatic whirling dance is a sacred practice for the Muslim Sufi Order. During this moving meditation the dancer focuses on his great love of God, and can thus attain Divine Unity. It is a journey of the soul. https://saruhan1249.com

Overnight at our hotel in Cappadocia. (B & D)

Once the City of the Sun: From Sinasos to Mustafapasa

Morning visit to The Mustafapasa village, once known as Sinasos: City of the Sun, is an ancient Greek village with a surprisingly complete underground city, as well as its magnificent historical mosques, madrasas, churches, monasteries, stone homes, and natural splendor. Mustafapasa is a lovely village with rose colored mansions for those seeking authenticity in culture and surroundings, including the Cappadocia Coffee Museum. Mustafapasa is a small city where royalty frequents; for many reasons we will also enjoy it.

After lunch, we transfer to Kayseri Airport for our flight to Izmir Upon our arrival in Izmir we transfer to our hotel in Kusadasi to refresh.

Overnight in our hotel in Kusadasi (B & D)

This morning we depart for Ephesus. Ephesus is the greatest Temple City in Asia Minor. It was dedicated to the Great Goddess Artemis Diana. The Temple of Artemis Diana, built about 550 BCE, is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and one of the most complex temples built in ancient times. The temple was the last of the Great Goddess temples to remain open. It was the site of Goddess worship well into the Christian era. When the temple was in use, it was brightly painted and inlaid with stone, with a marble sanctuary and a tile-covered wooden roof. Conceived by architect Chersiphron and his son, Metagenes, the temple's inner space featured a double row of at least 106 columns, each believed to be 40 to 60 feet high. The foundation was approximately 200 feet by 400 feet. The original temple burned in 356 BCE and was later rebuilt on the same foundation. Fire devastated the second temple in 262 CE. Its foundation and some of the original materials have survived.

Next we explore Mother Mary's House inside the ruins of Ephesus. In 431 CE it was here the Christian church declared Mary to be the "The God Bearer" in order to legitimize Christianity in the eyes of the people of Asia Minor. Prior to that time, she was not recognized by the Christian church. Many of the Great Goddess’s titles were replaced by declaring them to be the titles of Mary, including; "Queen of Heaven", "Divine Virgin" and "Mother of All". Ephesus was chosen for Mary's installation to add legitimacy to the church's claim that Mary, not Diana, was "The Mother of God", the "Mother of All." Many believe that with the rise of Christianity and papal power, the Goddess slowly disappeared from western culture and faded into the mist. But, so great was devotion to the Goddess that she was resurrected in the hearts of the people by a new Goddess known as Mary, Mother of Jesus.

We visit St. John Basilica, built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I in the 6th century AD with the belief that it was the site of the tomb of St. John.

Ephesus was one of the biggest and most famous sites in the ancient world. Towards the 3rd Century BCE, Ephesus was located naturally on the crossing point of the commercial road and so gathered all the richness of the Orient. East meets West. This city offers us its witnessing of the splendor of Asia Minor during the Roman Era. Among its numerous monuments, you will see its famous Arcadian Street, large Hellenistic Theatre, the Celsius Library, and the magnificent façade of the Hadrian Temple (2nd Century Corinthian style). Lunch on your own.

Overnight at our hotel in glistening beachfront Kusadasi (B & D)

Today we continue being adventurers and explore Miletus, Didyma and Priene.

At Miletus we explore the Temple of Serapis. The ancient city of Miletus was the oldest and the most powerful of the twelve Ionian cities in Asia Minor

The Temple of Serapis or ‘The Red Basilica” dates from the 3rd century CE. Only the very fine pediment is visible. The rest of the temple is concealed under dense vegetation. In the remains of the Temple of Athena, built in the first half of the 5th century BCE, there are six Ionic columns on each of the shorter sides and ten on the longer sides.

Before 500 BC, Miletus was the greatest Greek city in the east. It was the natural outlet for products from the interior of Anatolia and had a considerable wool trade with Sybaris in southern Italy. Miletus was important in the founding of the Greek colony of Naukratis in Egypt and founded more than 60 colonies on the shores of the Black Sea.

In the afternoon we drive to Didyma to visit the Temple/Oracle of Apollo and the Temple of Artemis.

The design of the Temple of Apollo was influenced by the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and the Temple of Hera at Samos. Originally, 122 enormous Ionic columns surrounded the temple; today only three remain intact. Dating from the 2nd century BC, the columns are the height of a six-story building, and have a diameter of 6 feet at the base. Even the stumps of columns that fell are impressive in size and display intricate carvings at their base. In the western end of the roofed chamber three doors lead via a great staircase to the oracle room, to which only the priests and oracles had access. Within this room is a small chapel that held the cult statue and the sacred spring. This is where the priestess of Apollo uttered her oracles.

Didyma was an ancient Ionian city, the modern Didim. The town formed just outside of the sanctuary containing a temple and oracle of Apollo, the Didymaion. Next to Delphi, Didyma was the most renowned oracle of the Hellenic world, first mentioned among the Greeks in the famous poem, The Iliad by literary poet Homer referring to Apollo; thus preceding literacy and even the colonization of Ionia. Mythic genealogies of the origins of the Branchidae line of priests, designed to capture the origins of Didyma as a Hellenic tradition, date from the Hellenistic period.

Priene - ‘’Priene’’ means ‘Castle Home’ and is from the Hellenistic period; thus not so much Romanized. This extravagant monument sits atop a steep hill. With its rich history, it is said that Alexander the Great visited there in 334 BC and gave financial aid to finish the Temple of Athena. It has an ancient theater and massive assembly hall.

Lunch on your own.

Return to our hotel in Kusadasi where we overnight. (B & D)

Today we explore Aphrodisias.

Its ruins are as impressive as those of Ephesus. The Aphrodite Temple, the marbled stadium, the Theatre, the Odeon, the Agora and the Roman Baths are all beautifully preserved.

Lunch on your own.

Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale (B & D)

Today we enter Pamukkale, one of the most interesting places in the world, famous not only for the entrancing beauty of its unique geological formations, but also for its historical remains. Located above the theater in the area, the mineral water comes from the thermal springs of Mount Caldag and is collected in the "Sacred Pool'' of ancient times, where we will have the option to swim amidst the Travertine Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which are among the remains of Hierapolis (Holy City). The name Pamukkale means "cotton castle", derived from the dazzling white calcareous castles which are formed by limestone-laden thermal springs, creating a fairyland of bizarre solidified cascades and shell-shaped basins. Enjoy meditating in the waters, which change color like a prism as the light changes and enters the area.

This evening we fly from Denizli Airport at 21:25, to Istanbul Airport at 22:45

Transfer to the hotel and overnight in Istanbul. (B & D)

Old City tour: We wander through the Ancient Hippodrome where massive imperial ceremonies were performed. Next we stroll through The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, The Blue Mosque and The Basilica Cistern lying underneath the city. To complete the day we browse The Grand Bazaar; one of the oldest and largest covered bazaars in the world. The thousands of vendors share fine Turkish spices, ceramics, jewelry, hammam soaps and tapestries.

Accommodation in İstanbul (B & D)

This morning we embark on the world famous Bosphorus Tour in our private boat. We glide toward the Black Sea and view the sites of palaces. We see Yenikoy and its beautiful waterfront mansions. Ancient mosques and elegant fishing villages reflect in the waters, hilltop ruins of Yoros Castle loom high and perhaps a family of dolphins will swim alongside as we continue our smooth ride back to port.

Free afternoon.

Farewell dinner in Istanbul. We will come together to celebrate this most extraordinary Sacred Mystical Journey while tasting our final Turkish Feast and sharing our gratitude, amazement and delight with all we have experienced.

Overnight in our hotel in İstanbul (B & D)

Check-out and transfer to Istanbul Airport on our own. We arrive safely home with our hearts and souls feeling the splendor of the Divine Feminine and exquisite Sacred Turkey.