Turkey 2000

Our trip consisted of 14 days of travel throughout Turkey. The map below shows the route that we took as we traveled. Following is the itinerary for each day including the place we stayed overnight. For photos click on day's itinerary.
Lake Egirdir
Pamukkale
Seljuk
Days/Places in the Itinerary
Day 1: In the air. Left Kalamazoo, traveled by bus to Chicago and then took Turkish Air flight direct to Istanbul. Day 8: Pamukkale. Visited the calcium formations that Pamukkale is famous for and the ruins of Hierapolis (190 BC). After noon visited Buldan where locals still use traditional looms to produce cloth that the region is famous for. Group dinner and bathing in hot mineral baths rounded out the day.
Day 2: Istanbul. Arrived in Istanbul late morning. Checked into Hotel Armada. Visited city walls, Kariye Museum and cruised the Bosphorus. Evening dinner at a fish restaurant on the shores of the Bosphorus. Day 9: Seljuk. Traveled from Pamukkale to Selcuk. En route toured the ancient city of Aphrodisias. Checked into Kalehan Hotel in Seljuk and had a group dinner in the hotel that evening.
Day 3: Istanbul. Toured Istanbul including the Blue Mosque, the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, the Underground Cistern, the Hippodrome and Haghia Sophia. Had lunch in a rooftop restaurant. Visited the Grand Bazaar and learned about carpets from Hasan Semerci. Evening dinner on roof of Armada with guest speaker on the family, Dr. Diane Sunar of Bogazi University. Day 10: Seljuk. Started the day with a visit to Ephesus. Then visited the Ephesus Museum, St. Johns Basilica, and House of Virgin Mary in the afternoon. Late afternoon stopped at a leather goods store and two of our group participated in a fashion show of leather goods for us.
Day 4: Ankara. Traveled from Istanbul to Safranbolu and Ankara. Went through region affected by the August 17, 1999 earthquake. Saw old Ottoman houses and learned about family living arrangements. Traveled on to Istanbul where we stayed in the Best Hotel. Dinner was at a restaurant built in a traditional Turkish house in the old walled city, overlooking modern day Ankara. Day 11: Bursa. Traveled from Seljuk to Bursa where we visited the Green Tomb, Green Mosque, and a Fortress with tombs of the Sultans who founded the Ottoman empire. Late afternoon we checked into the Kervansaray Termal (hotel) had a group dinner and enjoyed a Karagoz Shadow Puppet performance after dinner.
Day 5: Konya. Visited the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara and then traveled from Ankara to Konya. Checked in to Hotel Balikcilar and then went to Nazli Kocbeker's home for tea and to meet her family. Tea turned into dinner, but we had yet another dinner when we returned to the hotel. Special arrangements for made for us to see the Whirling Dervish ritual after dinner. Day 12: Bursa. Visited Ozdelik Manufacturing, a modern textile facility where Turkish towels and robes are produced. Visited the silk bazaar in the afternoon and enjoyed an authentic Turkish bath, including wash and massage, in the evening (well, some of us did!).
Day 6: Konya. Visited a Turkish private elementary school and learned about Turkish educational system. Visited Mevlana Museum, former monastery of Whirling Dervishes. Had lunch in Kaplan Brothers Caravan and learned more about Turkish carpets. The carpet store guided us on a tour of a village where the women and girls hand weave carpets and then on to a modern carpet production facility. Dinner was a traditional Konya dinner with description of various courses presented by Turkish food expert, Nevin Halici. Day 13: Istanbul. Traveled from Bursa to Istanbul. Visited the spice bazaar and had free time to shop or rest. Had a final group processing meeting after dinner on the rooftop of the Armada. Turks were celebrating their independence on that day and put on a wonderful fireworks display that we viewed between the outlines of the Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque.
Day 7: Pamukkale. Traveled from Konya to Pamukkale through Lake Region of Turkey. Visited a well-preserved wooden mosque in Beysehir. Stopped for lunch at picturesque Lake Egirdir. Visited a potter in a small village and watched a demonstration of his craft. Arrived at Thermal Colossae (hotel) in Pamukkale late afternoon. Group dinner in outside restaurant followed by individual activities (belly dancing for some).

Day 14: Istanbul. Visited Suleymaniye Mosque complex and Topkapi Palace. Had time for resting or more shopping. Wrap up dinner, in an outdoor restaurant, was when we expressed our thanks to our Guide and Bus Driver.

Day 15: Kalamazoo. Left Istanbul on direct flight to Chicago where we boarded a bus and returned to Kalamazoo.