CAPPADOCIA-SALT LAKE-ANKARA-BEYPAZARI-GÖYNÜK-TARAKLI-İZNİK-BURSA-İSTANBUL
DAY 1 ARRIVE TO CAPPADOCIA
Landing in Kayseri. Transfer to a hotel in Cappadocia. Overnight in Cappadocia
DAY 2 CAPPADOCIA
Uçhisar, Göreme Open-Air Museum, Zelve, Paşabağları, Derinkuyu Underground City, Ürgüp, Avanos. Overnight in Cappadocia
Cappadocia
The unique heritage of nature and humanity - Fairy chimneys above dreams
The Cappadocia region is located in the middle of the once active volcanic area of central Anatolia. Millions of years ago, three of its mountains - Erciyes, Hasandağ and Güllüdağ - were active volcanoes; in fact, this occasional activity lasted at least until the Neolithic according to prehistoric paintings.
The eruptions of the volcano were so strong that the lava was up to 150 meters thick in some places. Over many millions of years, volcanoes, wind, rain and ice have shaped the region we know today as Cappadocia. As the landscape eroded, basalt rocks remained and formed conical structures, some reaching up to 45 meters.
The locals called these unique stone formations “fairy chimneys,” a name that has survived through the centuries. If nature was the first artist to decorate the decor, it was the Anatolian man who carved the rock over the centuries and built houses, churches and more than 250 underground cities out of it.
As a refuge for early Christians, Cappadocia is an open-air museum full of unequal natural and cultural ingredients.
Cappadocia offers visitors an exceptional and luxurious reception of natural wonders beyond their wildest imagination. These wonders are elegantly decorated with works created by human hand. Cappadocia, with its unique natural features that show a harmonious combination of natural and cultural elements of the landscape, is a charming open-air museum and an incomparable example of the common cultural heritage of mankind.
DAY 3 CAPPADOCIA- SALT LAKE- ANKARA-BEYPAZARI
After breakfast departure to Ankara. On the way visit the salt lake Tuz gölü. Arrival in Ankara, visit to the Ataturk Mausoleum. Arrival in Beypazarı. A tour of the city and the emperor. Overnight Beypazari
Tuz gölü
After Lake Van, the second largest lake in Turkey.
The second largest salt lake in the world covers 70% of Turkey's salt needs.
A wide range of bird species live in the salt lake with an average depth of less than 50 cm. The lake is home to 85 species of birds, 129 species of insects, of which 4 are endemic, 15 species of mammals and 38 endemic plant species. There are about 6,000 bird nests
Salt Lake is included in Class A, which is an important area for wetland protection and biodiversity.
UNESCO has included it on the provisional World Heritage List
Ankara
Due to its location in the center of the country, the region has been a historical crossroads of major trade routes and the crossroads of migratory streams. The Hittite Empire, one of the great powers in antiquity, emerged in central Anatolia. The Hittites excelled not only in the civilizations they created, but also in the structure of the country they developed and in their tolerance and respect for human rights.
Throughout history, Ankara has witnessed battles between powerful armies in search of dominance. The city was an important cultural, commercial and artistic center in Roman times and the main trade center on the caravan route in Ottoman times. However, it lost its significance by the 19th century. When Mustafa Kemal Atatürk chose Ankara as the base from which the war of independence would take place, it again became an important center. Due to its role in the war and its strategic position, it was declared the capital of the new Republic of Turkey on 13 October 1923.
DAY 4 BEYPAZARI-GÖYNÜK-İZNİK-BURSA
Departure to Bursa, panoramic sightseeing of Göynük and İznik. Visit of Ajasofija İznik, Yeşil Cami Arrival in Bursa. Overnight Bursa.
The old district of Beypazarı, built on steep slopes and valleys, is extremely picturesque with a market, traditional houses and a natural landscape. The centuries-old Beypazarı houses reflect the characteristic features of Ottoman and traditional Turkish domestic architecture.
Göynük
Built in traditional Ottoman architecture, the Göynük houses still survive today without losing their architectural character. These houses attract the attention of tourists coming to the district. The castles, which have been renovated and operate as hostels, attract a lot of visitors ’attention.
İznik-Testimony of History
87 km from Bursa is Iznik, formerly known as Nicaea, located at the eastern tip of Lake Iznik. The city was founded in 316 BC. Antigone, one of the generals of Alexander the Great. Iznik was then taken over by another general, Lysimachus, who named the city Nike after his wife. After playing the role of an important Roman and then Byzantine city, it fell to the Seljuks in 1078 and later to the Ottomans in 1331. The Roman theater was built by Trajan (249-251), and on the shores of Lake Iznik by the Roman senate, where the first Council of Nicaea was held in 325. In the center of town is the church of St. Sofia, which was used as one of the most important worlds in 787 due to iconoclasm. The church served as a mosque under Ottoman rule. For the Christian world, İznik is the same as Jerusalem and the Vatican. Among the most important Islamic buildings in the city, visit the Yeşil Mosque, paved with turquoise slabs and Nilüfer Hatun İmarethanesi. Iznik is still a small town whose 114 towers did not exceed the original 4227 m of Roman walls. There are still four gates that allowed access to the city. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Iznik was the center of the excellent production of ceramic pottery, which made an important contribution to the decoration of mosques and palaces throughout Turkey. The museum displays the findings of nearby excavations. After exploring the sights, the fish restaurants by the lake offer delicious food and a relaxing atmosphere. Five kilometers from Iznik, in the village of Elbeyli, you can come across a 5th century catacomb and a 15.5 meter high obelisk built by Cassius Philiscus
DAY 5 BURSA-CUMALIKIZIK-İSTANBUL
Visit to Bursa, Ulu Mosque, Tophane, Koza Han, departure to the Ottoman village of Cumalıkızık.
Drive to Istanbul. Overnight İstanbul
Bursa and Cumalıkızık:
The Birth of the Ottoman Empire
Bursa, one of the early capitals of the Ottoman Empire, reflects the early period of Ottoman culture. Cumalıkızık is a village from that period, a place where time seems to have stopped. The village is also important for its houses, which are excellent examples of civic architecture of the Ottoman period, as well as for the friendly inhabitants who enjoy the traditional environment. It is a “living Ottoman village” with an untouched historical atmosphere of everyday life, cultural values and a natural environment where you are sure to step into the time capsule of wooden houses, narrow streets and monumental trees.
DAY 6 ISTANBUL
Free until transfer. Departure to the airport. Flight Istanbul-Zagreb