MESOPOTAMIA : NEMRUT, URFA and HARRAN

 A trip back in time to our origins, diverse and full of colours.

 Departures on Mondays or Thursdays from Cappadocia
 

Day 1 ( Cappadocia - Nemrut )
Pick up from your hotel and departure in the morning from Cappadocia. After passing Kayseri, we’ll visit the 13th century Seljuk Caravansarai "Karatayhan". The next stop will be in Pinarbasi for a short tea break, then we’ll drive on to Tekir for lunch and to the beautiful scenery of the Tekir Valley. We’ll drive on to Kahraman Maras to have world famous ice-cream, then onto Kahta. Tea break, transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight in Adiyaman.

Day 2 ( Nemrut- Harran)
Very early departure up to the ruins. The minibus will drop us off and we’ll climb  to the top to  watch the beautiful sun rise between the colossal statues and heads of kings and Gods. After sunrise, you’ll have some time to walk around and take pictures. Then we’ll drive back down the hill visiting the ruins of Arsemia, the Roman bridge of Cendere and the Tumulus Tomb of Karakus. Back to the hotel for breakfast.   Then we’ll drive onto Sanliurfa-Harran. We’ll visit on the way the Ataturk Dam which is the biggest dam in Middle east. We’ll check into the  hotel in Sanliurfa and after lunch we’ll visit Abrahams Cave and the Pools of Holy Carp surrounding it, then we’ll walk around oriental covered bazaar.  We’ll take a short drive to Harran, a village of Spellbinding Mud-Birck "beehive" houses mentioned in the book of genesis where Abraham spend last years of his life. Visit the ruins of Harran including city walls, oldest Islamic university and the castle dated to eighteen century. After sunset, we’ll drive back to the hotel, dinner and overnight in Urfa.

Day 3 ( Urfa – Cappadocia)          
Departure from Sanliurfa to Adana-Birecik with its famous rare bald-ibis  (Kel aynak) birds. There is a Breeding farm of Bald Ibis birds. After lunch, we’ll drive up through the Taurus Mountain back to Cappadocia.

2012 Rates : 175 € per person

The price includes :

An air conditioned minibus or midibus

A professional English-speaking guide

The hotels (air conditioned in Urfa) and all meals

All the entrance fees

An ice-cream in Maras.