Private Tour to Mesopotamia and Cappadocia 9 Days

You will meet your driver at airport ( Kayseri or Nevsehir) and tranfer to your hotel.

Please do not forget to ask for reservation. You will return to the hotel around 08:00am

The first stop is Esentepe, the impressive panoramic viewpoint overlooking Goreme. Here your guide will give you information on the history of Cappadocia and the unique rock formations.

Your guide will explain the meanings of the frescoes in the cave churches, decorated with scenes of the Old and New Testaments dating back to the 10th century. The site has been used as a monastery since the first years of Christianity.

Simeon’s monk cell carved into the rock.

r the 4000 year-old Avanos tradition of pottery. A kick-wheel demonstration by a local potter and your chance at trying this ancient custom brings our day to an end. You will arrive back at your hotel around 5pm.

Our first stop is the amazing Kaymakli Underground City. It is the first and most popular underground city in Cappadocia. This complex carved underground is used for hundreds of years by locals to hide from Romans, Persians and Arabs.

We walk alongside the Melendiz River for about 1 hour which winds its way through the Ihlara gorge, stopping for lunch in a restaurant on the river in the village of Belisirma.

in Cappadocia with a large cave cathedral and breathtaking views over the area.

Our final stop will be at a local onyx factory to see a demonstration on carving and shaping onyx. We will then drive back to your hotel arriving around 6pm.

We will stop along the way for lunch. Arriving to Gaziantep around 14:00 and continuing on to visit the world famous Gaziantep Mosaic Museum. This museum exhibits superb mosaics discovered at the Roman site of Belkis-Zeugma before the Birecik Dam flooded most of the site.

This bazaar is one of the most special and oldest bazaars in Turkey. You can find a variety of copper handcrafts. We will also have the chance to taste famous baklava; a sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey (Baklava is originally from Gaziantep). After visiting the city, drive to the hotel and check-in. Your guide will recommend/escort you (if you wish) to dinner to taste some of the world famous cuisine of Gaziantep!

settlements that lived along the Euphrates river. The main three settlements that used to be along this beautiful river are the; twin settlements that made Zeugma, Halfeti the partially submerged town, and Rumkale the statically important river fortress.

the Babylonians followed by the Hurrites, Hittites, Assyrians, Greeks.

This museum exhibits a huge collection, founded from Harran and Gobeklitepe Area.

Then, walk through the local covered bazaar of Sanliurfa. Walk through the town to discover the many hidden treasures.

Harran- according to the Bible- was the site where prophet Abraham spent a few years with his family before moving on to Israel, the Promised Land. There are exceptional photo opportunities in this area.

On the way, you will see Gobeklitepe, a hilltop sanctuary erected on the highest point of an elongated mountain ridge some 15 km northeast of the town of Urfa. What makes Gobeklitepe unique in its class is the date it was built, which is roughly twelve thousand years ago, circa 10,000 BC.

The site is near Kâhtaçay, known in ancient times as Nymphaios. Arsameia was a royal seat of the kingdom of Commagene. It is best known for the Hierothesion of King Mithridates I Kallinikos, built for him by his son and heir Antiochos I.

e) dating all the way back to the 3rd century

esion—for Queen Isias and Princesses Antiochis and Aka I of Commagene, built by Mithridates II of Commagene in 30–20 BCE, near the modern village of Çukurtaş in Kâhta District, Adıyaman Province, Turkey.

cultural heritage sites), watching the sunset, be amazed by the colossal heads and statues of ancient deities, as you step into mythology. This extraordinary landmark rests at an elevation of 8000 ft. The mountain top complex is composed of two flattened areas strewn with statues and separated by a false peak of crushed rock. Antiochus built the entire complex approximately 2000 years ago as a monument to his divine ancestry. After visiting Nemrut, drive to the hotel.

We will reach Mardin around 11:00 and visit this old, historical city. Mardin is very unique with lovely old-Arabic style houses. The houses are often decorated with intricate carvings. This is a very lively trading center with people coming from surrounding villages to buy and sell. We will have a fantastic view of the Plain of Mesopotamia. It is a city that played an important role in the early development of Christianity.

This church dates back to the 4th century, and was renamed in the 15th century to commemorate Cappadocian martyrs, now remembered in the fine carvings above the entrance.

This theological school was built by Melik Necmeddin Isa in 1385. Spend the afternoon walking in its busy streets and bazaars, and admire the stonework all around the town.

It was the seat of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch for almost 800 years.

This historical ancient city, known as the Ephesus of Mesopotamia, is an important settlement on the Silk Road. The remains of the ancient city of Dara are spread over a large area of 9 km and mostly carved into rocks. Around the village, visitors can see the cave houses carved into the rock. Additionally, a church, a palace, a bazaar and related storage facilities, a dungeon, a cannon foundry, and the aqueduct are still extant. Back to Mardin early afternoon for the last shopping and soaking in ancient Mesopotamia.