OLD TESTAMENT TURKEY - ABRAHAM’S COUNTRYGobeklitepe - OLD TESTAMENT TURKEY - ABRAHAM’S COUNTRYCappadocia - OLD TESTAMENT TURKEY - ABRAHAM’S COUNTRY
9 Days (8 Nights)
Land & Air
$3,990
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OLD TESTAMENT TURKEY - ABRAHAM’S COUNTRY

March 17-25, 2023

Come and explore the other side of Turkey, sites from the world of the Old Testament! Join archaeologist and Old Testament scholar, Dr. Jim Hoffmeier to visit Hattusas, the spectacular capital of the Hittite empire that was Egypt’s rival in the 14th and 13th centuries BC. Other sites we will see include Tell Tayinat, home to a recently discovered temple whose plan mirrors that of Solomon’s temple, and Carchemish where Pharaoh Necho II tried to prevent Nebuchadnezzar’s forces from crossing into the Levant. King Josiah of Judah lost his life at Megiddo trying to thwart Necho’s march to the Euphrates. Urfa and Harran, two sites associated with Abraham, will be visited, as will Gobeklitepe, the unique site with the oldest known religious architecture from the early Neolithic age. To top off this exiting itinerary, we’ll have stopovers at spectacular Cappadocia and Antioch where early Christianity flourished, and there will be opportunities to browse a number of outstanding Museums.

Dr. James K. Hoffmeier
Dr. James K. HoffmeierTrinity Evangelical Divinity SchoolEmeritus Professor of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern History and Archaeology
Cathy Hoffmeier
Cathy Hoffmeier

Mar 17 Fri OT Tour departs USA (Newark, Atlanta,
DC, Houston, Los Angeles)

Mar 18 Sat Arrive Istanbul Airport – Take connection
flight to Ankara. Overnight Ankara.

Mar 19 Sun Ankara – Hattusas – Yozgat
Our tour begins at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. After stopping to see the Roman remains of the Temple of Augustus, drive to visit Hattusha, capital city of Hittite Empire. Overnight in Yozgat. (B,D)

Mar 20 Mon Cappadocia
Full day sightseeing in Cappadocia: Visit Göreme, where you will see remains of several hundred early churches, with rooms hollowed out from the cones of volcanic ash. Some of them are decorated with carved frescoes depicting scenes from the Bible. You will drive through the Zelve Valley on your way to Kaymakli, an underground city which was an early Christian center that extended down in the earth for at least eight floors and housed several thousand people in the eighth and ninth centuries. You’ll continue to Uçhisar, another of these early Christian communities, before returning to your hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

Mar 21 Tue Cappadocia – Karatepe – Antioch
Drive thru the heart of the Hittite Empire. Short visit to the Karatepe Archaeology Museum. Arrive Antioch, check-in to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Mar 22 Wed Antioch – Tell Tayinat – Gaziantep
This morning, we will visit Tell Tayinat. Then drive to Mosaic Museum in Antioch where you will see an unusually rich collection of mosaics from this area. Dinner and overnight in Gaziantep. (B,D)

Mar 23 Thu Gaziantep – Carchemish (Karkamis) – Urfa
Early morning departure from Hotel to Zeugma and see its new excavation, followed by a possible visit to Carchemish (Jer 46:2). We will visit the new Gazintep Mosaic Museum, ranked number 1 mosaic museum in the world. Dinner and overnight in Sanliurfa. (B,D)

Mar 24 Fri Harran – Gobeklitepe – Urfa
After breakfast, drive to Harran (Edessa) to see its wall, mosque, caravanserai (the oldest university of the world), Jacob’s well, and beehive houses. Then visit the Göbekli Tepe temples that date from 10,000 BC. Late afternoon visit to the traditional birth Cave of Abraham, and the pool of sacred fish. Dinner and overnight in Sanliurfa (B,D)

Mar 25 Sat Transfer to Urfa Airport – Fly back to USA
via Istanbul

Including
  • Roundtrip international flights between USA (New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Atlanta) – Istanbul
  • Domestic flight Urfa - Istanbul
  • 1 night at 5 star Movenpick Hotel in Ankara or similar
  • 1 night at 4 star Grand Ser Hotel in Yozgat or similar
  • 1 night at special class Dilek Kaya Hotel in Cappadocia or similar
  • 1 night at 4 star Grand Boğaziçi Hotel in Antakya or similar
  • 1 night at 4 star Doubletree by Hilton in Gaziantep or similar
  • 2 night at 4 star Hilton Garden Inn in Urfa or similar
  • Sightseeing as per the itinerary
  • Daily open buffet breakfasts at the hotels (B:breakfast)
  • 7 Dinners at the hotels (D:Dinner)
  • All Transfers and Transportation by Private A/C bus
  • English speaking, government licensed, bible oriented professional tour guide throughout the tour
  • All Entry fees to the sites & museums
  • Tips to the hotel and restaurant staff
  • Service charges & local taxes
  • Tips to the tour guide and driver
Excluding
  • Turkish Visa Fee ($50 per person for US citizens to be obtained online before arrival www.evisa.gov.tr )
  • Drinks and lunches
  • Travel and Health Insurance, any other item not listed above
Locations on the map may include pre program or extension locations with main program.