11 Days (10 Nights)
Land & Air$3,990
 Book Now Download Brochure

Exploring Biblical Anatolia and Southeastern Turkey

OCT 04 - OCT 14, 2024 Ankara • Hattusas • Cappadocia Karatepe • Tarsus • Antioch Zeugma • Göbeklitepe • Urfa Harran & more
Read More...
Dr. Carl George RasmussenBiblical & Theological StudiesBethel University
Itinerary Details Hosts & Guide Policies Contact Useful Information

Oct 4 Depart New York

Oct 5 Arrive Ankara

Arrive at Istanbul airport, transfer to flight to Ankara; overnight Ankara. (D)

Oct 6 Ankara - Hattusas - Yozgat

Our journey begins with a visit to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. After stopping to see the Roman remains of the important Temple of Augustus, we will drive to visit Hattusha, the capital city of Hittite Empire. Overnight in Yozgat.

Oct 7 Cappadocia

On our drive to Cappadocia we will stop for a short visit to the Roman Baths in Sarıkaya. Visit Göreme, where we will see remains of 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. We will drive through the Zelve Valley on our 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. We will continue to Uçhisar, another of these early Christian  communities. Overnight in Cappadocia. (D,B)

Oct 8 Cappadocia - Tarsus - Adana

Drive south through the strategic Cilician Gates to visit Tarsus, the city of Paul. Visit the archaeological excavations, St. Paul’s well, the Gate of Cleopatra, and the massive Donuktas (a Roman Temple). Overnight in nearby Adana. (D,B)

Oct 9 Adana - Karatepe - Antioch on the Orontes

After visiting the Adana Archaeology Museum and the Roman Bridge, we will drive to Karatepe to visit the archaeological park. Drive to Antakya for overnight at the Museum Hotel. (D,B)

Oct 10 Antioch

Today we will explore Antioch on the Orontes—the third or fourth largest city in the Roman world and the place were Jesus Followers were first called “Christians” (Acts 11:26). During the day we visit the hippodrome, the temple, and two world-class museums—the New Antioch Archaeology Museum that houses one of the richest collections of mosaics in the world, and the mosaics at the Museum Hotel [where we are staying]). In addition we will visit the grotto Church of St. Peter. Overnight Museum Hotel (D,B)

Oct 11 Selucia Pieria - Tel Tayinat - Alalakh

Today we will begin our day by visiting Seleucia Pieria, the port town from which Paul and Barnabas departed and returned to on their first journey (Acts 13:4). There we will see the Titus Tunnel, one of Rome’s engineering wonders. If time allows, we will visit the monastery complex of Simon the Stylite. We will then drive to Tel Tayinat and Alalakh where a temple and palace were found that have close comparisons to Solomon’s Temple and Palace in Jerusalem. We continue on to Gaziantep and will visit the Gaziantep Archaeology Museum (if time permits). Overnight Gaziantep (D,B)

Oct 12 Zeugma Mosaic Museum - Zeugma - Euphrates River

We will begin our day by visiting the new Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep where the extraordinary finds from Roman Zeugma on the Euphrates are on display. We will then travel east to visit the site of Zeugma—on the Euphrates River. If conditions permit we will visit Carchemish (2 Chron 35:20; Isa 10:9; Jer 46:2)—a major east-west crossing point of the Euphrates and which is mentioned numerous times in the ancient texts. Overnight in Şanlıurfa (D,B)

Oct 13 Harran - Göbekli Tepe - Şanlıurfa

After breakfast, drive to Harran (Haran of Abraham; Edessa) to see its wall, mosque, caravanserai (the oldest university of the world), Jacob’s well, and it distinctive beehive houses. Then visit the Göbekli Tepe with its spectacular stone carvings that date from 10,000 BC. In the late afternoon we will visit to the traditional birth Cave of Abraham, and the pool of sacred fish. If time permits we will visit the Urfa Archaeology Museum. Overnight in Şanlıurfa (D,B)

Oct 14 Return to Home Country

Transfer to airport for departure flight.

Including

• Roundtrip International Air Fare between New York – Istanbul
• Istanbul to Ankara domestic flight
• Urfa to Istanbul domestic flight
• 1 night at Radisson Blu Hotel in Ankara or similar
• 1 night at Grand Ser Hotel in Yozgat or similar
• 1 night at Dilek Kaya Hotel in Cappadocia or similar
• 1 night at Seyhan Hotel in Adana or similar
• 2 nights at The Museum Hotel Antakya in Antioch or similar
• 1 night at Tugcan Hotel in Gaziantep or similar
• 2 nights at Dedeman Hotel in Urfa or similar
• Daily breakfast and 9 dinners (B:breakfast and D:dinner)
• All transportation by private AC Bus
• English Speaking, Government Licensed, Bible Oriented guide
• All Entry fees to the sites and museums
• Sightseeing as per the itinerary
• Service charges and local taxes

Excluding

• Turkish Visa Fee to be paid online prior to arrival www.evisa.gov.tr
• Lunches and Drinks
• Tips to Tour Guide and drivers
• Personal Expenses (Laundry, phone calls, all kind of insurances, etc)


 Locations on the map may include pre program or extension locations with main program.
Including

• Roundtrip International Air Fare between New York – Istanbul
• Istanbul to Ankara domestic flight
• Urfa to Istanbul domestic flight
• 1 night at Radisson Blu Hotel in Ankara or similar
• 1 night at Grand Ser Hotel in Yozgat or similar
• 1 night at Dilek Kaya Hotel in Cappadocia or similar
• 1 night at Seyhan Hotel in Adana or similar
• 2 nights at The Museum Hotel Antakya in Antioch or similar
• 1 night at Tugcan Hotel in Gaziantep or similar
• 2 nights at Dedeman Hotel in Urfa or similar
• Daily breakfast and 9 dinners (B:breakfast and D:dinner)
• All transportation by private AC Bus
• English Speaking, Government Licensed, Bible Oriented guide
• All Entry fees to the sites and museums
• Sightseeing as per the itinerary
• Service charges and local taxes

Excluding

• Turkish Visa Fee to be paid online prior to arrival www.evisa.gov.tr
• Lunches and Drinks
• Tips to Tour Guide and drivers
• Personal Expenses (Laundry, phone calls, all kind of insurances, etc)


Hosts
Dr. Carl George Rasmussen
Biblical & Theological Studies
Bethel University

Dr. Carl Rasmussen is Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He received his Ph.D. in Ancient Near Eastern Studies from Dropsie University (now the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania). Dr. Rasmussen has spent 16 years of his adult life living in Israel, Jordan, Greece, and Turkey, where he taught and led academic study programs. Since his retirement from Bethel University, Dr. Rasmussen has continued to teach and lead adult study tours in Turkey, Greece, and Israel. Each year he spends time in Jerusalem, where is Adjunct Professor at the Jerusalem University College. He is the author of The Zondervan Atlas of the Bible (2010) and The Zondervan Essential Atlas of the Bible (2013). He has created and maintains the web site www.HolyLandPhotos.org that features over 5,150 free High Resolution images of Israel, Turkey, Greece, Malta, Jordan, Italy, etc.

Guide
Tulu Gökkadar

PAYMENT PROCEDURE
• $200 per person Deposit : February 5, 2024 (refundable)
• Full Payment : July 8, 2024
Cancellation Penalty:
– 90–60 days prior to departure : No Penalty
– 59–45 days prior to departure : 25%
– 44–30 days prior to departure : 50%
– 29–15 days prior to departure : 75%
– 14 days & After : No refund

Ms. Sema Ankaralı
Operations
Email: info@tutkutours.com


*Please email to info@tutkutours.com and ask for TUTKU’ bank account details if you wish to pay with bank wire transfer.

Tour brochure covers

We design and print free brochures for you upon request