Rugs & Traditions

Rugs and Traditions of Turkey brings the folk art, history and peoples of Anatolia together in one very unique travel programme. Enjoy first-hand the creations of centuries old crafts using time honoured methods, spectacular scenery, ancient sites and traditional lifestyles. This really is the ‘magic’ of Turkey.

DAY 1. (Saturday) - ISTANBUL
Arrive to Istanbul Ataturk airport and transfer to your hotel. Afternoon explore Topkapi Palace, the magnificent palace of the Ottoman Sultans between the 16th and 19th centuries. The extensive exhibits include priceless world-class collections of jewellery, porcelain, textiles and costumes of the Sultans. A visit to the Harem quarters is an absolute highlight. Overnight Istanbul.

DAY 2. (Sunday) - ISTANBUL
Begin your day with a visit to the fascinating Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, with highlighted exhibits of calligraphy, Turkish miniatures, manuscripts and ethnographic displays. The museum is also considered to house some of the oldest examples of early Ottoman textiles and carpets. Continue to the impressive Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii), with its beautiful blue Iznik tiles, unique architecture and marble latticework and the Hippodrome, the centre of Byzantine life for a 1000 years. Visit the Vakiflar Kilim and Textile Museum housing one of the finest collections of flat weavings and carpets in the world. Afternoon visit to the magnificent Haghia Sofia, built by Constantine the Great and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century. It is one of the world’s greatest architectural marvels. Enjoy the underground cistern, Yerebatan Sarayi - the largest Byzantine Cistern in Istanbul before we make a special visit to the Center for Anatolian Ethnography and Textile Studies in Istanbul. Photographs, accompanying field notes, related literature, a broad selection of textiles and ethnographic objects collected by Donor Josephine Powell are on display. Overnight Istanbul.

DAY 3. (Monday) - ISTANBUL - Hereke -Nicea (Iznik)- BURSA
After breakfast travel to Hereke, world famous as a production centre for Turkey’s finest silk carpets. We visit workshops where exquisite designs from the Ottoman period are transposed into silk creations sold throughout the world. Continue to the city of Iznik (Ancient Nicaea), founded in1000BC and famous for its ceramics. The Archeological Museum here is home to exhibits of Ottoman weaponry, embroidery and calligraphy; and several items from the city’s Roman past. After lunch continue to Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. As befits a city with a rich Imperial past, it has many fine examples of Islamic architecture and also remains an important centre of the Silk Trade. Here we will see exactly how silk is cultivated and spun into thread. Enjoy a visit to the fascinating silk markets and the amazing Green Mosque Complex . In the evening enjoy a warm mineral bath in your hotel, one of the outstanding features of this town. Overnight Bursa.

DAY 4. (Tuesday) - BURSA -Pergamum- Izmir- KUSADASI
Travelling from Bursa to Kusadasi visit the ancient city of Pergamum, once a powerful and cultured kingdom. A line of rulers beginning with a general under Alexander the Great ruled over this small but wealthy kingdom, whose asclepion (medical school) was extremely famous and whose library rivaled that of Alexandria in Egypt. The most stunning of the attractions are the acropolis and the Great Theatre, which retains its astounding acoustics. Continue through Izmir, a major port on the Aegean to Kusadasi. Overnight Kusadasi.

DAY 5. (Wednesday) - KUSADASI - Ephesus- Selcuk- KUSADASI
Visit the biblical city of Ephesus, the ancient Roman capital of Asia Minor. Ephesus is widely regarded as one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world and a centre of early Christianity. The Basilica of St John is an incredible sight with its labyrinth of halls and marble courtyard. The House of the Virgin Mary is believed by many to be the place where Saint John took the mother of Jesus after the crucifixion and from which she ascended to heaven. Also make a visit to the nearby and highly regarded Archeological Museum, with some of the best collections of Greek and Roman artifacts to be found anywhere in Turkey. Overnight Kusadasi.

DAY 6. (Thursday) - KUSADASI - Aydin- Nazilli- PAMUKKALE
Departing Kusadasi visit a local weaving school. See the weaving of cotton, wool and silk carpets which are woven on the traditional wooden handlooms. Witness dying and weaving of the carpets and kilims. Meet with the weavers and enjoy a local village hospitality and a traditional village lunch. In the afternnon journey to Pamukkale or ‘Cotton Castle’ where the white limestone cliffs have attracted visitors since before the time of Christ. Visit the Roman city of Hierapolis and stand at the ‘Gateway to Hell’. Overnight Pamukkale.

DAY 7. (Friday) - PAMUKKALE - KONYA
Leave Pamukkale after visit to the ancient city of Hierapolis. Travel to Konya thru the central Anatolian plateau which was the capital city of Selchuk Turkish Empire.Konya is

the major center of Whirling Dervishes and final resting place of the mystic, Mevlana, it was also a major trading center of the Silk Road. The highlight of the day is the Mevlana Museum, a place of worship and now home to many famous collections of art and textiles.

Travelling on to Cappadocia we visit the village of Sultanhani. Sultanhani is famous throughout Turkey for its master carpet repairmen and vast numbers of beautiful antique carpets are transported to this area for cleaning and restoration. Visit the numerous carpet repair workshops and the magnificent Seljuk Caravanserai. Continue to the spectacular sheer-sided canyon of Ihlara and before arriving in Goreme, also visit the fascinating multi level subterranean underground city of Derinkuyu.

DAY 9. (Sunday) - CAPPADOCIA
Full day tour of Cappadocia including the fascinating frescoed and rock-carved churches of the Göreme Open Air museum, known for it’s fascinating frescoes. Continue to the troglodyte dwellings of Zelve, the fairy chimneys of Pasabag and Devrent Valleys. Explore the uniquely Turkish village of Urgup and enjoy the panorama views of Red and Rose ValleysOvernight Cappadocia.

DAY 10. (Monday) - CAPPADOCIA
Visit the village of Uchisar and traditional rock-carved village of Avanos and enjoy a visit to the famous pottery artisans. Visit the spectacular rock hewn village of Soganli (Valley of the Dolls) and the ancient village of Mustafapasa, renowned for its excellent Ottoman and Greek architecture. In the afternoon drive through the extraordinary troglodyte landscape of Cappadocia to carpet-weaving villages at the base of the Taurus Mountains. In these villages you will be invited into village homes to see and participate in the age-old crafts of handspun wools, natural vegetable dye processes, and women hand making local carpets. Afternoon transfer to Kayseri airport for your Istanbul flight. Overnight Istanbul.

Explore the fascinating Egyptian Spice Bazaar and to enjoy a Bosphorus cruise. Mingle with the locals on a public ferryboat, viewing the many palaces, castles and kosks that line the shores. Afternoon at leisure for last minute shopping and to explore the labyrinth of the 1000 shops of the Grand Bazaar.