Day 7 (Tuesday) Cappadocia – Ankara

Today, you depart for Ankara, set at the northern edge of the central Anatolian Plateau. This site has been inhabited since the Stone Age and was once called Angora. When Turkey was declared a republic in 1923, Ankara replaced Istanbul (Constantinople) as its capital. European architects were engaged to design the wide boulevards and parks; there are, however, many areas reminiscent of provincial Turkey.

The old section around the citadel is known as Ulus and serves as the commercial center; pencil-thin, winding streets with wooden and mud-brick houses are characteristic of the area. The central district of the new section, called Yenisehir, has modern hotels, theaters, restaurants and government offices and embassies. You visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations that is housed in a restored 15^th-century Ottoman inn with covered bazaar adjacent. Here, you see astoundingly ancient artifacts that trace the country’s history back to the dawn of civilization.

You also visit the purely white Kocatepe Mosque – considered to be one of the world’s largest and most beautiful. In the stunning interior, you can’t fail to notice the gold sphere - surrounded by smaller spheres - hanging from the ceiling, and a model of the Medina mosque (a gift to the Turkish people from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia). In keeping with the tradition of renting space to merchants to pay for upkeep, the mosque’s glass-covered courtyard is occupied with markets and shops.

You check into the Sheraton Ankara, the best accommodation in the city, with an excellent location along embassy row and adjacent to an upscale shopping center. The multi-storied, circular lobby is a contemporary blend of marble and chrome with reproductions of Anatolian art. Your à la carte dinner this evening is selected from an award-winning menu in one of the hotel’s restaurants. (B,L,D)

After a leisurely morning, your journey continues today as you depart Ankara on a short flight to Izmir, on the Aegean coast. Long known as Smyrna, first settled in the 9^th century BC, it was one of the principal cities of Asia Minor during the 4^th century BC. Severely damaged by earthquakes in 1688 and 1778, it remained a prosperous Ottoman port. Greek forces at the end of World War II, fires, and another earthquake caused additional damage to the city. Today, it is a western-style city (with wide boulevards and plazas around an arc-shaped waterfront), Turkey’s third largest city, and its second largest port.

Your hotel here is the Izmir Hilton, just three blocks from the water, overlooking the Aegean. Gleaming chandeliers, gray marble, dark paneled walls and majestic palms decorate the lobby of this modern hotel. This evening, you dine à la carte in an elegant restaurant on the hotel’s 31^st floor, overlooking the city. (B,L,D)

There are more classical ruins in Turkey than in Greece, and today you drive northward from Izmir to Pergamon’s impressive ancient site overlooking the 150-year old Greek houses and centuries-old ruins of the city of Bergama. The most famous physician of the Roman Empire, Galen, made Pergamon a center of the cult of Asclepius (the Greek demi-god of healing). The Asclepion was both a temple and a place of healing, and legend claims that no patient left here unhealed; you see the remains of the marble colonnade, theater, and healing rooms here.

After a break for lunch, you also view the ruins of a Roman circus, a large gymnasium, several temples, and the House of Attalus; the amphitheater, with a capacity for 10,000, is most impressive. In ancient times, the library at Pergamon was second only to the one in Alexandria – it contained over 200,000 volumes. On the walk up to the Acropolis and the Royal Palaces, be sure to write down a wish and tie it onto a branch of the "wishing tree". Returning to Izmir, you make your dinner selections from the à la carte menu in the hotel’s restaurant, offering local specialties. (B,L,D)

This morning, your journey takes a southerly direction as you drive to Ephesus to see the ruins of one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire. They are so extensive and well preserved that you will find it easy to imagine the daily life of the 250,000 people who lived here 2,000 years ago. Notice the remains of the Vedius Gymnasium and a stadium near the main entrance; and then walk down the magnificent, colonnaded marble avenue to the center of the site. You see the dazzling Grand Theater; stop in the Commercial Agora (the main plaza) and see the reconstructed Library of Celsus. At the Terrace Houses, where the wealthiest and most prominent families once lived, you see the mosaic floors and superbly preserved wall frescoes, and you visit the renovated Temple of Hadrian with its intricately carved façade. The colossal Temple of Artemis – one of the Seven Wonders of the World - was built entirely of marble and was four times as large as the Parthenon in Athens. It was the largest building in the ancient Greek world.

This afternoon, relax at your hotel; there is a plethora of activities here – an indoor pool, tennis and squash courts, a well-equipped health club, sauna, bowling, mini-golf, and billiards. Later, join your travel companions for dinner. (B,L,D)

This morning, you fly via Istanbul to the "jewel of the Turquoise Coast", the city of Antalya. Set atop a cliff, overlooking a crescent-shaped bay, with the backdrop of the Taurus Mountains, it was founded as a seaport; in classical times, it was known as Lycia, and later, as Pamphylia. During the Middle Ages, it was an important embarkation point for troops heading for Palestine during the Crusades. You visit the Antalya Museum, one of Turkey’s most impressive, and see exhibits from pre-historic times up to the formation of the Turkish Republic, including the first currency, artifacts from the Archaic era, and relics from nearby sites at Aspendos, Perge, and Side.

Rows of citrus trees and flowering tropical shrubs line the drive leading to the long stucco building that is your hotel – the Sheraton Voyager. The atrium soars to the full height of the building; and a wall of glass reflects the groomed multilevel tropical gardens with waterfalls, streams, and small bridges. Relax by the tiered outdoor pools in the hotel’s landscaped garden. And later, join your fellow travelers for dinner at the hotel where the à la carte menu features delicious Turkish and Continental dishes. (B,L,D)

There are many ancient Lycian cities in the countryside outside Antalya, and you have the opportunity to visit some of them today. You see Perge, a city settled in 1200 BC, which was not attacked by pirates because of its inland location; it survived through the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine ages. You visit one of the best-preserved stadiums in all of Anatolia here. It had a capacity for 12,000 people; and the rooms below the stadium seats are thought to have been used as shops. There is also a spectator theater from the 2^nd century AD as well as a great many statues, pillared streets, sarcophagi, a basilica and an acropolis.

After lunch, you also go to Aspendos, dating back to the 5^th century BC, with a very impressive Roman amphitheater, which is still being used today. In addition to the theater, you see miles of aqueducts and a basilica.

This afternoon, you take the opportunity for shopping or sightseeing in the old town of Antalya or to swim in the pools at the hotel before a festive dinner this evening. (B,L,D)

Day 13 (Monday) Antalya - Istanbul

This morning, you fly back to Istanbul and have the remainder of the day at leisure to shop at the bazaar and explore some of the smaller stalls for special purchases to bring home. You make your a la carte dinner selections at the dining room of your hotel, the Four Seasons. (B,L,D)

Those of you who have chosen to continue your journey, by including the cruise, are driven to the Mediterranean fishing village of Gocek in time for a delicious dinner on board the ship, the "Halas". (B,L,D)

Your journey comes to an end as you are escorted to the airport for your return home. (B)