Senast uppdaterad: 2011-03-21

Itinerary

Day 1, Gathering

You will meet up with the group at the hotel in Istanbul.

Day 2, Istanbul

Istanbul is the only city in the world located in two continents - Europe and Asia. The city's name ha changed during history Byzantium-Constantinople-Istanbul and its strategic location controlling the passage between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea made it a place where uncountable empires passed. Your time is limited so you have to choose between all what Istanbul has to offer. Most historical place lie in the old part called Sultanahmet. Here you will find most of the famous sights like the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. Istanbul has some truly spectacular monuments but if you are looking for some quality shopping you are far better off waiting until you get to the Syrian bazaars. You can cross the bridges over the Golden Horn and visit the merchant quarters of Galata once populated by Armeninas, Greeks and Jews and continue to the more moderna parts of the city in Beyoglü. In the afternoon you will cross the Bosphorus to the Asian side where your night train to the East is waiting. The train is supposed to leave at 18.25 hours from Haydarpasa station.

Day 3, The train east

The train travels over the large Anatolian land mass between provincial cities and past rural villages. It's a good way to get a feeling for the Turkish landscape. You travel for 30 hours in comfortable sleeping cars and arrive in Diyarbakir late at night. Straight to the hotel for some non-moving-sleep.

Day 4-5, Diyarbakir

Diyarbakir is the unofficial capital of the Turkish part of Kurdistan and a strong symbol for Kurdish identity. You will definitely feel like being in another country. There are some interesting historical buildings in the center, like the restored Kervansaray where the trading routes once stopped for a rest on their journey between East and West. The city's major landmark actually surrounds the center - the great circuit of basalt walls built during Byzantine times. The walls measure 6 km in length which make them second in extent only to the Great Wall of China. The walls are impressive from below and from the top you have great views over the fertile fields that flank the river Tigris. The best part with Diyarbakir is the inhabitants who are friendly and not very used to tourists. And please try not to miss trying the exquisite meats grilled all over the city.

Day 6, Tigris

It's time to continue the journey east. We travel by bus from Diyarbakir towards a city with the peculiar name Batman. After Batman the road follows the river Tigris' green water. We drive through rolling agricultural lands before arriving at the cave village of Hasankeyf, which hangs on a cliff high above the river. In Hasankeyf you can visit the caves, climb the top of the hill where you will find some ruis, enjoy the beautiful views and even go for a swim in Tigris. If the sun is too strong you can find refuge in the old mosque easily found due to its beautifully decorated minaret. After the stop in Hasankeyf we continue towards Midyat. This part of Turkey once had a very strong Christian presence due to the Assyrians. After the genocide against Armenians, Assyrians and other minorities during the breakup of the Ottoman Empire around the First World War the number of Christians was heavily reduced. But you can still find Assyrian villages in this corner of Turkey and we will try to make a stop at one of the small villages surrounded by fruit yards. This is an opportunity to get an insight into the dramatic history of the region and get a taste of the life in the country side. After the stop in the village we continue to the city Midyat where we spend the night.

Day 7-8, Mardin

From Midyat we take a bus to Mardin (one hour). Mardin is situated on a hill overlooking the plains of Mesopotamia. The city's inhabitants are an interesting mix of Kurds, Turks, Assyrians and Arabs. Mardin has a beautiful old town with churches and mosques. There is also an interesting market. But the best thing is probably to visit one of the teahouses in the afternoon to watch the sunset over Mesopotamia. You can also find some of the world's oldest monasteries in the area surrounding Mardin.

Day 9-10, Deir ez-Zour

We leave early for the Syrian border. After crossing the border we head south towards the river Euphrates and the town Deir ez-Zour (three hours). This is a typical Syrian desert town without famous sights and therefore very few tourists even for Syria. But it is a good place to get a feeling of life in a smaller town. If you have time, try to visit the archeological museum which gives a good insight into the history of the area where our civilization was born. At sunset you could take a walk to the bridge which crosses the river north of the city center. Join the local families as they enjoy the beautiful views. In the evening the center comes alive with activity in shops, restaurants and bakeries. There are also many interesting historical sites to visit nearby the city. The most famous ones are the ancient Sumerian city of Mari and the Roman border city Dura Europos which sits on an escarpment 90 meters above the river Euphrates. In the afternoon on the second day we continue by bus to Palmyra (three hours). You pass an arid desert landscape until you arrive at the oasis where the legendary desert town Palmyra (or Tadmor in Arabic) is located.

Day 11, Palmyra

The history of Palmyra goes as far back as 2000 BC. For a long time Palmyra was an important trading center on the road between Asia and Europe. Large caravans loaded with spices, silk and ivory passed here during thousands of years. Palmyra's most glorious period came after the year 267 AD when the city was ruled by the desert queen Zenobia. She successfully challenged the Roman army, invaded Egypt and declared independence from the Roman Empire. But only a couple of years later Palmyra was reconquered by the Romans and Palmyra started to lose its importance. What remains of ancient Palmyra is considered to be Syria's major historical site. You can walk around the impressive ruins for hours. The ruins are situated next to the oasis with its orange trees and date palms. But go there early in the morning when the light is soft and before the desert sun gets to unbearable.

Day 12-14, Damascus

We continue by bus to the capital of Syria (three hours). Damascus is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth. It is marked by all its former inhabitants - Israelites, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks and French. The entire city is one big outdoor museum, but Damascus is not only about the past. Today it is a thriving city with 5 million inhabitants and a major center for Arab culture. The old part of Damascus is the most interesting part of the city where you find markets, monuments and mosques. In the bustling Souq al-Hamidiyya (souq means market in arabic) you can buy carpets, perfumes, ice cream, clothes, handicrafts and spices. The Umayyad Mosque was the first great mosque in the world and is considered as one of the holiest sites of Islam. The site was first an Aramean shrine, then a Byzantine church and was later converted into a mosque. The best way to enjoy the place is to just sit down on the marble-floored inner patio and watch people come and go. The ultimate old city experience is probably to wander randomly along the alleys randomly and admire the street life and the classical Damascene architecture. In the more modern parts of the city you find museums and government buildings. The National Museum gives a good introduction to the country's rich history. There are also many possible excursions around Damascus; Bosra and Maalula to mention just a few.

Day 15-16, Beirut

We cross the border and travel into Lebanon by bus. The journey from Damascus to Beirut takes around five hours depending on the border crossing. Beirut - the Paris of the Middle East has always been a city in the center of the world's attention. The city has been destroyed during many wars but always rise up again from its ashes. Today Beirut is a modern and dynamic city where people from all over the world come to shop, eat and party. The city has traditionally been divided between a Christian East and a Muslim West. But the city is one big ethnic and religious mosaic and it's hard to draw any precise borders. The days in Beirut are a great opportunity to relax after an intense tour. But don't wait with buying gifts until the end; Beirut is much more expensive than Syria. If you have time you can visit historical sites like the harbor town of Byblos in the surrounding of Beirut.

Day 17, The tour is finished

The tour ends in Beirut.

OBS! Please note that this is a long tour covering several countries and long distances. It is difficult to make exact predictions of how long time some transports and arrangement will take. Therefore it is possible that the tour leader will have to make adjustments in the itinerary during the trip.