The Civilizations of Western Turkey

The tour starts at 3.00pm on Friday 5 April, at the Arts Taksim Hotel, Istanbul.

The tour ends after breakfast on Monday 22 April, at the Oz Hotel, Antalya.

In the mid-afternoon, the group will meet up at our hotel in Istanbul, be briefed on the program for the tour, and enjoy a welcome dinner at the hotel. Overnight Istanbul (D)

Over three days we will explore key sites of one of the most storied and splendid cities in the world. Highlights will include:

• the Hippodrome, an important site for Byzantine ceremonial (and boasting a link back to the distant past, the serpent monument from Delphoi commemorating the Greeks’ victory over the Persians)

• Hagia Sophia, one of the most fabulous buildings in the world, dating from the 6th century AD, and the Ottoman answer to Hagia Sophia, the beautiful Blue Mosque

• a cruise on the Bosphoros, to view the city from the water

• the Basilica Cistern, a utilitarian building turned into cultural experience

• the Mosaics Museum, a wonderful exhibition of the kind of art Romans had on their floors

• the sensory overload of the Grand Bazaar

• the great and overwhelming Archaeological Museum, bringing together finds from many of the sites we will visit later in the tour; and finally

• Topkapı Palace, sitting on top of the acropolis of ancient Byzantion, providing a wonderful evocation of the opulent life of the Ottoman rulers.

We depart Istanbul this morning for the seaport city of Çanakkale, across the Dardanelles from the Gallipoli peninsula. Along the way we make brief forays to the sites of two of the eleven or so Greek cities which occupied the peninsula in antiquity. We also visit the beach at Aigospotamoi, where a Spartan fleet destroyed the Athenian empire in 405 BC. Overnight Çanakkale (B, D)

From Çanakkale we cross the Dardanelles to visit the places where Australians fought in 1915. We will visit key sites of remembrance, including Lone Pine, The Nek, and Beach Cemetery where John Simpson is buried. If time permits, we will also visit the British and French memorials near Cape Suvla. Overnight Çanakkale (B)

The ancient citadel of Troy, located in present-day Hisarlik, is arguably one of the most famous sites in the world, immortalised in Homer’s Iliad and other epics and plays recounting the events of the Trojan War. The site is complex and confusing, but being on the spot may conjure the dreadful night of the Sack of Troy. We will also explore Trojan artifacts, sarcophagi, texts and other finds at the very new Troy museum. Overnight Çanakkale (B)

We drive to overnight in the colourful Aegean coastal town of Ayvalik, a former centre of olive oil production. En route we’ll visit a mound reputed in antiquity to be the tomb of Achilles, visited by Alexander the Great and many others. We’ll also see the well-preserved ruins of Assos, a city where Aristotle (Alexander’s tutor) worked in the 340s. Assos was also reputedly visited by St Luke and St Paul. Overnight Ayvalik (B, D)

We’ll make our way via cable car to the spectacular site of Pergamon, the 3rdc BC capital of the Attalid dynasty, with its high acropolis, vertigo-inducing theatre and important healing sanctuary of Asklepios. Afterwards we will drive to our hotel at Izmir, visiting the site of Old Smyrna, one of the earliest urbanised Greek centres. Overnight Izmir (B, D)

Our exploration of Izmir begins with its rich archaeological museum, which includes important finds from a range of sites in this region, including some rare bronze statues recovered from shipwrecks. Afterwards we will visit some notable Izmir landmarks, including Konak Pier designed by Gustave Eiffel in 1890, and remember what Greeks still call “the catastrophe of Smyrna” of 1922. Our next stop takes us back in time to the ancient Greek city of Klazomenai, site of a reconstructed 6thc BC olive press. Overnight Izmir (B)

Our coach ride this morning takes us to Kuşadası, a sun-soaked resort town on the western Aegean coast. En route we’ll visit the important site of Ephesos, with its great Roman town houses, Library of Celsus, grand theatre, and the site of the Artemision, the great temple that was once one of the seven wonders of the world. Overnight Kuşadası (B, D)

We head south today, stopping first at the charming and well-preserved site of the ancient Greek city of Priene. Priene’s situation on a hillside placed it out of reach of the silting which engulfed its predecessor. Our next stop is the ancient Greek colonial powerhouse of Miletos, a centre of culture and philosophy until it was sacked by the Persians in 494 BC. Before we return to Kuşadası we’ll head to Didyma, with its impressive remains of a unique open-air temple to Apollo, where you could once consult the oracle in writing. Overnight Kuşadası (B)

En route to Bodrum (Halikarnassos, the birthplace of Herodotos) we will visit the evocative Greek/Karian sanctuary to Zeus at Labraunda. Then we’ll make our way to the site of the seaside city of Iasos, captured by the Spartans in 412/11 BC because its inhabitants assumed the approaching ships must be Athenian. Finally, we will stop in Milas to view a small-scale Roman replica of the Mausoleion of Halikarnassos (as we will see tomorrow, the original has largely been carted away). Overnight Bodrum (B)

Explorations today will include the Myndos Gate, captured by Alexander the Great in 334 BC, the 4th century BC theatre, and the site of the Mausoleion, the tomb the 4th-century Artemisia II built for her husband and brother, Mausolos. Once rated by some as one of the seven wonders of the world, it has fallen victim to earthquakes and the Knights of St John. The day’s highlight will be a visit to the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, housed in the crusader castle and boasting the remains of several Bronze Age, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman shipwrecks. Overnight Bodrum (B)

This morning’s visit includes the natural harbour town of Fethiye, with its stunning blue waters and numerous rock tombs. Until the exchange of populations in 1923, following the Treaty of Lausanne, Fethiye still had a large Greek population. 8km away is the village on which Louis de Bernières probably based the fictional Eskibahçe in his novel, Birds without Wings. We will visit the site of the ancient Lycian/Greek city of Telmessos, including its theatre overlooking the sea. Overnight Fethiye (B, L)

En route to our final destination, the busy tourist destination and former Roman port of Antalya, we will stop at the site of the ancient Lycian/Persian/Greek town of Antiphellos, which boasts a nicely restored theatre with a fine sea view. Thence we’ll explore the remains of the important Greek and Roman trading city of Phaselis (devotees of Demosthenes will recall his assertion that the Phaselites were all liars). Overnight Antalya (B)

The morning’s excursion will take us to Perge, a town whose history ranges from the Hittites to St Paul; it boasts colonnaded streets, agora, bath, stadium and theatre. Then we’ll travel to Aspendos, with its fine Roman-style theatre (still used for performances) and nearby the largest surviving remains of a Roman aqueduct in Anatolia. Our last stop will be the splendidly picturesque town of Kaleiçi before we gather for our farewell dinner together. Overnight Antalya (B, D)

After breakfast, the group will disperse to wherever your wanderlust takes you next, noting that Antalya is close to Cappadocia and also boasts an international airport. (B)

Hotels have been selected principally for their central location. All hotels are a comfortable 4- and 5-star standard.

• Istanbul, Arts Hotel Taksim (4 nights)

• Canakkale, Grand Truva Hotel (3 nights)

• Ayvalik, Grand Hotel Temizel (1 night)

• Izmir, Doubletree by Hilton Hotel (2 nights)

• Kuşadası, Charisma De Luxe Hotel (2 nights)

• Bodrum, La Quinta by Wyndham (2 nights)

• Fethiye, Alesta Yacht Hotel (1 night)

• Antalya, Oz Hotel (2 nights)