Turkey, September 2009

Fiber, Cuisine, Carpets
Small groups, Excellent guides
Exceptional Hospitality on the Historic Silk Road
Turkish Baths, Hot Springs Hotel, Cave Hotel
Felting Class and Turkish Cooking Classes
Did I mention Carpet Shopping?
And bargaining lessons?

International Travel with Gail L. Denton, Ph.D.

Discover the delight of Turkey, a First World nation holding in its welcoming arms the most dynamic crossroads of civilizations, cultures, commerce, carpets and cuisines! Turkey, in each of its centuries, sponsored vital leadership and connections between the civilizations of the Far East, Mongolian Steppes, Arabia, Africa, India, China and the Mediterranean.

Host to the world's great religions, tribes, migratory lifestyles, languages, crafts, livestock introductions, climates and architectures, Turkey has emerged with its unique flavor and take on itself. With a focus on hospitality, you will never feel more welcome, safe and attended to than in Turkey.

A full feast for the traveler. And for the 'textile inclined', a pure excursion of color, texture and fiber.

Your American host, Gail Denton, is an experienced international traveler, a weaver, spinner, natural dyer and natural dye surface designer. With her enthusiastic energy for travel and textiles, you can be sure she will touch upon all the senses on this excursion. With small groups of 8 or fewer, and our personal Turkish guide, flexibility is the keyword when serendipitous opportunity offers itself along the way.

Turkey Itinerary

September 26 - October 9 Trip, 2009

This itinerary is filled with amazing high points of Turkey's best offerings. It is overflowing with textile and culinary opportunities for learning, viewing, hands-on creating, shopping and cultural adventure. A textile enthusiast's dream vacation!

Join me for 14 days of amazing and varied experiences. We will stay at a hot springs hotel, a hotel cut into a cave, luxuriate in Turkish Baths, walk in the footsteps of Silk Road merchants, touch and view historical textiles and learn Turkish cooking secrets in two cooking classes. Tasting foods with influenced ingredients encompassing Central Asia, we will delve into the triangle of intersecting commerce developed over a thousand years ago, that brought exotic merchandise, treasure, spices, herbs, the world's finest textiles and most daring political conquests to the meeting place of Europe and Asia.

Come along. Each tour is limited to 8 travelers, so flexibility and personal attention to emerging opportunities is possible. The striking beauty, peaceful hospitality and cultural extravagance of this legendary crossroads will amaze and delight you. Turkey will forever live in your heart and beckon your return. Truly a feast for all the senses!

September 26, 2009, Day 1, Saturday

As we say in Turkey, HOS GELDINIZ! Welcome to Turkey. We will greet each of you at the airport as your flight arrives and transfer you to your hotel. Once everyone has arrived, Gail and our Turkish guide will offer a short briefing about your tour. You will have the remaining day to rest, settle in and explore Istanbul on your own.
Dinner will be provided at a nearby restaurant. Overnight in ISTANBUL.

September 27, 2009, Day 2

This will be a full introductory day of exploring the historical sites of Istanbul. This overview of major architectural sites lays the historical foundation for our trip. Sites to see today:

• Hagia Sophia For nearly 1000 years, the largest enclosed space in the world, and still recognized as one of the world's most important architectural monuments.
• Blue Mosque World renown for its architecture and focal point for worshipping Muslims
• Byzantine Hippodrome The focal point of the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Constantine. Within it's center you will see the Egyptian Obelisk and Serpentine Column.
• Topkapi Palace The residence and leadership center of the Sultans during the Ottoman Empire. It was built in 1459-1465 shortly after the conquest of Constantinople. View the Treasury that includes the Topkapi Dagger, the 86 carat Spoon Maker's Diamond, and the jewel encased bones of St. John the Baptist's skull and arm bone. Lunch will be provided at a nearby restaurant.

September 28, 2009, Day 3

After breakfast you will have a full free day to relax, to explore the city on your own, or to come along to these two amazing locations. These destinations offer an overview of Turkey's textile design and cultural history, and a preview of textiles to come!
Organized trips include:

• Turkish Islamic Art Museum: Constructed in 1524, the building was formerly the palace of Ibrahim Pasha, who was the first grand vizier to Suleiman the Magnificent. The collection includes notable examples of Islamic calligraphy, tiles, and rugs as well as ethnographic displays on various cultures in Turkey, particularly nomad groups. These displays recreate rooms or dwellings from different time periods and regions. The perfect overview for Turkish cultural development and historical textiles.
  
• Grand Bazaar: Istanbul hosts one of the largest covered markets in the world with more than 58 streets and 4,000 shops, and greets over 250,000 visitors daily. It is well known for fascinating jewelry, pottery, spice, and Textile shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by type of goods, with special areas for leather coats, gold jewelry and more.
  

September 29, 2009, Day 4

After breakfast we depart from Istanbul and drive to Eskihisar and board the ferry across the Marmara Sea. After crossing the Marmara Sea, we will drive through Olive Fields, On the way we will stop to visit Iznik (Nicea), famous for tile making, as seen at Topkapi Palace. After lunch we will visit a traditional ceramics workshop and watch how they produce those beautiful tiles. We'll explore the sites and then be on our way to Bursa, an early Turkish capital, and central to silk production. After arrival we will check into our Thermal Hotel, and relax in the hot SPA pool. Turkish bath is available.
Overnight stay in Bursa.

September 30, 2009, Day 5

After breakfast we start the day visiting Bursa's old Bazaar, and the famous Yesil Camii (historical mosque), then we will drive to nearby villages and stop to see workshops where they produce silk and textile products. Lunch will be provided at a famous restaurant (you will enjoy Bursa's famous Iskender Kebab) then we return to our hotel, and have a free afternoon to relax or explore the city on your own.
Overnight stay in Bursa.

October 1, 2009, Day 6

After breakfast we will transfer you down to Bursa's Harbor and put you on a 1 hour 30 minute ferry ride, and after arriving in Istanbul, we will transfer you to Domestic airport and put you on a 1 hour 15 minute flight down to Konya, an amazing textile city. Arrival in Konya, transfer to your hotel and Overnight stay. Welcome to Konya!

October 2, 2009, Day 7

After breakfast we will visit Mevlana Museum and Karatay Monastery.

• Mevlana Museum is a holy site for Muslims because it is the former lodging place for the Sufi Islam, also known as the Whirling Dervishes. Mevlana is the local name for Rumi, the Islamic poet. The architecture and turquoise tiles are a beautiful site for all.
• Karatay Medrese houses an outstanding collection of ceramics and tiles. The eight- hundred year old building was once a Seljuk Islamic theological seminary. Explore the abundance of textile shops of Konya.

October 3, 2009, Day 8

2 day felting class planned with Mehmet Girgic in Konya. Two hands-on feltmaking days with the master felter Mehmet Girgic at his studios in Konya. Each traveler will make a silk scarf with cashmere felting designs to take home. Lunch is provided. (Tuition included in your tour price!) Evening on your own to explore in Konya.

October 4, 2009, Day 9

2 day felting class planned with Mehmet Girgic in Konya. Second day of feltmaking with Mehmet. Lunch provided. Evening on your own to explore in Konya.

October 5, 2009, Day 10

After breakfast we will depart from Konya to the Cappadocia region. On the way we will explore the southern part of Cappadocia.

• Ihlara Gorge will seem like an oasis in the middle of the Anatolian plain. Delve into the gorge and see the beautiful greenery as you follow the river. Around you will see ancient monasteries complete with pigeon holes cut into the cliffs by the monks. They used these pigeons as messengers to communicate with their monk friends!
• Traditional Anatolian villages: The head-scarved women out at work in the fields from sun up until sun-down, and the mustached, vest-wearing men hard at work playing cards in the coffee and tea shops. You will get time to stroll in such a village and see the average Turkish villager at work or play. After the tour we will transfer you to your Cave Hotel.

October 6, 2009, Day 11

After breakfast we will take you on a full day tour to north part of Cappadocia Sites you'll see today.

• The World Heritage Site of Goreme Open-Air Museum This is a cluster of rock cut Byzantine churches, chapels and monasteries which include some wonderful 11th and 12th century frescoes on the cave walls.
• Fairy Chimneys These geological phenomena have been shaped over millions of years. They were formed during volcanic eruptions in the region. Reaching at times 40 meters in height, they are conical in shape and have a "hat" top to them.
• Uchisar Castle Also called a fortress, this is actually a formation of two gigantic rocks surrounded by smaller rocks that together form a natural fortress with towers.

October 7, 2009, Day 12

After breakfast, we will be on our way to Kayseri, Arrival in Kayseri, check in the hotel, free day to explore Kayseri city, a critically important Silk Road city and birthplace of pastrami. (Drive through traditional villages and small towns.) After lunch we will visit the Old Market and 1500 year old Seljuk castle. Overnight stay in Kayseri.

October 8, 2009, Day 13

After breakfast, we will transfer you to Kayseri airport and put you on a 1 hour flight back to Istanbul, arrival in Istanbul, transfer to your hotel, after check-in we will take you to a traditional Turkish Bath that's located in a 500 year old building.

• Egyptian Spice Market is an afternoon choice, or on your own to the Grand Bazaar.

October 9, 2009, Day 14

Gule, Gule! It is time to go home. We will transfer you to the airport and wish you well, asking that you keep Turkey and all of us in your hearts, and hoping that our paths cross again in this life

Excellent Pricing for Fine Travel on a Budget:

Price of $2380 (add $200 for single supplement) includes:

• All hotel accommodations.
• All land transfers with comfortable vehicles. (bus and ferry)
• All meals mentioned in the itinerary.
• Professional English speaking tour guides.
• Domestic flight tickets mentioned.
• All of the taxes and service charges.
• All museum entrance fees.
• Felting class with Mehmet Girgic in Konya.
• Two Turkish Cuisine Cooking Classes.

Excludes:

• International flight tickets from US to Istanbul.
• Adult beverages with meals.
• Hot Air Balloon ride in Cappadocia ( 15 percent discount with this tour)

Travel to Turkey! Send your deposit of $500 to reserve your space on the September trip! Send to:

Textile Trips: Gail Denton
P O Box 788
Niwot, CO 80544