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JEWISH HERITAGE (10 Nights / 11 Days)
Itinerary: Istanbul / Canakkale / Izmir / Bursa / Istanbul |
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Package prices (per person and in USD) from: |
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2 participants |
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$ 4,025.00 |
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4 participants |
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$ 2,445.00 |
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| 6 participants |
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$ 1,970.00 |
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10 participants |
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$ 1,650.00 |
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| DAY 01 |
Arrival in Istanbul |
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Arrive in Ataturk International airport in Istanbul. Meet with your guide and transfer to the hotel. After check-in, welcome briefing and walking orientation tour of the hotel area. The rest of the day is at leisure. In the evening you may choose to join an optional welcome dinner at a local night club.
OPTIONAL EVENING PROGRAM: |
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| After a panoramic drive, arrive at a first-class night club. A 4-course dinner with unlimited local drinks will be accompanied by an entertainment show. The show features the performances of belly-dancers, folklore groups representing different regions of Anatolia, and a multilingual singer. |
Overnight: Central Palace Hotel in Istanbul (see hotel's pictures: exterior , guest room) |
| Included meals: - |
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After breakfast at our hotel, we begin a full day city tour including visits to the ancient Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar.
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Hippodrome: The ancient Hippodrome is an enormous public entertainment arena that once seated as many as 100.000 zealous fans witnessing chariot races, executions, and mock battles.
Once the centre of Byzantine civic life, it is still decorated by the Egyptian Obelisk, the Bronze Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine.
Blue Mosque: Built between 1609 and 1616, the Sultan Ahmet Mosque is more familiarly known as the Blue Mosque because its interior gleams with magnificent panels of blue and white 17th Century Iznik tiles. Located near Topkapi Palace, it was considered the Supreme Imperial Mosque during Ottoman Istanbul.
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Hagia Sophia: This famous basilica was constructed in the 6th century A.D. It is often described as the greatest work of Byzantine architecture. Once the Church of Holy Wisdom, Christendom’s crowning glory, and now a museum, it glittered with mosaics, and art treasures filled every corner. Today, Haiga Sophia is the forth largest building made as a church in the world. It was dedicated to the Hagia Sophia which means the Divine Wisdom, an attribute of Christ. |
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Topkapi Palace Museum: Topkapi was the second palace built in Istanbul after the conquest. It was a residence for the Ottoman Sultans and includes a maze of opulent buildings which were at the center of the Ottoman Empire between the 15th and 19th centuries. This palace, where the sultans and their courts and harem lived and governed, is now one of the world’s richest museums.
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| For a lunch break we recommend Konyali restaurant, located within the Topkapi Palace Complex and serving traditional meals of Ottoman cuisine. |
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Grand Bazaar: The area of the Grand Bazaar was a trade center during the Byzantine period. Two bedestens (domed masonry structures) were built by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror to enrich the economic life in the city. Later on as people needed more places for trade, they added other buildings outside these structures.
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Today, the atmosphere of the Grand Bazaar is very interesting and has consequently become a very popular place for visitors to explore a labyrinth of streets and passages housing eighteen entrances and more than 4,000 shops. |
| In late afternoon, return to the hotel for time at leisure. |
Overnight: at The Central Palace Hotel in Istanbul
Included meals: B |
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| Today during a full day sightseeing tour we will explore the major Jewish heritage sites in Istanbul.After breakfast at the hotel, we will drive to Galata Quarter. |
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The history of Jewish life in Galata began in Byzantine times when this was a walled city separate from Constantinople. Galata was inhabited and ruled by the Genoese, who had among them numerous Jewish families.
After the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1453, Jewish life in Galata was enlivened with the arrival of many new settlers, especially during the reign of Sultan Beyazit II. |
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From the 1500s onward, Galata was mostly Jewish.
We will first visit Galata (Genoese) Tower. The tower was originally the high-point in the Genoese fortifications which protected the town of Galata during Byzantine and early Ottoman times. In the nineteenth century as the population of Galata spread outside these walls, the tower was rebuilt and used as a fire watchmen's post. |
From the Galata Tower, we will walk to the Neve Shalom Synagogue. This is one of the larger synagogues in the city, designed and decorated in a modern style. Inaugurated on March 25, 1951, it is used for major functions of the community such as weddings and funerals.
Our next stop will be the Italian Synagogue, located near-by.
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It was founded in the 1880s by Istanbul Jews who, because of factional disputes within the community, placed themselves under the protection of the Italian ambassador. The front entrance should be used in order to appreciate the synagogue's Gothic-like façade and marble porch. |
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Before leaving Galata Quarter, we will see a graceful curved double staircase, known as Kamondo Staircase. The staircase was built in the nineteenth century on the order of the Kamondos, the Jewish community's most prosperous family. Further we will proceed to the Zülfaris Synagogue which was restored to become a museum of Turkish Jewish life. This synagogue was the main venue for weddings and funerals until the construction of Neve Shalom.
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Then after a short drive, we will reach the Balat Quarter. This is another of the quarters in which Jews were settled after their expulsion from Spain, enlarging a community which had lived here since Byzantine times. Today Balat is a working-class district on the shores of the Golden Horn. Though it once had as many as nineteen synagogues, only two of importance remained: the famous Ahrida, and the neighboring Yanbol.
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The foundations of the Ahrida Synagogue may date from the late 1400s, or may be even older. The first building was thought to have been built in the early 1400s, but a disastrous fire in the 1600s did extensive damage. In 1694 the sultan issued a decree calling for its reconstruction. The work was done in the Ottoman Baroque style popular at that time, the so-called "Tulip Period" in Ottoman artistic and court life.
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During the extensive restorations carried out in 1990 and 1991, remnants of architectural details from the 1700s and 1800s were discovered. Architect Hitsrev Tayla, in charge of the restoration work, has included many of these earlier details in the final plan so as to symbolize the Ahrida's long and illustrious history.
Located close to Ahrida Synagogue, there is Yanbol Synagogue. Both synagogues are said to take their names from the towns in Macedonia from which their founding congregations migrated in Byzantine times. |
From the Balat Quarter, we will drive to the Ortakoy Quarter. Ortakoy was the first disembarkation point of Sepharads, where they were welcomed by the Ottoman Sultan. Here we will see the remains of the Etz Ahayim Synagogue. Originally constructed in 1660, a disastrous fire destroyed the original synagogue in October, 1941. Luckily, the marble ark survived the fire and remains in place, in what is now the garden, as a historic monument.
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The neighboring midrash (study room) was converted for worship after the fire, and is now the synagogue. After having lunch on own at one of the sea-front cafes, we will continue with a 1 hour Bosphorus cruise.
After the cruise, we will drive to the district of Sisli to visit the Italian Jewish cemetery. Behind the Baroque entrance to the Italian Jewish Cemetery are tombstones engraved with names and epitaphs in Italian, English, French, German, Russian and Latin. Many famous Istanbullus of the nineteenth century are buried here. The cemetery was founded originally to serve 400 Jewish families who had emigrated from the Crimea to Istanbul in 1854-55, but it was later dedicated to the use of the Italian Jewish Association by order of Sultan Abdülaziz. This will be the last visit of today, after which we will return to our hotel. |
Overnight: at The Central Palace Hotel in Istanbul
Included meals: B |
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Today will be at leisure for exploring Istanbul on your own. Or, you may depart for a full day optional tour of Princes Islands.
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OPTIONAL TOUR PROGRAM:
After breakfast, depart for a full day tour of the Princes Islands. An archipelago that consists of nine islands; they are just a few miles from Asian Istanbul in the Marmara Sea. In the 19th century these delightful islands became a favorite summer resort for wealthy Istanbul families, most of them non-Muslim. We will tour the largest of the islands, Buyuk Ada in a horse-drawn carriage before lunch at a sea front fish restaurant. |
During summertime, we can visit Heshet Le Avram Synagogue at Buyuk Ada (As in the past, Jewish community life on the islands is limited to summertime, so all synagogues on the islands are not functioning during other seasons).
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Overnight: The Central Palace Hotel in Istanbul
Included meals: B |
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| DAY 05 |
Istanbul / Canakkale |
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After breakfast at the hotel, we will leave Istanbul and drive through ancient Thrace then further along the Dardanelles Strait. Before we cross the strait by ferry, we will stop for lunch on own at a sea-food restaurant.
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Then we will travel across the Strait of the Dardenelles to Troy, once believed to exist only in Homer’s epic poem. Discovered by Heinric Schliemann in the 1870s, the site has since been excavated and now reveals remnants of nine civilizations dating back 5,000 years.
After exploring of the ruins and relics here we continue to a near-by hotel where we spend the night.
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Overnight: Tusan Hotel in Troy (see hotel's pictures:
exterior , guest room)
Included meals: B |
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| DAY 06 |
Canakkale / Pergamum / Izmir |
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In the morning after breakfast we drive to the ancient site of Pergamum and visit the Acropolis and Asclepion. |
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Pergamum was an ancient city founded by colonists on the Aegean coast of Anatolia at the site of the present-day city of Bergama. It was on a tributary of the Bakircay (Caicus River) and enclosed by high mountains. Fertile, self-contained and easily defended, it provided the perfect setting for the maintenance of a city-state. Pergamum, once one of the richest small kingdoms in the Middle East, contained one of the world’s largest collections of books. |
| As we finish the tour of the site, we will stop for a lunch on our own at a local restaurant.
Then we will drive to the city of Izmir (ancient Smyrna). Throughout much of Ottoman Izmir's history, it had a thriving Jewish community much larger than that of today. Though the community is smaller now, it is no less active. Before arriving to the hotel, we will enjoy a panoramic drive through the city. Evening is at leisure. |
Overnight: Anemon Fuar Hotel in Izmir (see hotel's pictures:
exterior ,
guest room)
Included meals: B
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| DAY 07 |
Izmir / Sardis / Izmir |
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| This morning after the breakfast we will start with the tour of Izmir’s Jewish heritage sites. We will first visit Izmir’s bazaar. |
The historical heart of Izmir's Jewish life was in the synagogues of "La Judiera," the area of the bazaar where the synagogues are located and where some Jewish merchants still work. We will walk along Havra Sokak, the "Street of Synagogues", named as such because of its nine small, active synagogues which served the Jewish merchants and artisans who worked close by. First along Havra Sokak is the Sinyora Synagogue.
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It may take its name from Doña Gracia Nasi, Duke Joseph Nasi's mother-in-law and aunt, who was known as La Señora, and who endowed many synagogues in the Ottoman lands. The Señora is the most active of the remaining synagogues on Havra Sokak, open every morning. It's a simple but pleasant and interesting building, almost two centuries old, with obvious historic value. Next along Havra Sokak are the Kadosh Mizrahi Synagogue and Shalom (Aydin) Synagogue, open only on Saturday morning.
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We will continue our tour with the panoramic drive through Alsancak Quarter. As in Istanbul, this city's Jewish community has largely moved to the more desirable residential quarters. The modern quarter of Alsancak is among Izmir's most prestigious addresses. The Musta Bey Synagogue is a new building constructed to serve those who now live in this fashionable neighborhood. Our next destination is Karatas Quarter. |
Here we will see Beth Israel Synagogue, a handsome Ottoman Victorian-style building dating from the turn of the century. |
After visiting the synagogue, we will walk to the Asansor, a nineteenth-century funicular which once took passengers from the shore road up the sheer rock cliffs to the desirable residential district above. Inscriptions above the door in French and Hebrew declare that the elevator was constructed by Nissim Bey. After lunch on our own at the local restaurant, we will drive from Izmir to the ancient site of Sardis.
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Ancient Sardis was the capital of the Kingdom of Lydia, whose most famous king was Croesus (560-546 B.C.), famed for his wealth. Croesus was the first monarch to mint coinage, introducing this useful invention to the world. During its heyday as a Roman city, Sardis had a very large and prosperous Jewish community which may have been established here in much earlier times. |
Though Sardis plays no role in the history of Jewish immigrants who came to the Ottoman Empire from Spain and Portugal, it is of interest because of its extremely large and rich Roman synagogue. In ancient Sardis, Jews held seats on the city council and important offices in the Roman civil administration. Remains of the beautiful and richly-appointed synagogue are dating from the 200s A.D.
Early in the evening we will return to our hotel and have another evening at leisure. |
Overnight: Anemon Fuar Hotel in Izmir
Included meals: B |
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| DAY 08 |
Izmir / Ephesus / Izmir |
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Today we enjoy a full day tour of Ephesus sites, including visits to the Ephesus ancient site, Ephesus Archeology museum and demonstration on local crafts. |
Today Ephesus is perhaps the world’s best-preserved ancient city and its ruins attract visitors from across the globe. An important Christian community arose here, and Ephesus was visited by St. Paul, who later wrote one of his epistles to the Ephesians. Perhaps its greatest claim to fame is the fact that Ephesus once housed the Temple of Diana, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. |
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The most significant relic of the site is the immense amphitheater that holds 24,000 people and is still used today. Walk along the Sacred Way, where the rich once lived; see the Temple of Hadrian, a Corinthian-style building with the head of Medusa on the porch to keep away evil spirits; and the Library of Celsius, which held 12,000 ancient scrolls which were stored in niches around the walls.
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After this visit, we will drive to a nice local village. Here we will have our included grilled lunch and also become acquainted with local crafts of the area. At the end of the lunch a lecturer will tell us about all aspects of local crafts, such as rug-weaving. You will also be able to see the demonstration performed by local craftsmen. Next, we will visit the Archeology Museum in Selcuk, and after that we will drive back to Izmir. |
Overnight: Anemon Fuar Hotel in Izmir
Included meals: B, L
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After breakfast we will leave Izmir and drive to Bursa. During this long transfer we will enjoy natural beauty of Anatolia and have lunch on our own en route. For dinner we would recommend to try Bursa’s famous Iskender kebab.
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Overnight: Almira Hotel in Bursa (see hotel's pictures:
exterior ,
guest room)
Included meals: B
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This morning we will check out from our hotel, and proceed to a half day city tour of Bursa, the old capital of the Ottoman Empire. We will first visit Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami). Built at the end of the 14th century, the Ulu Cami is an interesting example of the period before the classical Ottoman architecture. It is worth the visit with its water fountain inside and its pulpit which is considered to be a masterpiece on woodworking.
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Next we will visit the city’s Covered Bazaar. The market buildings of Bursa were significant not only for the trade of silk and fabrics, but were also the endowments for mosques and other social services. |
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The Jewish community in Bursa dates from Byzantine times. Since World War II and the foundation of the State of Israel, the Jewish community in Bursa has dwindled to about 140 persons. Of Bursa's many synagogues, only two remain active. We will visit the Gerush Synagogue, the more impressive of these two, located at Sakarya Street. This street was once the main thoroughfare of this small Jewish quarter.
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The Gerush Synagogue has been well maintained and no doubt frequently renovated during its 500 year history, probably most recently in the 1700s. The synagogue's Torahs were brought from Spain by Sephardic immigrants five centuries ago.
As we finish our tour of Bursa, we will head off to Istanbul. As we arrive, transfer to the hotel, dinner on own and overnight.
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Overnight: Novotel Hotel in Istanbul (see hotel's pictures:
exterior , guest room)
Included meals: B
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After breakfast, transfer to Ataturk International Airport for return flight.
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Included meals: B |
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Please note:
Some of the sites of faith in this itinerary may not be available for interior visits due to security reasons. |
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PRICES AND CONDITIONS: |
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Prices of the package: (per person in double room, in USD) |
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2 participants |
4 participants |
6 participants |
10 participants |
$ 4,025.00 |
$ 2,445.00 |
$ 1,970.00 |
$ 1,650.00 |
Price of the package includes:
• Accommodation in hotels :
- Istanbul: The Central Palace Hotel – 4 nights (see hotel's pictures: exterior , guest room) and Novotel Hotel – 1
night
(see hotel's pictures:
exterior , guest room)
- Troy: Tusan Hotel – 1 night (see hotel's pictures:
exterior , guest room)
- Izmir: Anemon Fuar Hotel – 3 nights (see hotel's pictures:
exterior , guest room)
- Bursa: Almira Hotel – 1 night (see hotel's pictures:
exterior , guest room)
• 11 Meals: 10 breakfasts and 1 lunch
• Services of a professional tour guide and his/her expenses
• Modern, A/C, comfortable minibus for land transportation, and driver’s expenses
• Admission fees to sights and museums
• Parking, portage, tipping (except guide & driver), ferry, toll road
Price of the package excludes:
• Airfare of international and domestic flights within our program itinerary
• Bottled beverages or alcohol
• Optional gratuities to trip leaders, drivers.
• Travel insurance
• Visas, laundry, and personal items |
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