4 Day Private Trip Southeast Turkey Exploring: Mardin, Sanliurfa and Gaziantep

We will start in Mardin. You will be pickup in Airport, Hotel, or Bus Station as your requested. The tour will start in 08.00AM local time. After everyone is picked up, we will start the tour to Mardin Old City. Visiting Dayrulzaferan Monastery, Kasimiye Medresesi, Şehidiye Medresesi and other surrounding. Then we go to Dara Ancient City (visiting the dungeon, necropolis, cisterns, agora, bridge and ramparts). Dara is a silent witness from the time of Alexander the Great to the southeast of Anatolia. We are giving a rest and refreshment break at White Water with its magnificent natural beauty. Return to Hotel in Mardin.

Today we will visit Midyat from Mardin. In Midyat, we enter (Mor Gabriel) Deyrulumur Monastery, which has a history of 1600 years. The story of the monastery, which makes every step alive, will affect you all. We are visiting Midyat Guest House (Hercai series set). With a short walk between Midyat Houses, we pass to Gelüşke Han and have a short tea break (a spacious and relaxing inn with filigree shops that are the subject of the Kadim Dostum series) and We visit Midyat Caves. (We will witness the old lives in these caves, which are in the well structure.) We also can witness the Assyrian Wine and Silver Art (Telkari) in Midyat. After the tour, we will transfer to Hotel in Sanliurfa.

We start the tour in the morning around Şanlıurfa City. We will visit Balıklıgöl (Pool of Abraham), Şanlıurfa Necropolis and Historical Bazaar in Şanlıurfa. Having lunch in the city before heading to Göbeklitepe.

We visit Göbeklitepe - one of the world's most important archaeological sites. Dating back as far as 12,000 years ago, it was built prior records of writing or pottery, and is believed to be the world's oldest ritual complex. Don't miss the opportunity to visit this fascinating site which is causing archaeologists to rethink their vision of early human history. Transfer back to hotel in the evening.

Later head to Halfeti to take your own private boat and cruise one of the significant rivers of ancient Mesopotamia- river Euphrates. Relax and unwind while enjoying sights of Roman Castle, Caves, and Savasan Village. ​Savasan Village or Old Halfeti what is partially submerged since 1990s under the waters behind the dam on the Euphrates at Birecik, used to be called once as ''Hidden Paradise'' with the orchards at the hillside of the Euphrates, yard-type stone houses, and flower gardens.

After Halfeti, we will drive to Gaziantep to explore the city. We will explore Gaziantep Castle used as an observation point by the Hittite Empire in the 2nd millennium BC. In the 2nd and 3rd century AD the Roman Empire built a fortification on the same site. The castle underwent further expansion and renovation under the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century. Originally the fortification stood on a rock, the Byzantines enlarged it by constructing a mound against the slope of the rock. They then circled the complete site with a dry moat, defended by a subterranean gallery against the foot of the castle. Next stop we go to Zeugma Mosaic Museum the biggest mosaic museum in the world, containing 1700 m² of mosaics. It opened to the public on 9 September 2011. The 30,000 m² museum features 2,448 m² of mosaic and replaces the Bardo National Museum in Tunis as the world’s largest mosaic museum. During the trip, we will visit many culinary and gourmet stop in Gaziantep such as Tahmis Coffee, one of the oldest coffee shops in the world which was built between 1635 and 1638 in order to generate income for the Mevlevihane Lodge and Gaziantep Baklava which is famous for its pistachio-stuffed baklava. We will finish the trip in Gaziantep. You will be drop off in the hotel, airport or other places within the city.