Private 8-day Tur Abdin tour – from Gaziantep to Diyarbakır

A study tour to the beginnings: to the stone circles of Göbekli Tepe, to Harran, where Abraham set out, and into Tur Abdin, the "mountain of the servants of God", where Syriac Orthodox Christians have prayed in Aramaic in their monasteries since the 4th century. We fly from Istanbul to Gaziantep and travel east for eight days between the Euphrates and the Tigris to Diyarbakır. From there you fly back to Istanbul on the last evening.

Highlights

• Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe: Neolithic stone circles
• Harran, the Haran of the Bible, with its beehive houses (Gen 11:31; 12:4–5)
• Tur Abdin: Mor Gabriel Monastery (founded 397) and the Church of the Mother of God in Hah
• Mardin above the Mesopotamian plain and Deyrulzafaran Monastery
• Zeugma mosaics in Gaziantep and Halfeti on the Euphrates
• Seven nights in 4-star or boutique hotels, guide and vehicle on all eight days

Full description

The journey leads from west to east through Upper Mesopotamia. In Gaziantep we see the mosaics of Zeugma, the Roman frontier city on the Euphrates; near Şanlıurfa the stone circles of Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe, some 11,000 to 12,000 years old – older than farming and writing. In Harran, the Haran of the Bible, we read on request how Abraham set out from here for Canaan (Gen 12:4–5).

The focus lies on Mardin and Tur Abdin. Deyrulzafaran Monastery (Mor Hananyo) was the seat of the Syriac Orthodox patriarch for centuries; Mor Gabriel, founded in 397, is one of the oldest still inhabited monasteries in the world, and Aramaic is still used in its liturgy. Via Midyat and Hasankeyf on the Tigris we reach Diyarbakır with its city walls of black basalt, the Hevsel Gardens and the Church of the Virgin Mary.

For you this means: you book everything in one step – flights, seven hotel nights, vehicle, transfers and guiding on all eight days – at one fixed total price.

What we see

We adapt order and selection to weekday, opening hours, weather and your wishes.

• 1 · Day 1 · Flight Istanbul – Gaziantep
  Morning pick-up at your hotel, transfer to IST or SAW airport, flight to Gaziantep (GZT).
• 2 · Day 1 · Gaziantep
  Zeugma Mosaic Museum with the "Gypsy Girl", coppersmiths' bazaar and Tahmis coffee house. Night in Gaziantep.
• 3 · Day 2 · Halfeti and Şanlıurfa
  Halfeti on the Euphrates, a village partly submerged by the reservoir; on request a boat trip to Rumkale fortress. Drive on to Şanlıurfa, night in Şanlıurfa.
• 4 · Day 3 · Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe
  The stone circles with T-shaped pillars of Göbekli Tepe (UNESCO World Heritage) and Karahan Tepe (Taş Tepeler), then the Şanlıurfa Archaeological Museum. Night in Şanlıurfa.
• 5 · Day 4 · Şanlıurfa and Harran
  Balıklıgöl and the Abraham tradition; Harran with its beehive houses (Gen 11:31; 12:4–5). Drive to Mardin, night in Mardin.
• 6 · Day 5 · Mardin and Dara
  Old town above the Mesopotamian plain, Kasımiye Madrasa, Deyrulzafaran Monastery (Mor Hananyo), ancient city of Dara. Night in Mardin.
• 7 · Day 6 · Tur Abdin
  Midyat with its old town and silver filigree, Mor Gabriel Monastery (founded 397), Church of the Mother of God in Hah (Anıtlı). Night in Midyat.
• 8 · Day 7 · Hasankeyf and Diyarbakır
  Hasankeyf with the monuments relocated to the new town, among them the tomb of Zeynel Bey; in Diyarbakır the city walls (UNESCO together with the Hevsel Gardens), Great Mosque and Hasan Pasha Han. Night in Diyarbakır.
• 9 · Day 8 · Diyarbakır and flight back
  Syriac Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary (Meryem Ana), Ten-Eyed Bridge (On Gözlü Köprü) over the Tigris; drive to Diyarbakır airport (DIY), flight back to Istanbul and transfer to your hotel.

Included

• Private, state-licensed tour guide in your language (Mehmet Humayunoğlu or an experienced colleague from his team)
• Days 2 to 8 as separate tours: guide and vehicle with driver (long distances)
• Flight Istanbul (IST or SAW) – Gaziantep (GZT) and return flight Diyarbakır (DIY) – Istanbul
• 7 nights in 4-star or boutique hotels (Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Midyat, Diyarbakır)
• Transfer hotel Istanbul – airport and back
• Vehicle with driver from Gaziantep airport (GZT) for day 1
• Planning, coordination and time management of all eight days

Not included

• Entrance fees (Zeugma Museum, Göbekli Tepe, Dara, monasteries where charged, and others)
• Boat trip in Halfeti
• Lunch and dinner, drinks
• Personal expenses, tips

Meeting point

We pick you up at your hotel in Istanbul on the morning of day 1 and bring you back there on the evening of day 8. Outbound flight from Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) to Gaziantep (GZT), return flight from Diyarbakır (DIY).

You will recognise me by the sign “MeinReiseleiter.de” and the visibly worn guide licence. We confirm meeting point and time with your booking.

Important information

German, English, Turkish, French, Italian, Spanish – 25 more languages on request.

• Names as in your passport – We issue the flight tickets in the names you enter in the booking form. Please write them exactly as in your ID or passport.
• Bring your ID – All travellers need their passport or national ID card for the domestic flight.
• Flight times – We confirm the exact flight times and your hotel pick-up time with the booking.
• Rooms – Two adults share a double room; with an odd number or on request there are single rooms. Children sleep in their parents' room at no extra charge.
• Full programme – Eight days with long drives, about 1,000 km in total. We plan breaks and adapt the pace to your group.
• For churches and Bible groups – On request we are happy to plan devotions or readings in churches and monasteries – please note it under "Your wishes".
• Dress in monasteries and mosques – Please cover shoulders and knees; women need a headscarf in mosques. The monasteries are inhabited and open to visitors only at certain times – we plan the day accordingly.