The Fertile Crescent Tour

The Journey: South Eastern Turkey, or today’s Mesopotamia, is one of the world’s most colorful and peculiar territories. It’s a land where different traditions combine. Where rural Turkish, Arab and Persian meet with the enduring world of indigenous tribes ranging from the Kurdish to the Yoruk of the Taurus Mountains.

Little wonder that the region is so linguistically fertile: the official language, Turkish, is spoken alongside Arabic and Kurdish, while some ancient languages derived from Assyrian and Aramaic still thrive. Similarly, Eastern Turkey is home to a diverse range of religions. Muslims, Christians and Jews live side by side. Monotheism is practiced through the three Abrahamic faiths, alongside various pagan cults associated with the fertility of Mother Earth and ancient astral religions.

The journey: Arrival in Diyarbakir will be via an inland transit flight from Istanbul. Our itinerary here covers visits to historical mosques and churches; the Caravanserai; the Bazars; the Armenian and Chaldean catholic quarters; and the town center within the city’s historical, black basalt walls, where a colorful community of different ethnic groups and religions live peacefully.

On day 3 we follow the course of the Tigris River to arrive at the Citadel of Hasankeyif. With 9000 years’ worth of history to offer, this is an experience not to be missed. Particularly since the site under threat of disappearing in 2015 as a consequence of the GAP damn project. 

Next stop is the plateau between Midyat and Martin. Rife with cotton fields and historical monasteries, this is a historical gateway to the lives of the Early Christians who thrived here.

No trip to South-Eastern Turkey is complete without a visit to Biblical Harran and the holy city of Sanli Urfa. Sanli Urfa in particular is possibly one of Turkey’s most interesting historical cities, dating back3500 years to the Hittite civilization. The birthplace of the Prophet Abraham, Urfa’s religious landmarks are visited by thousands of Muslims annually. Another local landmark on our itinerary is Gobekli Tepe, an ancient archeological site which boasts the remains of the oldest temple in human civilization.

Our week ends with a trek up Mount Nemrut on the Eastern Taurus mountain range. Boasting the breathtaking monuments of the Kingdom of Commagene, this eighth wonder of the world, stands at 2206 meters above sea level. Under the watchful stone gazes of the enormous Greek and Persian gods, we’ll catch a breathtaking sunset over the great expanse below.

After the Eastern Turkey leg of your trip, a one hour inland flight will take you to Dalaman. From here you’ll be transferred by private vehicle to the Mediterranean gem that is Kalkan. We’ll check you into your selected property and our local team will welcome and brief you on the area. In Kalkan, a wide variety of excursions are on offer ranging from the historical to the nautical. For more details please see our excursions page.

When: The Fertile Crescent can be operated throughout the year and there is a minimum participation requirement of 6 pax.

Accommodation: Options range from 4 star or boutique hotels to deluxe/luxury accommodation where available.

For detailed information and quotations, please email us.