3-Day Ancient Wonders Tour: Göbeklitepe, Urfa & Mardin

(Lunch, and Dinner included)

Our guests coming on Istanbul, Izmir, or Ankara flights meet at the Sanliurfa Airport with our guide, and we will go to a local restaurant for a decadent breakfast consisting of local delicacies. (not included)

Visit Halil-Ür Rahman Mosque, Rızvaniye Mosque, Mevlid-i Halil Mosque, Ayn-el Zeliha Lake, and the Balıklıgöl, Halil-Ür Rahman Lake, where Prophet Abraham is said to have been thrown into the fire, and the burning logs turned into fishes, whereas the fire was turned into water. We will also visit the cave where Prophet Abraham was born. Other historical places to visit in Urfa are the Sipahi Bazaar, Kazzaz Market, Hacı Kamil Han, Hüseyiniye Bazaar, Naccar Bazaar, Gumruk Inn and Ulucami (Grand Mosque).

Visit the Urfa Archeology Museum and the Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum, where many historical artefacts from Anatolian civilisations are exhibited in an indoor area of 29,000 square meters.

We take a lunch break at a local Kebab restaurant to taste the delicious kebabs of Şanlıurfa.

Our first stop in Urfa will be Göbeklitepe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the oldest temple in the world, with a history of 12,000 years, dating back to the Stone Age. One of the most important archaeological discoveries of our time, Göbeklitepe is thought to be the first pilgrimage centre of the world, as it rewrites history. During our tour here, our guide will answer the following questions surrounding the area: Who built Göbeklitepe 12,000 years ago and why? Why was Göbeklitepe, the oldest temple in the world, abandoned and buried with soil on purpose? The technology and mathematical knowledge used to build the Temple with rock megaliths weighing 16 tons is still a mystery.

Overnight stay in Sanliurfa

Traditional Sıra Night: On our Urfa trips, we attend Sıra Nights (Sıra Gecesi), which is a dinnertime entertainment with music and dances that is synonymous with Şanlıurfa.

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

After breakfast at our hotel, we will take a road trip to Harran, passing through the fertile agricultural lands, one of the most fertile in Mesopotamia.

The 3000-year-old Harran houses with conical roofs, designed specially to keep cool in the extreme heat in summer months, were built with adobe and stone masonry techniques. We will visit a Harran house in the village. The first university in the world, Harran University, was also established here. After visiting the ancient ruins of the University of Harran, the historical Harran Castle and city walls from the period when Harran was the capital of the Umayyads, and the tomb of the famous sheikh of the region, Hayat al-Harran.

Next, we will visit the ancient Mesopotamian city of Dara, also known as Anastasiopolis, consisting of structures carved into the rocks, water channels, cisterns, and rock tombs.

After Dara, we will head for Midyat, which is famous for its stone houses and beautiful stonework, and take a lunch break here. We’ll have free time to shop in the local bazaar, where silver and gold jewellery designed by filigree artists and workers are sold. We will go to our hotel in Mardin and check in at the end of our visits.

Overnight Stay in Mardin

(Breakfast and Lunch included)

After breakfast, our first stop in the city of tolerance will be the Mor Behram (Kırklar) Church. Walking in the narrow streets of this city, where people from different religions and sects live together in peace, you’ll see many door knockers and beautifully carved old doors, each having a history of its own. The small passages built under the houses to create narrow streets are called Abbara, and they are the characteristic features of the city. Next, we will visit the Mardin Museum, Latifiye Mosque, the Great Mosque of Mardin, and the old Post Office Building, which reflects the best examples of the region’s stonework. Do not ask where the tourist places are in Mardin because every place here is unique, and at every corner, you are presented with a new surprise.

Free time for shopping in the city. You may visit the local market, where you can find the famous almond candy of Mardin, local desserts, and jewellery made of silver, gold, and precious stones. Finally, we will visit the Kasımiye Madrasah (Mosque Kebir), which had extraordinary architecture and provided university-level education in the Seljuk period, and the Mor Hananyo Monastery ( Deyrulzafaran Monastery ), which was the official seat of the patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church until 1932. You’ll be transferred to Mardin Airport at the end of the tour