#11 best destination in the world

 

Hot Air Balloon Cappadocia

Cappadocia_Aktepe_Panorama

  • Occupied in 499 BC
  • Characterized by its fairy chimneys, a rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin or badland

 

Van Fortress

Van_Fortress_From_Northwest

  • Massive stone fortification built by the ancient Armenian kingdom of Urartu
  • Built in 750 BC
  • Used for regional control rather than against foreign armies
  • One of the oldest buildings in the world

 

Kleopatra Beach

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  • #19 of the top 25 beaches in the world

 

Göreme

Göreme_town_and_valley_2015

  • Town located among fairy chimney rock formations in Cappadocia
  • Population 2,000 people
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Possibly settled during the Hittite era, 1800-1200 BC
  • Natives escaped political turmoil by using the tunnels in the rock

 

Hattusa

Lion_Gate,_Hattusa_01

  • Capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Pamukkale

Hierapolis_colonnade

  • Ancient city located on hot springs used as a spa since the 2nd century BC
  • Also contained a bath, library, and gymnasium
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Istanbul

1920px-Topkapı_-_01

  • Historically known as Constantinople and Byzantium
  • On the cusp of what separates Europe and Asia
  • Largest European city
  • Founded in 660 BC
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Selimiye Mosque

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  • Ottoman imperial mostque
  • Commissioned by Sulta Selim II between 1569-1575
  • One of the highest achievements of Islamic architecture

 

Historic Areas of Istanbul

Istanbul2010

  • Group of site in the capital city of Istanbul
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Süleymaniye Mosque

Süleymaniye_Camii

  • Ottoman imperial mosque in Istanbul
  • One of the best-known sites in Istanbul

 

Sultanahmet, Fatih

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  • Neighborhood in Istanbul

 

Hagia Sophia

Hagia_Sophia_Mars_2013

  • Was a Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal basilica
  • Later, it was an imperial mosque
  • Now a museum in Istanbul
  • Constructed from 537-1453
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Sultan Ahmed Mosque

Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque

  • Mosque constructed from 1609-1616 during the rule of Ahmed I
  • Contains Ahmed’s tomb, a madrasah, and a hospice
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

 

Costs

all flights $1,600

food $5/day x 18 days = $94

hotel $16/day x 17 days = $272

tickets (all attractions) $243

TOTAL for whole itinerary $2,209