Mesopotamia Tour

3 Days Mesopotamia Tour (Nemrut-Zeugma-Sanliurfa) from Izmir

This is a great short Turkey tour to see some amazing places in Turkey where you will first start with Gaziantep one of the modern provinces of the South-Eastern Anatolian Region and also upper of Mesopotamia. Being the center of pistachio nut cultivation where you will get a chance to taste Baklava (sweet pastry) with its extensive olive groves and vineyards, The second day, visit Sanliurfa and Harran (The City of Prophets), The Old Testament prophets Jethro, Job, Elijah, and Abraham, lived in this city. Prophet Abraham lived for a while mentioned in the book of Genesis. Gobeklitepe, If you are a fan of archeology or you just like the ruins, then you should definitely not miss visiting this place, Gobekli Tepe. It has a special emotional charge. It is The World’s First Temple, This place is 50 times the size of Stonehenge, and 7000 years older. This place is also 8000 years older than the pyramids!

The third day another Unesco site, I wish all the world people should see Mount Nemrut. Especially, at sunrise and sunset. It is a little cold experience but Absolutely, worth it. This mountaintop temple is unique in the world. The statues and heads are gorgeous and were hauled up to the highest mountain in the area thousands of years ago. Even the gravel that forms King Antiochus's tumulus on the peak of the mountain had to be hauled up there. Be sure to visit both sides of the mountain to see both temples and note the carvings in the rick panels from the insides of the original temples. Mt. Nemrut is a must-see for anyone traveling to Turkey.

TOUR OVERVİEW(PRİVATE TOUR)

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What is Lorem Ipsum?

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

Duration:

3 Days

Departing:

Everyday

Time:

08:00

Pickup Point:

Izmir

Highlights:

Gaziantep Castle, Gaziantep Zeugma Mosaic Museum, Copper Bazaar, The Pool of Prophet Abraham, Gobekli Tepe, Harran, Mt. Nemut, Cendere Bridge, Karakus Tumulus (tomb) Plateau

Price For Per Person

1 Pax

1.350,- €

2 Pax

800 ,- €

3 Pax

640 ,- €

4 Pax

570 ,- €

5 Pax

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6 Pax

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7 Pax

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12 Pax

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Day 1: Fly to Gaziantep

Pick up From Izmir Hotels at 04:30 am
Drive to Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport, Fly to Gaziantep about 06:00pm
Arrive at Gaziantep Airport, Meet with your guide
Gaziantep Castle
Local Lunch and Baklava
Gaziantep Zeugma Mosaic Museum
Copper Bazaar
Drive to Sanliurfa. Overnight and dinner will be in Sanliurfa

Day 2: Sanliurfa Old Town - Harran - Gobeklitepe - Overnight in Adiyaman

Sanliurfa Old Town
Visit The Pool of Prophet Abraham
Gobekli Tepe
Harran
Local Lunch
Drive to Adiyaman for Mt.Nemrut. Overnight and dinner in Adiyaman

Day 3: Mt.Nemrut - Karakus - Cendere Bridge - Fly from Gaziante to Izmir

Drive to Mt. Nemut
Visit Cendere Bridge
Karakus Tumulus (tomb) Plateau
Local Lunch
Arsemia’s Ancient city
Drive to Gaziantep. Fly from Gaziantep to Izmir
Arrival to Izmir and transfer to your hotel

Note: If you wish, you can extend your tour, or you may request a transfer service from us to other cities such as Diyarbakir, Mardin, Georgia, Iraq, Iran, and Syria.

*3 Days Mesopotamia Short Turkey Tour runs every day and is available all year round. Also, documents with details and confirmations will be e-mailed to you after your booking.

Day 1: Fly to Gaziantep - Gaziantep Walking Tour - Overnight in Sanliurfa

Hotel pick-up and transfer to Izmir Airport. Fly from Izmir to Gaziantep. Meet the tour guide at Gaziantep Airport. Our first stop will be the World-famous Gaziantep Zeugma Mosaic Museum, which is the largest Mosaic Museum in the world. Zeugma is in the Tentative List of UNESCO since 2021. These mosaics are 2000 years old and unique in design, color, and perfection. Besides this 1450 m² of mosaics, there are also 140 m² of frescoes, 4 Roman fountains, 20 columns, 4 limestone sculptures, the bronze statue of Mars, grave steles, and sarcophagi. This museum exhibits a superb mosaic discovered at the Roman site of Belkis-Zeugma before the Birecik Dam flooded most of the site. Do not miss out the see incredibly well-preserved highlights including the poignant Gypsy Girl and the Birth of Venus mosaics. We will visit the Old City Castle which is located in the center of the city and the copper bazaar and colorful “Yemeni” slippers.

This bazaar is one of the most special and oldest bazaars in Turkey. You can find a variety of copper handcrafts. We will also have the chance to taste the famous baklava; a sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey (Baklava is originally from Gaziantep). It’s a UNESCO Creative Gastronomy City. More than 400 dishes are known in the city. After the lunch break, we will discover the city by Walking, you will be surprised how many stories are hidden in the streets, buildings, and corners of Gaziantep, Perfect for those who are visiting the city for the first time and want to get the most out of it! Overnight and dinner in Sanliurfa.

Day 2: Sanliurfa - Gobekli Tepe - Harran - Overnight and dinner in Adiyaman

After having breakfast at the hotel, we will visit the Sanliurfa center. The Old Testament prophets Jethro, Job, Elijah, and Abraham, lived in this city. The region was also home to Prophet Moses: working as a shepherd for seven years in the region; before returning to Egypt. That's why the city is known as The City of Prophets. We will visit the Pool of Prophet Abraham.

The Pool of Prophet Abraham

It is believed that Prophet Abraham did not follow the religion of Nimrod and therefore he was thrown into the fire by Nimrod to kill. As Abraham is a follower of God, he was not killed by the fire. The fire was converted into water and the firewood became the carp that you can see in the pool. We will also have a walk through the streets which have a great harmony of different cultures and ethnic groups. Move to The Pools of Abraham. Enjoy the tea at Gumrukhan, and have free time to visit the historical Urfa bazaars. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Then drive 1- hour to Harran.

Harran

Harran is where Prophet Abraham lived for a while mentioned in the book of Genesis. Even though it is situated on a dry, barren plain, Harran is famous for its adobe houses (bee-hive houses), castle, and university building from the 08th century. Harran has managed to stay alive for 5000 years. The commerce from Anatolia to Mesopotamia and from Mesopotamia back again provided welfare and an immutable culture for thousands of years through Harran and ensured its survival. Harran has been on the UNESCO Tentative List since 2000. After this visit, we will drive about 30 minutes to Gobeklitepe.

Gobeklitepe

Another one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Turkey: Gobekli Tepe is the earliest known evidence of monumental human-made architecture so far. The site has been proven by scientists that it is the oldest temple in the world from 11,500 years ago. The site features a large number of limestone pillars, many decorated with the stylized image of a T, and archaeoastronomers believe these served an astronomically aligned function, as well. After this amazing visit, we will drive about 3 hours to get to Kahta. Overnight and dinner in Kahta.

Day 3: Mount Nemrut - Cendere Bridge & Fly from Gaziantep to Izmir

We will wake up quite early this morning around 03:30 am to climb up to the summit of Mount Nemrut. Mt. Nemrut is a must-see place when visiting Southeast Turkey. The summit is about 2,150m meter altitude. Mount Nemrut has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Entire place is the funerary mound of King Antiochus I of Commagene, built in about 62 BC. The fallen heads of colossal statues representing various Greco-Persian deities are scattered throughout the site. It's an impressive view, very well worth your effort and time. This mountaintop temple is unique in the world.

The statues and heads are gorgeous and were hauled up to the highest mountain in the area thousands of years ago. Even the gravel that forms King Antiochus's tumulus on the peak of the mountain had to be hauled up there. Be sure to visit both sides of the mountain to see both temples and note the carvings in the rick panels from the insides of the original temples., we will drive down from the mount to see Arsemia’s Ancient city, This ancient site is a hidden gem right in the heart of nature.

There are some reliefs, inscriptions (the biggest inscription in Greek in Anatolia), and an underground tunnel. It was built over a high mountain skirt close to Kahta castle and Nemrut mountain. King Commagene used the summer palace. Cendere Bridge, The bridge is very well constructed considering it was built over 2000 years ago by the Romans and it was still in use in this century, for cars. The river and gorge behind the bridge are also very scenic.

Karakus Tumulus is a monumental tomb for three women. Built in the 2nd century by King Mithridates II of the Commagene civilization for his mother, sister, and daughter. Three columns remain today. There are four remaining 9 to 10-meter columns with bull, lion, and eagle statues. Late afternoon we will drive to Gaziantep Airport for the flight back to Izmir. After your arrival at the airport, our driver will meet you at the airport and drive you to your hotel in Izmir.

What’s Included?

Pick up From Izmir Hotels
Domestic Flights
English-speaking tour guide during the tours
Transport by air-conditioned coach
2 Night Accommodation in Gaziantep (3-4 Star)
2 Dinner
3 Local Lunch (Vegetarian lunch option available upon request)
Entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary
Local taxes and service charges

What’s Not Included?

Personal expenses and Gratuities
Drinks

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.