From Mesopotamia to Cappadocia, in the Footsteps of St Paul

Your route

1. Day1
   Diyarbakır

   Arrival in Diyarbakır

   Welcome at Diyarbakır airport and transfer to your hotel in the city center. A first evening on the banks of the Tigris, in one of the oldest cities in the region.

2. Day2
   Mardin

   Diyarbakır, Hasankeyf and a Syriac monastery

   A morning walk through the old town of Diyarbakır, then a panoramic stop at the site of Hasankeyf, above the Tigris. Depending on the route, you then visit either the Mar Gabriel Monastery near Midyat or the Deir el-Zaafaran Monastery near Mardin, two major centers of Syriac Christianity.

3. Day3
   Şanlıurfa

   Old Mardin, then Göbeklitepe

   You discover the Kasımiye Madrasa and the lanes of Mardin's old town, overlooking the Mesopotamian plain. Then drive to Göbeklitepe, dated to the 10th millennium BC and considered the oldest temple in the world.

4. Day4
   Adıyaman

   The beehive houses of Harran and Mount Nemrut

   In the village of Harran, you will see the mud-brick houses with conical roofs, an architecture designed to withstand the heat. Late in the day, you climb Mount Nemrut (2,134 m) for sunset over the funerary sanctuary of King Antiochus of Commagene.

5. Day5
   Gaziantep

   Atatürk Dam, Halfeti and the Zeugma Museum

   Stop at the Atatürk Dam, then the possibility of a public boat trip on the Euphrates at Halfeti (optional). You continue to Gaziantep, known for its cuisine and its baklava, and visit the Zeugma Museum and its mosaics.

6. Day6
   Antakya

   Antioch and the Church of St Peter

   Discover Antioch, where, according to tradition, the word "Christian" was first used. You visit the Church of St Peter, carved into the rock and counted among the oldest churches in the world.

7. Day7
   Tarsus

   Tarsus, birthplace of St Paul

   Drive to Tarsus, located between the Anatolian plateau and the Mediterranean, where St Paul was born. A stroll through the old quarter to see the well that bears his name and the church dedicated to him.

8. Day8
   Cappadocia

   Gümüşler, an underground city and Uçhisar

   You visit the Gümüşler Monastery, carved entirely out of the rock, then the underground city of Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu, where local people took refuge on several levels. The day ends at the cave citadel of Uçhisar, which offers a panoramic view over Cappadocia.

9. Day9
   Cappadocia

   Göreme Museum and Love Valley

   The Göreme Open-Air Museum brings together a monastic complex whose rock-cut churches preserve remarkable frescoes. You then walk through Love Valley and the site of the Vineyards of the Lord. An optional, no-obligation visit to a pottery or kilim workshop.

10. Day10
    Cappadocia

    Departure from Cappadocia

    Transfer to Kayseri airport for your return flight, with a connection in Istanbul (IST or SAW).

This itinerary can be adjusted: pace, stops, extra nights or hotel category are tailored to your group.