It is on a scale that rivals Haghia Sophia, and was a vast structure with eleven domes and is believed to have contained the tomb of St. John, the beloved disciple to whom Mary was entrusted. And then to the excellent Archaeological Museum in Selcuk, which contains artefacts from the site of Ephesus, including the famous cult statue of Artemis. Early evening we drive to the nearby village of Sirince, which until the population exchange of the 1920s was a Greek village. There we can wander the village and at dusk have dinner on a terrace overlooking the valley.

Day 3: After breakfast, we drive to the of the Ionian city of Priene; historically the first city built on the grid. It has been almost perfectly preserved in its Greek stage since it ceased to be an important city in Roman times. At Priene we will see a classical Greek theatre and the Temple of Athena. After lunch, it is a short drive to the site of Miletus, a city of Caria, and next to Ephesus the richest city of the region. Originally settled by Minoans from Crete it became an important city because of the wealth derived from its seaport. The Graeco-Roman theatre that survives and the vast agoras and numerous harbors attest to its grandeur. Another short drive takes us to the magnificent Temple of Didyma, once the place of a famous oracle. This 6th century B.C. temple is the most impressive surviving temple in Asia Minor. We then drive to the airport for our flight to Istanbul.

Day 4: Since our hotel in Istanbul will be in the old imperial quarter, only a short walk away from Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and major museums, which are all vast in size and will demand lots of time to visit, except for the first day, tomorrow morning will be yours to explore the immediate neighborhood, and make return visits. In the afternoons, there will be excursions to take you to distant attractions. We meet at the lobby after breakfast, and take a short walk to the great square, which was once the Byzantine Hippdorome. The Hippodrome is surrounded by the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Underground Cistern, commonly called the Basilica Cistern. Your guide will then take you to the Topkapi Palace. Probably the most Ottoman place in the world.

Day 5: Morning is yours, and at noon, (before lunch) we meet at the lobby for the Ottoman Walk: A walking tour visiting some of the most intriguing neighborhoods of old Istanbul and works of Sinan the Great Architect. We start with Sokullu Mehmet Pasa Mosque, one of the minor masterpieces of the Great Architect Sinan, its interior decorated with magnificent sixteenth century Iznik tiles. Then we enjoy lunch at Aslan Lokantasi, a typical old-fashioned restaurant near the Covered Bazaar. From there we cut through the Covered Bazaar, to the Suleymaniye Cami (The Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent), built in the 16th century it is the major masterpiece of Sinan in Istanbul. More than just a mosque the vast kulliye (complex) consists of Medrese (School of law), kitchens for the employees of the kulliye, a soup kitchen for the poor, a caravanserai, a mental hospital, baths, and other institutions that served the neighborhood. Beginning with the magnificent forecourt we move into the mosque itself, one of the great achievements of Ottoman architecture. Next, in the mosque garden we visit the tombs of Suleyman and his wife, the infamous Roxelana as well as a tightly packed mass of mortuary monuments commemorating the grandees of the Ottoman Empire. After savoring the view over Istanbul, and the Golden Horn from the mosque terrace we descend the hill in the direction of the Golden Horn passing through the hubbub of medieval craft and wholesaling quarter. Tucked away amongst artisan workshops we find another minor masterpiece of Sinan: Rustem Pasha Mosque, its interior completely sheathed in sixteenth century Iznik tiles. After a short walk we are at the Spice Bazaar, flanked by its meat, fish, vegetable, and flower markets. We end our walk at Yeni Cami, the last of the classical imperial mosques. We then board the nearby tram for the return trip to our hotel.

Day 6: We meet at the lobby, and board our vehicle for the Byzantine Relics. We travel by minibus to visit the remains of the sea and land walls of Constantinople, we drive by the remains of the Bucheleon, the summer palace of the Great Palace of Byzantium, the Church of Sergius and Bacchus, (commonly called the Kucuk Ayasofya, now partly serving as a mosque) situated in a very close neighbourhood. Next we skirt the great Theodosian land walls, a great feat of military architecture which preserved the city for over 1000 years. We end with one of the greatest treasures of Istanbul: The Church of Chora, (Kariye Camii) a Byzantine church in which frescoes and mosaics of the 14th century remain virtually intact. The mosaics and frescoes create one of the most remarkable interiors you are ever likely to see. We head on to Bebek to embark our boat for the leisurely Bosphorus Cruise passing the remains of the last Byzantine palace, the Blachernae, and then driving under the great Aqueduct of Valen, now called the Bozdogan Sarnici. Boarding our own launch, we leave Bebek cruising further South to view Istanbul from the Bosphorus, meandering around the shore where we view the Ottoman Architectural masterpieces from their best vantage points. Then we cross to the Asian side to view the Ottoman imperial mosques along its shore, proceed pass Dolmabahce Palace the last palace of the sultans, and stop for a tour of Beylerbeyi Palace, one of the summer palaces of the sultans. Next we pass Rumeli and Anadolu Hisar, two fortresses built by Mehmet the Conqueror prior to capturing Constantinople, as well as assorted palaces and mansions. And then we proceed up the Bosphorus to see the beauty of the less developed end of the Bosphorus. On our return we disembark at Bebek again. The evening, your last in Istanbul, is yours to plan.