GARDEN TOURS
Turkey– Tulips, Gardens & History Tour 2014
April 14th - 23rd, 2014
TURKEY
TURKEY– TULIPS, GARDENS & HISTORY TOUR 2014
I was here in June 2012 to
check out the possibility of
putting a tour together and
was so excited to see all the
things I saw. I was not
disappointed. The country is
incredible and the sights we
will see will take your breath
away.
HIGHLIGHTS
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The flower was introduced in Western
Europe and the Netherlands in the 17th
century by Carolus Clusius, a famous
biologist from Vienna. In the 1590’s he
became the director of the Hortus
Botanicus in Leiden, the oldest botanical
garden of Europe, founded in 1587. He
was hired by the University of Leiden to
research medicinal plants and while doing
so he got some bulbs from Turkey from
his friend Ogier Ghiselain de Busbecq, the
ambassador of Constantinople (presentday Istanbul). He had seen the beautiful
flower, called tulip after the Turkish word
for turban, grow in the palace gardens
and sent a few to Clusius for his garden in
Leiden. He planted them and this was the
start of the amazing bulb fields we can
see today.
Here is a wonderful article to read on
tulips just at the time our tour will be
there…excited? Should be…
“The sun is finally shining. Plum and
almond trees have begun to flower. The
air is filled with the fragrance of hyacinths.
Late afternoon rains are showering
everywhere across the country…..Tulips of
yellow, orange, purple, pomegranate,
cloudy red, light pink and a kaleidoscope
of colors are all flowering along the streets
and gardens of the city. It’s time for
people to get out of their homes and take
a stroll through the streets and enjoy the
spectacular show that Istanbul is putting
on for us…”
http://www.todayszaman.com/news241260-tulip-time-has-kicked-off-inistanbul.html
Aboullah Kilic wrote…
‘A madness, a passion, a sign of wealth according to some;
"the chosen flower of God" according to others; a sign of
vanity according to yet others… However defined, an attractive
flower owing to its color and natural beauty that holds a
special place in everyone's heart is the tulip. The tulip's charm,
which makes one go crazy, which makes one lose one's
possessions, a phenomenon not witnessed in any other flower,
is as impressive as its story of holding people captive. The
story of the tulip having originated in Middle Asia, reaching its
peak in Anatolia and continuing today in Europe is in fact the
most colorful piece of evidence of a nation's journey from East
to West.”
and lest we forget…The Tulip by Anna Pavord…
In our tour we will have a chance to see the lands of the
historic Tulip, West Coast of Turkey including Ephesus, an
ancient Greek city and later a major Roman city and also
Cappadocia, a spectacular landscape, entirely sculpted by
erosion.
I include for you a website full of information on Turkey Cornucopia is the magazine for connoisseurs of Turkey –
gorgeous enough for the coffee table, serious enough to be
found in academic libraries. This truly remarkable publication –
beautiful, uncompromising and independent – is an evergrowing compendium of all things Turkish: history, culture,
art, food, travel…
http://www.cornucopia.net/
“‘We saw everywhere an abundance of flowers... The Turks
are so fond of flowers that even the marching troops have
their orders not to trample on them”
Get reading and just imagine what you will see….. for you
book lovers out there, here is a wonderful book to read to give
you that inspiration you may need….
‘At Home In Turkey’ by Berrin Torolsan.
TURKEY
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9 Nights Hotel
Accommodation in 4
Hotels including a CAVE
Hotel
1 Domestic Flight
between Izmir –
Kayseri
Transportation by
modern, A/ Vehicle
1 Hands on Cooking
Class in Cappadocia
Wine Tasting Sevilen
Winery
Baggage Handling
9 Breakfasts
4 Lunches
5 Dinners (beverages
not included with
meals)
English speaking
Licensed Tour Guide
(Specialist on History)
All entrances Fees to
Nezahet Gokyigit
Botanic Garden,
Emirgan Park & the
Tulip Festival, Sabanci
Museum & Gardens,
Blue Mosque, Topkapi
Palace, Hippodrome,
Basilica of St. Sophia,
Bulbous Plants Park,
Seymen Village, Spil
National Park (Mansia
tulips), Sevilen Winery,
House of the Virgin
Mary, Sirince Village,
Bayindir Village,
Goreme Valley,
Underground City of
Kaymakli, Avanos
All applicable Taxes
Tips for Guides and
Drivers
As spring arrives, with the magical greens
that only spring shows, so does the
tulip….the tulip was originally a wild flower
growing in Central Asia and was first
cultivated by the Turks as early as 1,000
AD.
Your incredible land itinerary:
April 14. Monday
Arrival in Istanbul
You will be met at the Airport and delivered to your hotel. Because you will all be
arriving at different times, the rest of the day will be at your leisure to rest up and
get ready for our tour. We may plan something this evening dependent on arrival
times.
Your hotel…three nights…the beautiful Hotel Arcadia Blue
http://www.hotelarcadiablue.com/eng/index.html
Recently renovated in May of 2013 you will not only delight in the hotel but in its
location.
Your standard rooms have all the modern conveniences you could wish for: The
warmly balanced grey-beige shade and pure lines, welcoming guests while entering
the hotel, are continued in the rooms, accompanied by delicate turquoise touches.
The rooms have bathrooms with Savannah marble flooring, a wall of blue tiles and
glass surfaces. Air conditioning, mini bar, satellite TV, direct phone connection, free
wireless internet access, safe, hair dryer and coffee tray with water heater.
The hotel has a rooftop terrace, spa and fitness center and even a Turkish Bath.
April 15. Tuesday
Istanbul
Spend the morning visiting Nezahat Gokyigit Botanic Garden
An unexpected oasis amongst the towering high-rise blocks and motorways that surround it.
Ali Nihat Gökyigit began planting flowers in memory of his late wife in 1995. It since has mushroomed into many islands of themed gardens
including collections of native irises and crocuses the envy of Kew. Black Sea rainforest and salt-desert gardens and formal Ottoman
parterres flourish against a backdrop of futuristic tower blocks and constant motion. To date, more than 50,000 trees and shrubs have been
planted in this 50-hectare park, which aspires to establish the largest collection of oaks in the world. A section of the garden is devoted to
scented plants and there is also a rock and scree garden. Privately funded by (ANG Foundation) the Botanic Garden sits in a motorway
intersection. Situated on the Asian side of Istanbul. There is an excellent article on this garden here…
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/657b7a6c-04fe-11e3-9e71-00144feab7de.html#slide0
Then drive back to Europe Side to have lunch and to continue to explore Emirgan Park, a gorgeous park that during the annual April Tulip
Festival a staggering 1.8 million tulips are blooming within the borders to delight all those who visit.
Visit Sabanci Museum that was used to be home of the Sabanci Family, one of the two richest families of Turkey. You will see exquisite
calligraphic art, religious and state documents, paintings of the Ottoman era as well as the perfectly manicured and sculpture filled garden,
overlooking the Bosphorus.
Overnight in Istanbul. (B, L)
Did you know? Mulberries come in an array of hues: black, white, pink, purple; some enticingly sweet, others astringent and healing. As
Berrin Torolsan can testify, having grown up with them in her Istanbul garden, all are adored – by man, mallard and pine marten alike. Here
she traces the history of this luscious fruit.
http://www.cornucopia.net/magazine/articles/heavenly-berries/
April 16. Wednesday
Istanbul
Today’s included excursions are the unique Blue Mosque whose interior walls are covered
with twenty thousand blue Iznik tiles. The magnificent Topkapi Palace once home to the
great Sultans is filled with treasures and antiquities including twelve thousand pieces of fine
Chinese porcelain. After lunch at Konyali Restaurant in the garden of Topkapi Palace and
famous for Ottoman food, explore the Hippodrome and domed Basilica of St. Sophia, which
has inspired architects and religious leaders for over fifteen hundred years. Constructed in
326 by Constantine the Great, it has been a cathedral, a mosque, and now a museum.
Exploring the Inside of Hagia Sophia
http://www.travelsignposts.com/Turkey/sightseeing/hagia-sophia
We also explore Bulbous Plants Park which is in front of Yedikule City Walls and filled to overflowing with annuals and perennials.
Overnight in Istanbul. (B, L)
April 17. Thursday
Istanbul – Troy - Assos
On the way to Troy, we will explore Seymen Village and their Tulip fields. Production dates back to the
Ottoman Empire. This cultural aspect is continued by the Istanbul Municipality buying Tulips to use in the
Tulip Festival in Istanbul nowadays. Istanbul Municipality has planted roughly 11 million tulips all around
Istanbul with 112 different types of tulips. Counting earlier planted tulips there are presently roughly 20
million blooming tulip flowers in Istanbul!
Did you know? In its heyday the Istanbul tulip was the most fashionable of flowers, as Rustem Pasha’s
mosque shows. The highly coveted bulbs changed hands for small fortunes. Sadly, this tulip is now extinct,
but these exquisite paintings testify to its delicate beauty. Turhan Baytop, doyen of Turkish bulb experts,
recalls the golden age reflected in a priceless 18th-century album.
http://www.cornucopia.net/magazine/articles/the-painted-garden/
Our sightseeing continues with Troy, one of the oldest discovered sights in Asia Minor with its 9 different
settlements and related 30 cities.
Overnight in Asoss. (B, D)
Your hotel…Kervansaray Hotel
kervansarayhotel
http://www.assoskervansaray.com/
Right by the Aegean…a lovely respite for the night.
April 18. Friday
Assos – Pergamum – Izmir
Early departure to Pergamum once ruled by Alexander the Great. Pergamum’s library on the Acropolis (the ancient Library of Pergamum)
was the second best in the ancient Greek civilization. When the Ptolemies stopped exporting papyrus, partly because of competition and
shortages, the Pergamenes invented a new substance to use in codices, called pergaminus or pergamena (parchment) after the city. This
was made of fine calfskin, a predecessor of vellum. The library at Pergamum was believed to contain 200,000 volumes, which Mark Antony
later gave to Cleopatra as a wedding present. Enjoy seeing the splendid Acropolis with the Altar of Zeus and the ten thousand-seat
Amphitheatre.
In the afternoon explore Spil National Park, famous for the Manisa Tulip, which gave their name to a period of the Ottoman Empire and
were taken to Europe.
Then enjoy tasting Turkish Wines in Sevilen Winery, managed by the third generation of the
Guner family who are assisted by experienced French consultants Mr. Florent Dumeau and
Mr. Xavier Choné, both from the Bordeaux area. Sevilen has some wines in the list of
Decanter World Wine Awards. Sevilen have three different vineyards in the Aegean region.
The name means ‘loved’ in Turkish, and they are a popular choice for many, with their topof-the-range bottles finding their way to some of
the world’s best restaurants.
Some tasty tidbits from the Naked Vine on
Sevilen wine…
http://www.thenakedvine.net/2013/09/turkishdelight-iii-wines-of-turkey.html
Overnight in Izmir. (B, L)
Your hotel…2 nights…Swissotel
Set in landscaped gardens overlooking the spectacular Kordon on the Aegean Sea. The hotel
rooftop terrace and spa are ideal for relaxation, and guests have the chance to indulge in a
calming massage before a dip in the outdoor hotel jacuzzi.
http://www.swissotel.com/hotels/izmir/
Your Classic Garden View Room is full of elegance and comfort and includes a balcony to further enjoy your time here. Tea and coffee
making tray, hair dryer and safe. Hotel has spa, gym and pool.
Did you know? At London’s inaugural Wines of Turkey jamboree, Kevin Gould hears how the country’s winemakers are cultivating a taste for
their distinctive products.
http://www.cornucopia.net/magazine/articles/turkeys-happy-hour/
April 19. Saturday
Izmir - Ephesus – Sirince Village - Izmir
Today’s excursion takes us to Ephesus, the largest ancient city ever uncovered. Once populated with 300,000 people, it has an enormous
Amphitheatre, which can still hold 24,000 spectators. As you walk down the marble covered streets, see gymnasiums, bath houses, public
baths, the library of Celsus and the Temple of Artemis. We continue to the House of the Virgin Mary, where she is believed to have spent
her last few days and Sirince Village home to Peach, Grape and Olive gardens.
Overnight in Izmir (B, L)
April 20. Sunday
Izmir – Fly to Cappadocia – Cave Hotel
Before we fly to Cappadocia, we will explore Bayindir Village. This used to be the
main garden of the Ottoman Empire to grow and supply flowers.
Our hotel in Cappadocia for 3 nights is an authentic and traditional Cave Hotel! (B,
D)
April 21. Monday
Cappadocia – Goreme Valley – Carpet Coop - Cooking Class
Our sightseeing begins with a visit to the fascinating Goreme Valley. The lunar like landscape of this region is eerie, yet beautiful. Over
thousands of years, the rain has eroded this landscape to give rise to strange rock formations known as “Fairy Chimneys”. Many of these
have homes and churches carved into them. Some of the grottos are magnificently decorated with colourful frescoes depicting biblical
scenes. Then we enjoy a visit to a local municipality carpet cooperation, sort of a carpet farm where you will get the chance to explore the
district from a cultural perspective. After lunch visit the Local Market and then join our Hands on Cooking Class featuring Central Anatolian
cuisine, famous for its pasta specialties followed by Dinner. Overnight in Cappadocia. (B, D)
April 22. Tuesday Cappadocia – Kaymakli Underground City – Avanos Ceramics
In the early morning you may enjoy optional Hot Air Ballooning, a dream to gently float over the countryside in complete harmony with the
deep canyons and lush fertile valleys of Cappadocia. Gentle winds carry you over places that could never be reached except by balloon.
After breakfast explore the Underground City of Kaymakli. Around the sixth century the Christian inhabitants of this region began to tunnel
into the soft volcanic rock of large hills. As deep as two hundred and seventy five feet with eight different levels, several thousand people
lived in this subterranean city. Then we visit a typical Turkish village, Avanos to see the techniques of ceramic art dating from 12th B.C. to
3rd B.C. periods. Overnight in Cappadocia. (B, D)
April 23. Wednesday. Cappadocia – Fly from Kayseri Airport and onward home.
Please see all the photos I took while on this short trip at http://www.icangarden.com/pix/Turkey-2012-1.cfm for just a taste of what is to
come.
The 2014 Tour will start in Istanbul and end in Cappadocia. As air is booked we can then decide on costs per person from hotel to Kayseri
Airport. You will be advised closer to tour.
Your land package includes:
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9 Nights Hotel Accommodation in 4 Hotels including a CAVE Hotel
1 Domestic Flight between Izmir – Kayseri
Transportation by modern, Air-Conditioned Vehicle
1 Hands on Cooking Class in Cappadocia to experience Central Anatolian Cuisine
Wine Tasting in Izmir at Sevilen Winery
Baggage Handling
9 Breakfasts
4 Lunches
5 Dinners (beverages not included with meals)
English speaking Licensed Tour Guide (Specialist on History)
All entrances Fees to Nezahet Gokyigit Botanic Garden, Emirgan Park & the Tulip Festival, Sabanci Museum & Gardens, Blue Mosque,
Topkapi Palace, Hippodrome, Basilica of St. Sophia, Bulbous Plants Park, Seymen Village (tulip fields), Spil National Park (Mansia tulips),
Sevilen Winery, House of the Virgin Mary, Sirince Village (peach, grape & olive gardens), Bayindir Village, Goreme Valley (Fairy
Chimneys), Underground City of Kaymakli, Avanos (ceramic art)
All applicable Taxes
Tips for Guides and Drivers
Not included:
Not Included is the hot air balloon ride as it is an option.
Tour Dates: April 14th – 23rd. 2014
LAND only $5045 US p/p sharing
SINGLE Supplement $1800 US
See Highlights Box for all inclusions on this tour.
Carlson Wagonlit Travel | Journeys of Discovery Exclusive Travel Agent on this
Tour
NOTE -- TOUR IS A GO!
Donna standing inside an
ancient tree at Topkapi
Palace
Email: donna@icangarden.com if you have any questions and hope to
meet you on this tour!
Toll Free – 1-866-642-7120
Subject to change without notice –November 17, 2013