Tours Further Afield:
Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan

Why not combine your trip to Turkey’s southeast with a trip further afield. Use this great opportunity to visit Syria and the souks of Aleppo, or discover the unexplored beauty of Northern Iraq.

HARRAN AND ALEPPO

This three day, two night tour gives you a taste of the Middle East at its best. Visit the ancient town of Harran, explore the castle, see the site of the world’s first university, and marvel at the mud-built houses. Spend the night with an Arabic family in a beehive house before leaving early the following day for the Syrian border. After crossing the border, head for the town of Raqqa , where in days of past glory the caliphs built their summer residences. Visit the partly restored city walls. Following lunch in Raqqa, drive to Aleppo where you will be spending the night in a basic hotel. The next morning is given over to Aleppo’s delights including the citadel, the Great Mosque and the souq. Departure for Turkey and Sanliurfa is after lunch.

MARDIN, DIYARBAKIR AND IRAQI KURDISTAN

Spend an incredible five days and four nights exploring both Turkey’s southeast and Iraqi Kurdistan. If being far from the madding crowd is your thing, Iraqi Kurdistan with its welcoming people and stunning scenery should be high on your list of priorities. The highlight of your journey will be a visit to the Kurdish holy city of Lalish, which is sacred to the Yezidi faith.

Leaving the village of Yuvacali early in the morning, head for Mardin where, after lunch, you will be given a full half day to explore the city’s narrow streets, small bazaar area, and Assyrian churches. The following morning an early start will see you heading out to the border with Iraqi Kurdistan. Crossing the border into Zakho, you will team up with your specialist Kurdistan guide and head for the city of Dohuk for lunch. Explore the bazar, the Grand Mosque, the Church of St Ith Llaha, and the Dohuk art gallery, popular with young Kurdish artists.

The following day has you driving out to the Yezidi shrine at Lalish. The visit to the shrine is timed to coincide with Yezidi religious services, and you will be able to join in, passing through the shrine barefoot. This awe-inspiring ceremony will be complimented by a sumptuous picnic lunch, provided by a local Kurdish family. The night is again spent in Dohuk, and the next day you will ahead once again for the border, moving back into Turkey and onto Diyarbair.

The final night of the tour is spent in Diyarbakir, famed for its stunning walls and teeming old city area. Plenty of free time will be given to allow you to explore the maze of back streets and Diyarbakir’s distinctive black and white stone architecture.

The journey back to Yuvacali is via the Karacadag Mountains, where Turcoman tribes live a feudal life style. Should the movement of the tribes permit, a visit to a nomadic camp will be arranged. This five day,four night tour allows you to truly see the diversity of the area: from cities to villages, and from churches and mosques to Yezidi holy places. It is a once in a lifetime adventure.