DAILY TOURS

      1. The Inner Triangle Göreme... Avanos... Üçhisar
      This is the essential Cappadocia tour taking in the whole of the World Heritage Foundation's protected area. During the day you visit the Göreme Open air Museum, the Zelve Monastic settlement, Pasabað, Avanos, and Uchisar Castle. There is plenty of variety and action. You have time to walk in three of the valleys, to examine troglodyte settlements and different erosion formations, and also try your hand at some kick-wheel pottery. We finish the tour, bringing you 1000 years forward in time, when we visit the Ottoman Medrese complex in Nevþehir.

      2. Delving Deeper Ihlara and Derin Kuyu
      Today we take you to Southern Cappadocia to visit the most extensive of the underground cities: Derinkuyu... meaning "deep well". We continue to the most beautiful of gorges, Ihlara, where churches and early dwellings carved out from the gorge walls, face each other across a wooded stream. In this area you have a good chance to observe local village lifestyle and husbandry. As with the previous tour, there is good walking opportunity. Steps which descend also ascend, so come prepared! There is vehicle support throughout. If you so prefer, you can view without walking. At the end of the tour we bring you forward in time, when we visit a Caravansaray.....these were magnificient hostelry, complexes, often free of charge, built at regular intervals along the anatolian trade routes.

      3. Littele visited Cappadocia Kaymaklý, Soðanlý, Taþkýnpaþa
      Today we descend into the Kaymaklý underground city, then continue to Soðanlý, a vilage set into a tabletop mountain. This area which developed as a monastic settlement following Göreme's example having littele touristic development, remains closer to the original setting. There are some 60 churches in the Valley, some of which are now dovecotes. These nostalgic old Greek settlements are now inhabited by Turkish families from Tharce, as we will see when we vist Cemil and Sinassos. We also visit the stunning 14th C. conical memorial graves and mosque at Taþkýnpasa, and realise in what harmony the Greeks and Turks lived in the past. We round the tour up with some well earned wine-tasting! Cappadocia is famous for its vineyards.

      4. For the Fanatic....! Güzelyurt and Gümüþler Monastry
      Today's tour again takes us south, and covers more mileage than the previous ones. However the variety and the great beauty of the Gümüþler monastry with its inner courtyard, and fine Madonna fresco, will make you wish to linger even longer. We continue to Niðde which is the county town of the vilayet of the same name. It has some fine Selçuk and Mongolian monuments, notably the Türbe of Hudabend Sultan, and the ak Medrese, which now houses the Museum.

      5. For bird and history lovers Sultan Sazlýðý, Mashes, Kultepe and Kayseri
      To sight some of the 250 species of birds in the Sanctuary, we leave Göreme early (approx. 4 am. !.) Cranes, Eagles, Flamingoes, Herons, and Spoonbils are among the species. Flat bottomed boats are used to tour the marsh channels, so bring your insect repellent! A hearty breakfast is taken during the visit. We spend approximately 3 hours in the sanctuary, then continue to the Kapuzbasi Waterfalls for a picnic lunch. We drive north in the shadow of Mt. Erciyes, the mountain so responsible for much of what we see today, to reach Kültepe by 3 pm.. Here 4000 years ego Assyrian traders settled round the Hittite city of Kaneþ. Our last port of call is the county town of Kayseri, where we visit the Museum, the 13th. century Selçuk Citadel and Mosque Complex.
      6. Sufiism and a Spa
      Hacýbektaþ Monastry, Kirsehir and Kozakli In the second half of the 14th century, Haci Bektas Veli arrived here from Horasan and founded the Bektasi Dervish Order, which preached a philosphy of humility and mutual understanding. His beliefs continued and developed side by side with Christianity. The monastry is a place of pilgrimage for believers from all over the world and has recently been turned into a museum. Our guide who is himself a Bektasi, will explain the Bektaþi way of life, as he shows you round. You continue on to Kirsehir to see the Dervish lodges of the ahi brotherhood. These were secret societies founded in the 14th. Century, linking members of the founder Ahi Evran. After a good restaurant lunch we visit the thermal baths of Kozakli, reputed for curing rheurmatism and impotency! Here we relax and review the philosophies of the day. We return to the Dove Office by 6 pm. Inclusive in the price of all our daily tours are: transport, a professional guide, all entrance fees, and lunch. For vegetarians, there is always a choice of main dish Pick-up from accommodation is organised where necessary.

      A THREE DAY TOUR.
      Sunrise on Mount Nemrut Urfa and Biblical Harran... a round tour via Kahramanmaras, Urfa, and Gaziantep.
      Departure time is 7 am.!.....but dont worry the sun will be up before you. Driving south towards the Taurus Mountains, we stop for lunch at Kahramanmaras, most popularily known for it's icecream, and Covered Bazaar.
We reach Kahta by 6 pm. and check into our hotel. An early night is recommended, as we shall be leaving the hotel to drive for 2 hours to the summit of Nemrut in time for sunrise. There is a final easy 15 minute ascent on foot to reach the Tumulus itself. The witnessing the birthof just one more day ,is an experience which gives many a new attitude to the meaning of life. Driving down we pass the ancient city of Arsemia and the Roman bridge at Cendere. We breakfast in the hotel, then leave by 10.30 am. to visit the Ataturk Dam project, the sixth largest in the world. We drive on to ancient Edessa, now Sanliurfa, well known for its cuisine, where we have a good lunch, before continuing 40 kilometres, to Harran. Just 15 km. from the Syrian border Harran continues as in Biblical times, apart from the television antenae! The main site still standing is theTemple to Sim .But you can also take a camel ride, or dring tea in a beahive shaped dwelling.We return to Urfa and check into our hotel where we have supper, before visiting the city,notably the Poll of Abraham, with it's beautiful 18th.Surroundings.The complex is very bush as it is place of pilgrimage for Moslems from all over the world, who cpme to pray, feed the sacred carp and visit the Cave where Abraham is believed to have been born.
      
        DAY THREE ...
       We drive to Birecik on the Euphrates where we visit the Bald Ibis bird sanctuary.We then drive onto Gaziantep,where we lunch before returning to Cappadocia.

       SPECIAL SKI TOUR to Mt. Erciyes... .. 2 nights away.
       We spend two nights in the Dedeman Hotel at The Erciyes ski resort.Day One...We depart from the Dove Office at 9 am. We Check into the hotel and are onto the slopes by 11 am. All necessary equipment can be hired and instruction is available where necessary.We hope that you work up an appetite to do honour to the good open buffet "dinner provided by the hotel in the evening."

DOVE TOURS AROUND TURKEY. Aegean Tour...............................5 days Black Sea Tour..........................5 days The Mediterranean Coast.......6 days Eastern Anatolia........................9 days