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Between Two Seas: Exploring the Ancient Cities of the Aegean and Black Seas - 2010
Destination:
Europe
Countries:
Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria
Travel Style:
Small Ship Ocean & Adventure Cruises
Departure Dates:
9/27/2010
This is a voyage to the homelands of Achilles, Hector, and Alexander the Great, to the birthplaces of the Byzantine and Ottoman civilizations, to the point where Europe and Asia meet. This exceptional program takes us from the Northern Aegean Sea, through the breathtaking Bosphorus with its spectacular views of Istanbul, and into the Black Sea, a fascinating region that very few travelers have explored. This is an itinerary for travelers who have seen the classic sites of the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean and are ready for something new. From Istanbul we journey to the lovely island of Thasos and to the dense forest of Mount Pelion where Centaurs trained the young Achilles as a warrior. Below the slopes of Mount Uludag, we will discover extraordinary 14th- and 15th-century Ottoman monuments—they are among the finest in the world, yet are rarely seen by visitors from the West. In addition to rare sites, we will also see the vast remains of Troy on Turkey’s wind-swept plains, and the magnificent Byzantine and Ottoman monuments of Istanbul. Then we’ll sail into the Black Sea, an immense inland ocean that has been a crossroads of culture and commerce since ancient times. Amasra is one of the Black Sea’s loveliest towns, that reveals the influence of the ancient Greeks and Romans, the Byzantines, and the Ottomans.
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Rates from:
8695.00
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Sacred Places of the Mediterranean - 2010
Destination:
Africa & Middle East, Europe
Countries:
Turkey, Greece, Egypt
Travel Style:
Small Ship Ocean & Adventure Cruises
Departure Dates:
10/27/2010
Once there was a forlorn rock, drifting about the Aegean. A trident pierced it, and Delos drifted no longer. A girl rested under a date palm here, and gave birth to a god and a goddess. The island turned to gold. And thus the Greek myths come down to us. “These things,” the theologian Sallust tells us, “these things never happened, but are always.” Sacred Places of the Mediterranean brings together many places of singular magnificence and importance where the myths originated and places where actual events took place that have changed the course of the world—places where history and myth fade into one another, and where, once the Olympian and other gods were just as tangible as the columns and mosaics which now remain. Starting in Istanbul, we will board the 57 all-suite Corinthian II and sail to carefully chosen ports, ending in Egypt’s fabled Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C., and destined to become one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. Among the many highlights we will encounter on this voyage is an unusual excursion to the Siwa Oasis, the oracular site of the God Amun.
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Rates from:
9495.00
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Empires of the Sea: The Epic Struggle Between the Ottoman Empire and European Powers for Control of the Mediterranean - 2010
Destination:
Europe
Countries:
Turkey, Greece, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, Croatia
Travel Style:
Small Ship Ocean & Adventure Cruises
Departure Dates:
10/5/2010
For thousands of years the Mediterranean has been the highway to empire. During the golden days of autumn, we will follow in the wake of empire-builders who not only struggled for power, but also spread civilization and brought about a great flourishing of art and architecture throughout the Mediterranean. In Istanbul we’ll explore the glorious monuments of the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Ottomans. On the island of Chios we’ll visit the 11th-century Nea Moni monastery, adorned with beautiful mosaics created by artists from Constantinople. We’ll wander through the streets of Valletta on the island of Malta, a city filled with exuberant architecture built by the Knights of St. John to celebrate their victory over the Turks. In the beautifully preserved medieval towns of Kotor and Dubrovnik we’ll see the interplay of Venetian, Slavic, and Islamic influences. And at Nafpaktos we’ll view the site of the Battle of Lepanto, where in 1571 a Christian fleet crushed the Turkish navy.
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Rates from:
9995.00
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