Enjoy The Luxury of Dreaming with FEST Travel

Enjoy the Luxury of Dreaming

The Turkish Art of Marbling (Ebru)

Dear Travel Partners, 2019 has been extremely productive and exciting for our family.

We continued to be pioneers in what we know, cultural tours and luxurious experiences. Our travellers’ world is expanding by the day.

India, Vietnam, Russia, Mexico and China have become our biggest sellers on outbound basis. And finally inbound business is flamboyantly picking up with elite clients from India to USA and Canada.

We are privileged to be welcomed into the Traveller Made® world.

We are open for all cultural embrace.

Best Regards

Who Are We? FEST Travel is a cultural organization and a travel agency offering a complete travel experience and works under the supervision of both TURSAB and the Ministry of Tourism in Turkey since August 1985.

The name FEST comes from FEST’ival and FEAST: Cultural Tour Feast.

FEST Travel is Turkey’s number one specialist in Cultural Tours, both inbound and outbound. As an international operator FEST Travel provides services to cultural organizations, tour operators, Travel agencies, Travel shops, trade-unions, NGO’s, group organizers and companies and to individuals. Our services vary from standard to luxury level.

We depend on FEST Travel’s 30 years of experience and unique resources in composing the best cultural, biblical, study and educational tours to Travellers from all around the world, using company-leased buses and salaried guides.

Coctact Us Phone: 0090 850 622 33 78 Email: discover@festtravel.com Address: Barbaros Bulvarı Barbaros Ap. No.74 D: 18-19 34349 Balmumcu Beşiktaş – İstanbul /festtravel

HAGIA SOPHIA BY NIGHT Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) is the one of the most visited museums and most prominent monuments in the world in terms of art and the history of architecture.

It has also been called “the eighth wonder of the world” by East Roman Philon as far back as the 6th century. A Night in Hagia Sophia offers you a unique experience after closing hours of magical Hagia Sophia.

SULEYMANIYE - VEFA - ZEYREK Süleymaniye Mosque: Magnificent and elegant mosque which Architect Sinan, the most famous architect of Ottoman history, designed and constructed with the order of Süleyman the Magnificient. Church-Mosque of Vefa: Middle Byzantine church in north of the Valens of Aqueduct, one of the beautiful examples of Comnenian and Palaiologan architecture in Istanbul.

Church-Mosque of Zeyrek: Built on the forth hill of the city overlooking the Golden Horn, the former church of Pantocrator which built between 1118 - 1136. It was a large monastic complex with a hospital.

STEP BY STEP HISTORICAL PENINSULA OF ISTANBUL

STEP BY STEP GOLDEN HORN: FENER, BALAT, AYVANSARAY DISTRICTS

Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya): One of the most visited museums and most prominent monuments in the world in terms of art and the history of architecture.

Sveti Stefan (Bulgarian Orthodox Church): The only prefabricated cast iron church in the World. Also it is the only iron church that remains since the similar iron churches in Argentina and Austria has dissapeared.

Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque): One of the most magnificent building in Turkey. It is named Blue after its gorgeous blue tiles which are the glorious examples of traditional Ottoman craftsmanship.

Topkapı Palace : Topkapı Palace is built atop the Byzantine acropolis on Sarayburnu at the tip of the Istanbul peninsula. The palace covers an area of approximately 700,000 square meters, a major part of which area is set aside for the Royal Gardens (Hasbahçe).

Fener Greek Orthodox School: Approximately 140 years-old building whose iconic red bricks came from Marseille is the most prestigious Greek Orthodox school in Istanbul.

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul: The Church of St. George, the most senior office of the Greek Orthodox Church.

FROM GRAND BAZAAR TO CHORA MUSEUM Chora Museum: A medieval church where some of the very finest Byzantine mosaics and frescoes are found. One of the most beautiful surviving examples of later Byzantine art. The Chora Church is not as large as some of the other surviving Byzantine churches of Istanbul but it is unique among them, because of its almost completely still extant internal decoration.

Grand Bazaar: Grand Bazaar, located in the center of the city, can be defined as one of the world’s oldest and largest jewelry agglomeration, having been the centre of craft and trade activity for more than five centuries. The evolution of Grand Bazaar has been handled over four historical stages. The famous historical shopping center holding nearly 4000 shops and labyrinth-like alleys.

Spice Bazaar: The world famous Egyptian “Spice” Bazaar where Genoese and Venetian traders brought the fragrant riches of the Far East to İstanbul. The bazaar, which mostly hosts shops offering a diverse array of spices, Turkish delights, desserts, herbs and foods, the same as when it first opened centuries ago, got its Turkish name because the taxes collected from then-Ottoman state Egypt funded its construction. Its foundations were laid in 1597. It remained a hub of trade for centuries with goods brought in from the Anatolian heartland and former Ottoman dominions, from the Balkans to the Arabian peninsula on sale.

UNDERGROUND ISTANBUL A deep exploration of Istanbul Basilica Cistern: The biggest cistern in Istanbul which was built by 7,000 workers in 532. One of the magnificent ancient buildings of İstanbul is the Basilica Cistern located in the southwest of Hagia Sofia. Constructed for Justinianus I, the Byzantium Emperor (527-565), this big underground water reservoir is called as “Yerebatan Cistern” among the public because of the underground marble columns.

1001 Direk Cistern: Cistern of Philoxenos or 1001 Columns.

Let Mark Twain talk about his impressions about the cistern: “We visited the Thousand and One Columns. They said it was built for a reservoir. It is situated in the centre of Constantinople. You go down a flight of stone steps in the middle of a barren place, and there you are. You are forty feet under ground, and in the midst of a perfect wilderness of tall, slender, granite columns, of Byzantine architecture. Stand where you would, or change your position as often as you pleased, you were always a centre from which radiated a dozen long archways and colonnades that lost themselves in distance and the sombre twilight of the place.”

Theodosius Cistern: Also known as Şerefiye Cistern, built by Roman emperor Theodosius II. This smaller building is approximately 1600 years old and older than the Basilica Cistern and the Binbirdirek Cistern. The most striking feature is that this cistern, like the Basilica Cistern, is connected to the Binbirdirek Cistern.

GÖBEKLİ TEPE - NEMRUT Greeting the sun on Mount Nemrut with the giant statues of the Commagene Kingdom; a 12,000-year civilization journey in Göbekli Tepe, one of the last members of UNESCO World Heritage List, which changed the history of humanity as we know it; listening to the mystic stories of Şanlıurfa in The Pools of Abraham and the legends of a sunken city in Halfeti; Zeugma where the world’s most special mosaics are exhibited.

BAKSI MUSEUM Baks覺 Museum, the 2014 European Council Museum of the Year Award Winner, whose name means Shaman in Kirghiz, is a social project that aims to protect the local cultural elements and their history, to bring the modern and traditional together.

Baks覺 Museum is an adventurous but conscious and spectacular project that sprouts in a partly unknown region of Anatolia.

The museum, which combines traditional with contemporary, also conducts studies to provide education and to gain jobs for the children and women of the region.

Baks覺 takes on the power of the healer and protector meanings of its name.

TUNCELI MUNZUR VALLEY Munzur Valley National Park, one of the most important national parks in Turkey, which contains about 1550 plant species endemic to Turkey and 43 species endemic to Munzur Mountains; Tunceli, the heart of the Alevism of Dersim and historical heritage of Sunni, Alevi, Turkish, Armenian and Kurdish populations where living together for centuries; Ovac覺k with its extraordinary nature and a different local government experience; another journey to Anatolia in Dersim with its amazing natural beauty and unknown culture.

MARDİN - MİDYAT - HASANKEYF Mardin, the city where the stone whispers thousands years of legends. Little stone streets where the sound of the church bell mixed with the call to prayer. Midyat, one of the oldest settlements in the world, where no house’s shadow falls on each other.

Deyrulzafaran Monastery (Mor Hananyo) which witnessed the 4000 years of history from the temple of the Hurrians to the Assyrian Ancient Patriarchate and 1600 years old Deyrulumur (Mor Gabriel) the oldest Assyrian Orthodox Monastery. Dara, one of the most important ancient cities of Mesopotamia, with its 3-storey cemetery area and cisterns, dungeons, bazaar structures and areas of resurrection ceremonies.

A look at the old Artuklu capital Hasankeyf starting to be flooded. Unique local tastes such as irok, dobo, aluciye, sembusek and exquisite kebabs. Thousands of years old tradition of Syriac wine.

Mardin is a magical city with a cultural diversity and architectural heritage that has passed down over thousands of years. The civilisations and culture of thousands of years are reflected in the staircased streets, small squares and the traditional dwellings of the city.

RUMI: INSPIRATION of ANATOLIA “How good it is to migrate every day!

How beautiful it is to stop somewhere every day!

How nice it is to flow without freezing and getting muddy!

Every word that was said yesterday, Is gone, my loved one, with the day, Now is the time to say new things.”

Rumi

Konya: one of Turkey’s oldest continuously inhabited cities and was known as Iconium in Roman times. As the capital of the Seljuk Turks from the 12th to the 13th centuries, it ranks as one of the great cultural centers of Turkey.

Museum and Tomb of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, the mausoleum of Rumi.

The dervish lodge (tekke) of the Mevlevi order, better known as the whirling dervishes.

Mosque and Tomb of Şems-i Tebrizi, (“The Sun of Tabriz”) was the spiritual guide, inspiration and companion of Mevlâna

THE TALES OF EAST: ISHAKPASA - VAN TATVAN - AHLAT A route to explore the culture, history and natural beauties of the Lake Van basin; a trip that we will follow in the footsteps of this history in the region, which has been influenced by many different civilizations for centuries.

The splendor of the Ishakpasa Palace, Tuşpa, the capital of the Urartians and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, the unique gravestones in Ahlat, the haughty loneliness of the Holy Cross Cathedral on Akdamar Island, typical Van breakfast will charm you.

HATTUSAS: THE HITTITE SUN Witnessing one of the most important steps in the history of civilization in the capital of the Hittites, Hattusas (or Hattusa, Hattusha) which is in UNESCO World Heritage List, we’ll follow the footsteps of the Hittites in Alacahöyük, Şapinuva, Yazılıkaya and Boğazköy Museum.

We’ll be discovering the Hittites’ legacies at the Ankara Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. We’ll observe the best examples of Ottoman culture in Amasya, one of the educational cities of Sultan’s children.

CAPPADOCIA FAIRY TALE A unique and bizarre landscape, neither lunar nor earthly, a surreal, incredible vision of shapes and colours, a “poetry in rocks�. An extraordinary region, unmatched in the world. An ideal landscape for history and art lovers, photography enthusiasts and walkers.

A fascinating blending of natural and human activity. A unique geological, historical and artistic region of cave formations in the form of churches, store rooms, kitchens, factories, pigeon-houses, underground cities with wave upon wave of ranened & rocks, stone pyramids, cones and obelisks created by nature and hollowed by human.

JEWISH HERITAGE FROM CONSTANTINOPLE TO SMYRNA A very special routes to explore Jewish Heritage in Turkey dating back centuries. A trip in the footsteps of history and culture, from the synagogues in ancient parts of Istanbul to the Sephardic heritage of Izmir and to the places of worship that witnessed the lives of many Jewish generations in Sardis.

It is an unmissable opportunity to explore the effects and development of this important heritage in Istanbul and Izmir and to see the interaction of Anatolia and Istanbul with the Jewish heritage.

ADVENTURE OF TURKISH CULINARY IN ISTANBUL In Istanbul, where countless cultures have lived in the history of thousands of years and these cultures interact with each other, culinary culture was of course influenced by this transition. In this route where you will get to know Istanbul culinary culture with its street foods, special tastes and unique recipes, you will also witness the history of Istanbul. Culinary course about the legendary exotic Ottoman cuisine, Kadıköy fish market in the modern section of the city and a tempting experience at the famous Karakoy Gulluoglu Baklava shop will company you at this delicious adventure.

3 CITIES - 3 MUSEUMS OF ANCIENT MARVELS: ANTAKYA, GAZİANTEP AND ŞANLIURFA A journey within the history of Anatolia with extraordinary archaeological finds and traditional tastes. Between Mesopotamia and Anatolia, 3 cities that have never lost their importance since ancient times and 3 new museums. Hatay Archeology Museum, one of the largest mosaic museums in the world; Zeugma Mosaic Museum, one of the best examples of contemporary museums and the famous Gypsy Girl mosaic; Şanlıurfa Archeology Museum, where the Göbeklitepe finds and the first known carved in real size sculpture of the world, Urfa Man are exhibited.

TREKKING TOURS

ABRAHAM PATH The Turkish section of the route was created to commemorate and celebrate the legacy of Prophet Abraham’s legacy in Şanlıurfa region. It also offers the opportunity to experience the hospitality and friendship that is Prophet Abraham’s legacy.

The route encourages travellers from around the world to explore spectacular historic and sacred places like The Pools of Abraham, where is known as the place of the Prophet Abraham thrown into a fire; Gobekli Tepe, the oldest uncovered temple in the world and ground zero in time, which rewritten the history of human civilization; and the cave where the Prophet Abraham is said to have been born.

EASTERN LYCIAN WAY This short hiking program of 500 km of one of the world’s longest footpaths- the Lycian Way consists of Eastern Lycia’s the most beautiful parts. Legendary fires of Olympos, majestic view of Tahtali Dagi (formerly known as Mt Olympos in mythology) and Gelidonya Lighthouse with its extraordinary coastal view await for you.

Take the challenge to walk in the footsteps of the ancients, journeying down the most beautiful part of the Lycian Way

DISCOVER WITH FEST TRAVEL As Turkey’s number one cultural tour operator, over the years we have learned, that to travel to a certain destination in the world you don’t need to book the tours from your departure point but instead can use an international tour operator who is experienced with the destination. What matters are the professional qualities, one to one attention, countless details and of course reputation.

As the only sophisticated tour operator in Turkey we are proud to declare in organizing cultural, responsible, archeological and historical tours for travallers all around the world to over 150 different destinations for 35 years.

FEST Travel can organize outbound tours to all over the world. We would be pleased to help you combine tours with Turkey or do totally independent to anywhere in the world.

All you need to do is to contact us and we will do the rest. Allow us to make you perceive a destination with the best quality and the most competitive rates.

To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, To gain all while you give, To roam the roads of lands remote, To travel is to live.

Hans Christian Andersen

FEST Travel Member of