Ancient Jordan to Classical Greece | Amman to Athens

MARCH 19, 2016

ANCIENT JORDAN TO

CLASSICAL GREECE CRUISE THROUGH THE SUEZ CANAL ON A JOURNEY TO ANCIENT SITES OF THE AEGEAN SEA

EARLY BOOKING FARES APPLY S M A L L - S H I P

CRU I S I NG

AT

I T S

BE S T

UNTIL 31/7/15

18-days departing march 19, 2016

sail from

your itinerary DATE

PORT

MAR 19

Fly to AMMAN Jordan Arrive and transfer to hotel

ARRIVE

DEPART

overnight hotel

MAR 20

AMMAN Jordan

overnight hotel

MAR 21

AMMAN (Jerash) Jordan

overnight hotel

MAR 22

AMMAN/PETRA Jordan Drive to Petra via the Dead Sea

overnight hotel

MAR 23

PETRA/AQABA Jordan Morning sightseeing in Petra. Afternoon drive to Aqaba to embark Aegean Odyssey

MAR 24

Cruise the Red Sea

MAR 25

SUEZ CANAL Egypt

MAR 26

LIMASSOL (Kourion) Cyprus

1.00pm

8.00pm

MAR 27

ANTALYA Turkey

2.00pm

overnight

MAR 28

ANTALYA (Aspendos) Turkey

MAR 29

RHODES Greek Islands

8.00am

8.00pm

MAR 30

KUSADASI (Ephesus) Turkey

7.00am

overnight

8.00pm daytime transit

6.00pm

MAR 31

KUSADASI (Aphrodisias) Turkey

APR 1

DELOS Greek Islands MYKONOS Greek Islands

7.00am 2.00pm

APR 2

SANTORINI (Akrotiri) Greek Islands

8.00am

APR 3

PIRAEUS/ATHENS Greece Disembark and transfer to hotel

7.00am

APR 4

ATHENS Greece

APR 5

ATHENS Greece Transfer to Athens Airport for flight home

8.00pm noon 10.00pm 6.00pm overnight hotel overnight hotel

AEG160323

Santorini, Greek Islands

jordan to the aegean Explore the classical world – from the Nabataean city of Petra through the Suez Canal to the Golden Age of Athens.

For mouthwatering natural beauty and outstanding archaeological sites, there are few journeys in the world that can compare with this voyage which combines Jordan, the Suez Canal and the ancient antiquities of the Aegean Sea.

Cruise features include: • 4-night hotel stay in Amman • 1 night hotel stay and sightseeing in Petra • Daytime transit of the Suez Canal • 11 escorted sightseeing tours • Two-night hotel stay in Athens SPECIAL EARLY BOOKING SAVINGS

turkey Greece Athens Ephesus Aphrodisias Mykonos/Delos Kusadasi Antalya Aspendos Santorini Rhodes Cyprus Mediterranean Sea Limassol Jerash

Suez Canal

Amman Jordan Petra Aqaba

Red Sea

Res er v e you r ca bin n ow – call 0845 437 9737 or vis it www. voyages toa n tiqu ity. com

cruise from jordan to the classical civilisations of the aegean March 19, 2016

YOUR JOURNEY

Day 1 London to Amman Jordan Fly to Amman and transfer to hotel.

Day 2 Amman This morning is spent touring the historic city of Amman. Sitting on the highest hill in Amman, Jebel al-Qala’a (about 850m above sea level), the Citadel is the site of the ancient Ammonite capital of Rabbath-Ammon. Here you will visit the Archaeological Museum – a small museum housing an excellent collection of antiquities ranging from prehistoric times to the 15th century, the Folkloric Museum, the remains of the Roman Temple of Hercules, the Byzantine basilica and the gate to Umayyad Palace.

Also see the Roman theatre which can accommodate 6,000 spectators. Afterwards there will be a short tour of modern Amman. Afternoon at leisure.

Day 3 Amman (Jerash) After breakfast, travel by road to Jerash.

Located some 48 km (30 miles) north of the capital Amman, Jerash is known for the ruins of the Graeco-Roman city of Gerasa, and is sometimes misleadingly referred to as the "Pompeii of the Middle East", referring to its size, extent of excavation

The Treasury, Petra

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Napoleon Bonaparte, the Suez Canal was not completed until 1869. It had taken 10 years to build and it has been estimated that a total of 2,613 million cubic feet of earth were moved, including 600 million on land, and another 2,013 million dredged from water. The total original cost estimate was 200 million francs.

Visit the Dead Sea

and level of preservation (though Jerash was never buried by a volcano). Enjoy a walking tour throughout this fantastic ancient city seeing all the main sites including the Temple of Artemis, Hadrian’s Arch and the Hippodrome, before returning to Amman.

Day 4 Amman – Dead Sea – Petra Check out from hotel and leave by road for the Dead Sea. Here you will pause for lunch and take a dip in the sea's salutary buoyant waters. Continue to Petra and check in at your hotel.

Day 5 Petra – Aqaba The highlight of the morning is a walking tour of Petra. One of the great moments in

Ancient Perge

travel is when you emerge from the narrow winding Siq to encounter the extraordinary rose-red city of Petra and the impressive colonnaded Treasury building. This guided tour is entirely on foot so you can more intimately interact with this UNESCO World Heritage Site, chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. In the afternoon, leave by road for Aqaba and board Aegean Odyssey.

Day 6 At sea Relax on board as the ship makes its way to the Suez Canal.

Day 7 Suez Canal (Daytime transit) Despite being planned by ancient pharaohs, Roman Emperors and even

or v isit www.voya gestoan tiqui ty. com

Day 8 Limassol Cyprus A short journey from Limassol takes you to the Graeco-Roman city of Kourion. With breathtaking views over the Mediterranean, Kourion contains some remarkable monuments including the vast 2nd-century AD stadium and the Sanctuary of Apollo.

Days 9/10 Antalya Turkey An afternoon at leisure and evening in Antalya, before a full day excursion to Perge and Aspendos. Perge played an important role in the spread of early Christianity and we visit the basilica where St Paul preached his first sermon in 46AD. The stadium is one of the best-preserved in Anatolia, a huge arena where over 12,000 could watch athletic competitions. Walk through the Roman Gate, the entrance to the city, and follow a fine colonnaded avenue that once took the ancients to the Baths Complex and the Agora.

To date, only parts of Aspendos have been excavated, but the well-preserved Roman theatre was one of the most spectacular buildings of its time. The theatre was built by two wealthy brothers during the reign of Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd century AD. The architect Xenon gave it a public entrance, dressing rooms, a colonnaded gallery, rows of marble seats and suites for the dignitaries, as well as a canopy to protect patrons from the weather.

After lunching on local Turkish food, we drive to the Antalya Archaeological Museum which offers an excellent survey of the great periods from the neolithic on through the Bronze Age, to Hellenistic and Roman times.

Day 11 Rhodes Greek Islands Today we call at the island of Rhodes where your included excursion explores the Old Town and Citadel of the Knights of St John.

The Knights of St John of Jerusalem lived on the island from 1309 until 1522 when the Ottoman Empire finally dislodged them. Also available during our call at Rhodes is an optional trip to the Acropolis at Lindos.

Library of Celsus, Ephesus

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Rhodes Harbour

Day 12 Kusadasi Turkey This morning is dedicated to the magnificent ruins of Ephesus. The cosmopolitan city of Ephesus was, in its heyday, on a par with Athens and Rome. Once home to over 250,000 people, this site affords ancient snapshots of daily lives of the Greeks and their conquerors, the Romans. Over the centuries, Ephesus was a sacred centre to Artemis, a Roman stronghold, and later, a centre of Christianity. There is evidence that St Paul, St John and the Virgin Mary were in this city. Highlights of your walking tour include the Library of Celsus, the Grand Theatre where St Paul once preached his sermons, the terraced houses and the Temple of Hadrian.

Sacred Delos

Day 13 Kusadasi This morning you travel by road to the site of Aphrodisias. Two and a half times the size of Pompeii, Aphrodisias is named after the Greek goddess of love and could be said to rival Ephesus in a claim to be “the most well-preserved ancient site in the world”. Aphrodisias sprang up around one of the finest marble quarries in antiquity, and was the centre for Greek and Hellenistic sculpture for nearly seven centuries.

Day 14 Delos – Mykonos Greek Islands Delos was the paramount religious sanctuary of the ancient Greek world.

The morning tour explores the island’s temples and, of course, the famous lion

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The best of the Greek Islands

statues. At lunchtime, Aegean Odyssey makes the short sail for Mykonos. With its lively cafes and shops, Mykonos is the perfect contrast to the sacred relics of Delos.

Day 15 Santorini Closed to the public for over six years, the newly reopened Minoan settlement of Akrotiri is the tour's highlight, but you also visit several of Santorini's picturesque villages. One of the Aegean's most important archaeological sites, Akrotiri was abandoned after severe earthquakes, and then covered in pumice by a volcanic eruption in about 1625BC. A visit tells the tale of an affluent society who farmed, built two-story homes, and indulged a taste for frescoes, furniture and jewellery.

EXPERT GUEST SPEAKERS

Karen Exell lives in Doha, Qatar,

Two nights in Athens

Day 16 Athens Greece After breakfast, disembark and drive to Athens. Your stay here begins with a full morning's guided tour of the city's ancient citadel, the Acropolis. Built during the "Golden Age" of Athens between 447438BC, the Acropolis represents the magnificent achievements of Athenian culture. You will also visit the wonderful Acropolis Museum.

Day 17 Athens Never in the history of Christianity has a school of artists infused such a high degree of spirituality into its work. Byzantine

theologians insisted that painters and mosaicists reflect the image of God. This morning you can take an optional excursion which reveals the splendour of Byzantine art in a tour that combines visits to both the Byzantine Museum and also the Monastery of Kaisariani with its fine frescoes and elegant gardens. The afternoon is at leisure, perhaps to visit the marvellous National Archaeological Museum.

Day 18 Athens – London Transfer to Athens Airport for the flight home.

where she is lecturer in Museum Studies and directs the MA in Museum and Gallery Practice at University College London, Qatar. She has worked for over 15 years in museums, heritage organisations and universities in the UK and Egypt. She has a BA in Egyptology from Oxford University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Museum Studies from the University of St Andrews and a PhD in Egyptology from Durham University. Karen's research interests include the reception and perception of Egypt in the West, museums and the creation of knowledge.

Lecture topics IMAGINING EGYPT – This lecture explores how ancient Egypt has been constructed in the western imagination, focussing on the impact of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun and the responses to Egyptian mummies.

Meet our guest speakers who will be accompanying you on this voyage. Here is a taste of what to expect...

Professor Sandy Primrose is a biologist

by training and has degrees from the University of Strathclyde and the University of California. After undertaking research in Australia he returned to the UK and took up lecturing positions at the universities of Edinburgh and Warwick. He has 20 years experience as a biotechnology consultant as well as being an adviser to various UK governmental organisations (Health Protection Agency, Food Standards Agency, and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). He was awarded an MBE in 2010 for services to the Food Standards Agency and has written a number of very popular scientific textbooks.

Lecture topics DRUGS FROM PLANTS: The origins of the modern pharmacy – Until the late 19th century medical texts describing drugs were based on books written by ancient Greeks and the problems arising from the use of these texts led to the development of the modern botanical gardens.

OUT OF AFRICA – The fossil, genetic and linguistic evidence for modern humans evolving out of Africa and spreading to the rest of the world along the Red Sea.

Trevor Bryce Emeritus Professor Trevor

Bryce is a Classicist and Near Eastern historian. Trevor is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and has held visiting Fellowships at Princeton, Oxford, Sydney and Canberra. His extensive publications deal primarily with the history and civilisations of the ancient Near and Middle Eastern world. He was awarded a Doctor of Letters Degree at The University of Queensland.

Lecture topics WHAT WENT ON in the Ancient Greek and Roman Theatres? – We shall discuss some of the well-known theatres of the Classical world, the performers and their performances, and the audiences who attended them.

THE LOST CIVILISATION OF ATLANTIS – What do our ancient writers tell us about Atlantis?

Do we have evidence that there was such a place?

If so, where was it?

CYPRUS IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE, WAR, AND POLITICS – A discussion of Cyprus’ role in history over a thousand years – from the age of the Pharaohs to the Persian Empire.

David Kennedy David’s academic

career began with 13 years at the University of Sheffield and since 1990 he has taught at the University of Western Australia. He is an Associate Member of the School of Archaeology, University of Oxford.

He has been a Member at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton and held visiting fellowships at Brasenose College, Oxford and has taught widely across Greek and Roman Archaeology and History. His fieldwork has been mainly in Turkey and – in particular, Jordan, where he has worked almost annually since 1976.

Lecture topics 19TH C. TRAVELLERS TO PETRA – The German Seetzen and Swiss Burckhardt explored ‘east of Jordan’ in the early 19th century and blazed a trail for adventurers, scientists, academics, biblical scholars and the curious. Forty days on camel were needed for the commonest route from Cairo and the journals remain a fascinating source on the ‘Franks’ who made the journey, the land and the peoples they encountered.

A MEDITERRANEAN EMPIRE – The five centuries of the Roman Empire are the only period in history when all of the lands around the Mediterranean were united under a single political control. Mare Nostrum – ‘Our Sea’, as the Romans called it, was a unifying force bringing together divergent peoples from nomads to the ‘civilised’ Greeks and the ancient culture of Egypt.

Please note these lecturers and their chosen topics are subject to change.

Visit ww w.v oya ges toa nti qu ity.c om/s peaker f or mor e in f or ma tion

HOLIDAY READING IDEAS There’s nothing like a good book to accompany you on your travels.

Our associates at Blackwell’s of Oxford have put together a selection of books that we feel would provide the perfect accompaniment for this magnificent voyage.

Philip Robins

Brian Sewell

A HISTORY OF JORDAN

ISBN: 9780521598958

Though a small state, Jordan has frequently found itself at the centre of conflict and crisis in the modern Middle East. It has been a central protagonist in the wars of the region, notably the 1948 and 1967 Arab Israeli War.

T.E. Lawrence SEVEN PILLARS OF WISDOM

SOUTH FROM EPHESUS

Wilbur Smith ISBN: 9780141182766

DESERT GOD Although 'continually and bitterly ashamed' that the Arabs had risen in revolt against the Turks as a result of fraudulent British promises of selfrule, Lawrence led them in a triumphant campaign which revolutionised the art of war. This title presents the epic events.

ISBN: 9780007535682

On the banks of the Nile, a hero will rise as Egypt is under threat. Taita, a freed slave and the Pharaoh's closest advisor, must create a master plan to crush the kingdom's historic enemy and return Egypt to its former glory.

Jose Carlos Somoza

Andrew Mango THE TURKS TODAY

ISBN: 9781780761206

Weary of what he called the "tyranny" of western art, the author first visited Turkey in 1975. But Turkey surprised him and he delighted in the unexpected wealth of Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic cultures there, returning three of four times a year until 1990. This book presents a portrait of Turkey and its artistic heritage.

THE ATHENIAN MURDERS

ISBN: 9780349116181

ISBN: 9780719565953

Eighty years have passed since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded the Turkish Republic out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire and set it on the path of modernisation. He was determined that his country should be accepted as a member of the family of civilised nations. The Turks Today interprets the latest academic research for a broader audience, making this highly readable book the authoritative work on modern Turkey.

In classical Athens, one of the pupils of Plato's Academy is found dead. Suspecting this wasn't an accident, his teacher asks Herakles, the "Decipherer of Enigmas", to investigate. A second plot unfolds in parallel through the footnotes of the translator of the text.

Exceptional value fares

AMMAN TO ATHENS

DOUBLE ACCOMMODATIONS

FULL FARE

SAVER FARE

• 12-DAY CRUISE aboard Aegean Odyssey

M

Inside cabins with shower Standard Inside

£3,150

£2,850

L

Premium Inside

3,295

2,970

• 4-NIGHT LAND TOUR of ancient Jordan – with hotel stays in Amman and Petra

Premium Inside

3,450

3,100

K

Outside cabins with shower

• 2- NIGHT HOTEL STAY in Athens

I*

Premium Outside

3,850

3,475

• 11 INCLUDED SHORE EXCURSIONS as described with specialist-guide

H

Premium Outside

3,995

3,595

• Scheduled economy class AIR FARE

G

Premium Outside

4,250

3,825

J

Standard Outside

3,650

3,300

Deluxe outside staterooms F

Deluxe Stateroom, Outside

4,495

4,045

E

Deluxe Stateroom, Outside

4,650

4,175

Deluxe balcony suites and staterooms D

Deluxe Stateroom, Balcony

4,995

4,495

C

Deluxe Stateroom, Balcony

5,250

4,725

B

Junior Suite, Balcony

5,775

5,200

A

Owner’s Suite, Balcony

6,250

5,650

SINGLE ACCOMMODATIONS

Category C: Deluxe Stateroom with balcony

THese prices include

• EXPERT guest speaker programme on board • ALL MEALS on board Aegean Odyssey • COMPLIMENTARY WINE (or beer/soft drinks) with dinner on board • GRATUITIES for on-board restaurant staff and your cabin steward • TRANSFERS & BAGGAGE handling on arrival and departure overseas

MM

Standard Inside

3,695

3,395

JJ II*

Standard Outside

4,295

3,945

Premium Outside

4,495

4,120

SPECIAL EARLY BOOKING FARES

HH*

Premium Outside

4,750

4,350

Save up to £1,200 per cabin

GG*

Premium Outside

4,950

4,525

EE

Deluxe Stateroom, Outside

5,450

4,975

CC

Deluxe Stateroom, Balcony

6,150

5,625

Air Credit (when making your own arrangements)

400

Cruise Only Credit (no air or land included)

975 AEG160323

Prices are per person based on double occupancy and include all discounts. †Saver fares vary per cabin category and are valid until 31/7/15. *Please note: Category GG, I, II and some HH cabins have restricted view. For full terms and conditions, please refer to our brochure or website. Ship’s Registry: Malta.

†

PLUS LOW FARES FOR SINGLE TRAVELLERS

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winter 2015/16 Cruise portfolio: NOVEMBER 19, 2015

DECEMBER 18, 2015

VOYAGE TO

JANUARY 4, 2016

SOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH AFRICA

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BE S T

BURMA &

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BE S T

THE MALAY PENINSULA ON AN EXTRAORDINARY VOYAGE

C RU I S I NG

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S M A L L - S H I P

MARCH 2, 2016

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CLASSICAL GREECE CRUISE THROUGH THE SUEZ CANAL ON A JOURNEY TO ANCIENT SITES OF THE AEGEAN SEA

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MARCH 19, 2016

A MAGICAL 26-DAY JOURNEY FROM DELHI TO JORDAN

S M A L L - S H I P

CRU I S I NG

ANCIENT JORDAN TO

THE RED SEA

SRI LANKA & INDIA

S M A L L - S H I P

CRU I S I NG

INDIA & THE WONDERS OF

PASSAGE TO

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S M A L L - S H I P

SAIL FROM THE MYSTERIES OF MALAYSIA TO THE TREASURES OF INDIA’S GOLDEN TRIANGLE

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SAIL FROM CAPE TOWN TO COLOMBO THROUGH THE WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL OCEAN

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FEBRUARY 20, 2016

FEBRUARY 5, 2016

SAIL INTO THE HEART OF BURMA

CRU I S I NG

INDIAN OCEAN

A 2-WEEK ADVENTURE TO THE NATURAL WONDERS AND VIBRANT CITIES OF SOUTH AFRICA

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SOUTH AFRICA & THE

SOUTH AFRICA

THE BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA ON A 19-DAY CELEBRATION VOYAGE

AN EXTRAORDINARY 31-DAY JOURNEY FROM MALAGA TO CAPE TOWN

JANUARY 16, 2016

GAME PARKS OF

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR IN

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AWARDS

To find out more, watch our inspiring videos online or request cruise portfolio booklets at

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VOYAGES TO ANTIQUITY BEST FOR ADVENTURE

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