Tour to Western Armenia and Cilicia

Early in the morning we will leave Yerevan towards Bavra – the Armenian-Georgian border. We will drive through the city of Gyumri, cross the border and find ourselves in the Javakhk region of the historical principality of Gugark, now part of the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Georgia. On the way from the town of Akhalkalaki to Akhaltsikhe we will meet the Khertvisi fortress (founded in the 2nd century BC), which rises at the confluence of the Parvana and Kura rivers. They say that this was the favorite fortress of Queen Tamara (12-13th centuries). Continuing our journey we will reach the town of Akhaltsikhe, the capital of this region of Georgia. After a short rest in Akhaltsikhe, we will head towards the Georgian-Turkish border. After crossing the border, we will drive through the province of Ardahan - an area with breathtaking mountain and forest landscapes of the Arsiats ridge. Having arrived in Kars and settled in the hotel, we will go on a city tour. Let's walk through its narrow streets, where many buildings in the style of Russian and Armenian architecture of the late 19th century have been preserved, see the medieval stone bridge “Vardana”, the ruins of the house in which the great Armenian writer Yeghishe Charents lived, and the impressive Church of the Holy Apostles (10 th century). We will ascend to the royal fortress of Kars, which was once the citadel of the capital of Armenia, the fiefdom of the Bagratuni dynasty and a witness to numerous wars in this region. We will stay overnight in Sarikamysh.

In the morning we will go to the legendary city of Ani, the magnificent capital of the mighty Armenian kingdom of the 9th-11th centuries, which was called “the city of a thousand and one churches”. At that time, Ani was the largest religious, trade and cultural center at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, through which the Great Silk Road passed. In Ani we will see powerful medieval city walls and towers, magnificent cathedrals, palaces and mosques, which are perfectly preserved after a millennium. Next we will go to Dogubayazit (Bayazed), pass through the town of Igdir, after which a beautiful view of Mount Ararat will open from the reverse (south) side. In old Bayazed we will see the impregnable fortress of Daroink of the kings of the Arshakuni dynasty (1-5th centuries AD), which at one time served both as a repository for their wealth and as a hiding place for the royal family. We will visit the magnificent Ishak Pasha Palace (17th century) - a complex of buildings with a fortress, palaces and mosques, where Persian, Arabic, Ottoman and Armenian architectural styles are intertwined. In the palace we will see unusual harem rooms, deep dungeons, and cozy courtyards. Next we will continue our journey to the city of Van, the principality of Vaspurakan. On the way to Van we will stop and relax at the beautiful Berkri (Muradiye) waterfall. In the evening we will arrive in Van, where we will stop for the night.

In the morning in Van we will visit the Urartian fortress Tushpa/Van (9th century BC), see the ancient cuneiform writing of King Sarduri. Driving through the city, we will stop at the “door of Mher the Younger” carved into the rock, the hero of the Armenian folk epic “Sasna Tsrer”. If desired, we can visit the nursery of Van cats, a unique local breed, which is famous for its multi-colored blue-yellow eyes. Then we will go to the turquoise Lake Van, take a boat ride to the island of Akhtamar, where the unique Surb Khach Cathedral (10th century) is located. This cathedral is considered the most beautiful monument of Armenian architecture of the Middle Ages; elegant bas-reliefs on biblical themes are carved throughout its entire circumference, and inside it is decorated with colorful frescoes. We will try the famous “tareh” fish, which is caught here in Lake Van (this is the only type of fish in the lake), and enjoy swimming and relaxing on the beach. After rest, we will continue our journey to the town of Bitlis (Bakhesh), located in the gorges of the Taurus Mountains, the center of the medieval principality of Akhdznik and the Kurdish Emirate of the 13th-19th centuries. Here we will see an impregnable fortress, the foundation of which is attributed to Alexander the Great. From Bitlis we will move to the beautiful Mush valley - the historical principality of Turuberan, Taron region, through which the Eastern Euphrates (Aratsani) flows. In the evening we will arrive in the town of Mush, where we will stay overnight.

In the morning we will walk through the old Mushu, see the remains of churches, and go up to the “fortress park” from where a beautiful view of the city and the valley opens. From Mush we will go to the Euphrates River, to the medieval Murat/Sulukh bridge, which is an important monument to the history of the Armenian national liberation movement - the place where leader Gevorg Chaush died. From here we will continue our way to the ruins of the “Msho Sultan” Surb Karapet Cathedral, which was once the second most important Armenian shrine (after Etchmiadzin) with magnificent architecture, but now only its remains are visible among the Kurdish village, whose houses are made from dismantled stones of the cathedral. Further through the mountains of Sasun we will continue our journey to the largest city in this region - Diyarbakir (ancient Amid). Historically, it was a multi-ethnic city where Armenians, Kurds and Assyrians lived. Until the 1980s, the Armenian community with its existing churches still existed here. Of the latter, we will visit the Church of St. Kirakos (18th century), which stands out for its extraordinary beauty. Nearby you will also see the famous four-legged minaret, as well as the impressive black walls of the old city, built in the 5th century by the Byzantine king Constantine. We will spend the night in Diyarbakir.

Leaving Diyarbakir we will enter the historical Armenian Mesopotamia and head to the city of Urfa/Edessa, where Mesrop Mashtots invented the Armenian alphabet in 406 AD. According to legend, Abraham was born in the cave of Urfa. We will see the fortress of the old city. We will visit the famous pond of “holy fish”, which, according to legend, was a huge fire where the Babylonian king Nimrud threw Abraham. Continuing our journey we will reach Aintap (Gaziantep), which is considered the most developed and active city in southeast Turkey. In the 12th-14th centuries, Aintap was the fiefdom of the Cilician Armenian princes. Here we will see a fortress built by the Crusaders (12th century), we will visit the Armenian churches of St. Peter and St. Theotokos, converted into a cultural center and mosque. In Aintap we will try its famous dishes - lahmajun and pistachio baklava. Afterwards we will continue our journey to Adana, where we will stop for the night.

In the morning we will go to Tason / Tarsus - the birthplace of the Apostle Paul, which was the ancient capital of Cilicia under the Romans, and after that, the place of anointing of the Armenian kings. We will visit the Church of St. Paul, converted into a mosque, and see Cleopatra's Gate, where Cleopatra and Mark Antony met. Next we will head to the resort of Kizkalesi, where the famous sea fortress of Korikos (12th century) is located, which is located on an island in the Mediterranean Sea. The fortress was the patrimony of the Oshinyan princes and an important medieval port, a center of trade at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Korikos has a magnificent beach where we will stop until the evening and enjoy swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. Overnight at a hotel in Adana or Korikos.

In the morning we will visit the impregnable fortress of Sis (12th century) - the heart and stronghold of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, which was heroically defended by the Commander Liparit during the fall of the kingdom. Afterwards we will see the historical Anazarbus/Anavarza, the city and the citadel. Anavarza was the capital of both Byzantine and Armenian Cilicia, which was conquered as early as the 1st century BC. visited by the Roman Emperor Augustus. We will see the ruins of the city and the magnificent citadel (the inscriptions of the Armenian kings are still preserved there). Next we will go to the fortress of King Levon or the Serpentine Fortress (12th century), which was the main fortification of the Cilician Valley, located on the Great Silk Road from the Taurus Mountains to Antioch. Afterwards we will return to Adana and walk around the city. We will see Hadrian's stone bridge (2nd century AD), Ulu Jami (Great Mosque, 16th century), the old quarter and the bazaar. We will spend the night in Adana.

From Adana we will travel towards the Armenian (Alexandrite) Gulf, Hatay region. Near the town of Dortiel we will see the town of Issos, now covered with citrus groves, where in 333 BC. Alexander the Great defeated the army of Darius III. Next we will go to Alexandretta (Iskenderun), where we will visit the Armenian Church of the Forty Children. After this, we will head to Antakya (ancient Antioch, the capital of the Seleucid kingdom of the 4th-2nd centuries BC). Through Antakya we will go to the only remaining Armenian village in Turkey – Vakif. There we will also see Mount Musadag (Musaler), where local residents heroically defended themselves against the Ottoman army and managed to escape during the massacre of Armenians in 1915 (the events are described in Franz Werfel’s book “The 40 Days of Musadag”). In Vakif we will go to the only functioning Armenian church in this region, relax in the courtyard of the church, and get acquainted with the local residents. From Vakif we can go down to the towns of Samandag or Iskenderun, to the Mediterranean Sea. We will stay overnight in a hotel on the seashore or in the village.

We will go to Marash (Kahramanmarash), which in ancient times was a Hittite settlement, on the site of which the Crusaders later founded a city called Germanike. We will visit the fortress and try local ice cream, which is famous throughout Turkey. From Marash we will go to Mount Nemrut, the highest point of the Upper Mesopotamia (2206 m). We will stay overnight at a hotel on a picturesque mountain slope or in the town of Kakhta nearby.

We can meet the dawn at the top of Mount Nemrut, from where we will have an unforgettable view of the western part of the Armenian Highlands - the Taurus Range and the Euphrates River. At the top of Nemrut there is the tomb of King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene (UNESCO World Heritage Site), who called himself a descendant of Alexander the Great and Darius I, whose family is associated with the Armenian Yervanduni/Orontes dynasty. They say Antiochus was crowned by Tigranes the Great himself, who at that time bore the title “king of kings.” We will examine the pantheon of Hellenistic and Armenian pagan gods Zeus-Aramazd, Apollo-Mithra (Tyre), Hercules-Vahagn, Fortuna (similar to the Armenian fertility goddess Anahite) - these are huge seven-meter statues sitting on a throne. Afterwards we will head to Malatia - a city in historical Lesser Armenia. We will see the Church of the Holy Trinity (18th century), which was converted into a mosque (but will be restored as an Armenian church or museum). It is located in the same quarter where the famous Turkish journalist of Armenian origin Hrant Dink, who was killed by Turkish nationalists, was born. Malatya is famous for its “kufta” (a type of cutlet) and apricots, which we can try. Next we will go to Kharberd - the historical principality of Tsopk. We will see a fortress founded during the Urartian kingdom. Next, the route follows to Erzurum, on the way to which we will pass the city of Bingel, through the historical principality called High Armenia, the Bingol/Byurakn and Palandoken mountain ranges. In the evening we will arrive and stop in Erzurum/Sarikamis.

Walk through Erzurum (historical Karin), which is the largest city in Eastern Anatolia (Western Armenia), now known as a stronghold of Turkish nationalism. We will visit the Byzantine fortress of Theodoupolis (5th century), conquered several times by Russian troops in the wars of the 19th and 20th centuries, the medieval madrassas (schools of theology) Chiefte Minare and Yakutie, we will see the building of the 19th century Armenian Lyceum “Sanasaryan”. Leaving Erzurum we will drive towards Kars, on the way we will see the Basen fortress (Hasan-kala), and make a short stop at the confluence of the tributaries of the Araks River at the medieval Shepherd's Bridge (“Ovvi Kamurj”). From here we will continue our journey towards the Turkish-Georgian border. Having entered Georgia, we will pass through the cities of Akhaltsikhe and Akhalkalaki and cross the Georgian-Armenian border. Next, through Gyumri we will return to Yerevan.