ANCIENT IONIAN SCIENCE TOUR with GREEK ISLANDS SAMOS & CHIOS

A Unique Tour for those who are interested in Ancient Ionian Science
For Groups Only - Departures Between April - October
10 Nights - 11 Days
 

Day 01
Istanbul
Arrival in Istanbul, the only city in the World spanning two continents. Meet and transfer to your hotel. Before your dinner, a “Welcome Briefing” will be presented by your English speaking Expert Guide, who will accompany you during the entire tour. (D)

Day 02
Istanbul
Full day of discovering Byzantine and Ottoman treasures in Istanbul; the Topkapi Palace with its priceless collection of jewelry and rare porcelain on display, the St.Sophia Museum rebuilt in 6th century by Emperor Justinian, and now the fourth largest Christian Church in the world, the Blue Mosque with its six Minarets, the Underground Cistern, the Hippodrome, and the famous Grand Covered Bazaar with its four thousand tiny shops. Overnight in Istanbul. (B,L,D)

Day 03
Istanbul - Nicaea (Iznik) - Istanbul
Early departure to Iznik, first the Bithnian capital, then the Roman provincial capital of Nicaea. The name Nicaea derives from the name of Lysimachos’ wife (one of Alexander’s most brilliant generals), the city became an important religious center when the first Council of Nicaea settled here in 325 AD. Visit the ancient tomb of the man who invented trigonometry, the science of right angled triangles, discovered less than twenty years ago by a local boy digging on a hillside. Discover his role in the world system that held sway over the imaginations of men until the scientific Renaissance in the 17th century. Here were made the magnificent tiles used to decorate the interior of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. (B,L,D)

Day 04
Antakya
Morning flight to Antalya. Drive to Perge whose story goes back to 1000 BC. In the first century, Perge reached its greatest extent, a population of 100,000. Visit the magnificent Roman and Hellenistic structures. Suppose you knew no geometry but that catalogued by Euclid and applying to plane figures. Could you extend geometry to conic sections? Appollonios did. Discover his magnificent legacy to Galileo, Kepler and Newton. Overnight in Antalya. (B,L,D)

Day 05
Antakya - Fethiye
Departure from Antalya to Fethiye, drive along the Mediterranean coast, Kekova, Myra, Xanthos, and Letoon. Overnight in Fethiye, one of Turkey’s largest cities on the southwest coast. (B,L,D)

Day 06
Fethiye - Knidos - Marmaris
Drive to Knidos, the important ancient city located at the end of the Datca Peninsula. The Temple of Apollo in Knidos served as the
center of six cities (Lindos, Camiros, Ialysos, Cos, Halicarnasse, Cnide) forming the Doric Hexapole. The city’s world famous statue of Aphrodite was sculptured by Praxiteles in the 4th century BC. Knidos is also the home town of Eudoxos. Learn how he created an advanced mathematics which led to the
calculation of areas and volumes of shapes and surfaces. (B,L,D)

Day 07
Marmaris - Miletos - Kusadasi
Visit the birthplace of Thales, creator of science in Western civilization. See olive groves where he garnered a fortune in response to a challenge to show that science is of value in practical business matters; a fragment of a wall probably old enough to have surrounded Miletos in the time of Thales, 2600 years ago; the agora of the city rebuilt by the architect Hippodamos after the Persians destroyed Miletos in 494 BC.; the still standing Roman theater and baths that were built before a great river washed away the commercial life of the “ancient Venice.” Drive to Kusadasi for overnight. (B,L,D)

Day 08
Kusadasi - Samos - Kusadasi
Early morning ferry to the Greek island of Samos which was the birthplace of Hera, here she was espoused to Zeus. The Eupalineion aquaduct is one of the major feats of engineering, designed by Eupalinos. The 10th century BC. Heraion, temple of Hera, was replaced in the middle of 7th century BC. by a larger edifice, work of the Samian architect Roikos. Return to Kusadasi by afternoon ferry. (B,L,D)

Day 09
Ephesus - Cesme
Visit famous Ephesus, home of Herakleitos, and the House of the Virgin Mary. Proceed to Cesme, the Turkish town across the Greek island of Chios. (B,L,D)

Day 10
Cesme - Chios - Cesme
Early morning ferry to Chios, home of Hippocrates, the great crescent squarer. Learn why his pioneering innovations were fundamental not only to geometry but to industrial engineering, aerospace engineering and other branches of applied mathematics that would not exist for 2400 years. Return to Cesme by afternoon ferry, and drive to Izmir, ancient Smyrna for overnight. (B,L,D)

Day 11
Izmir Airport - Fly Home
After breakfast transfer to Izmir airport. Fly back. End of services. (B)