The Most Enjoyable Way to Discover the World Starts with Uçur Tur...
Big Balkan Tour with Turkish Airlines
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Tour Program
1. Day Istanbul-War Tunnel-Sarajevo
Meeting in front of the airline counter, and after ticketing and baggage procedures, flight to Sarajevo and arrival. With the transfer vehicle waiting for us at the airport, and accompanied by our guide, we visit the Tunnel of Life, one of the Bosniaks’ most critical moves during the war fought between 1992 and 1995, dug under the airport. In this tunnel and museum, which broke the Sarajevo siege, regarded as the longest siege in history (4 years and 4 months) and changed the course of the war, we experience the war through a 15-minute video prepared from original footage. (In order not to disrupt the tour program, the War Tunnel tour will be carried out or canceled depending on the guide’s decision.) After visiting this museum, where a photo gallery, war map, and equipment used during the war are exhibited, we head to Baščaršija. On our way, we see buildings still bearing the traces of wartime bombardment, the tram line, Europe’s first electric motor tram line, which still actively crosses Sarajevo from one end to the other, the buildings belonging to the Yugoslav People’s Army from the Tito era but today used as the Sarajevo university campus, the building of the U.S.’s second-largest embassy in the world, the Sarajevo City Museum, the Parliament building, and the largest shopping mall in the region built by Arab investors, and arrive at Baščaršija. Our first stop is the memorial cemetery where the martyrs of the tragic war of 1992-1995 and Aliya Izetbegović’s memorial grave are located. We recite Fatiha for the war martyrs and receive information from our guide about Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first President, Alija Izetbegović, and his life. Then, passing through the cobblestone Bosnian-Turkish neighborhood that managed to survive from the Ottoman period, we begin our Baščaršija walking tour. The places we will see during our tour are: Sebilj, built with 18th-century Bosnian architecture; Bakırcılar Street, the only active art street that has managed to survive from the Ottoman period; Çarşı Mosque; Morića Han and the “Mladi Muslimani” local headquarters of the Young Muslims organization inside it; the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque and tomb of Gazi Husrev Bey, the cousin of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent; the Clock Tower; Kurşunlu Madrasah; the Gazi Husrev Bey museum and library; Europe’s first public toilet; Latin Bridge, known as the place where World War I broke out; the Hünkar Mosque built in the name of Fatih Sultan Mehmet; Horse Square – Archery میدان; Bakır Baba Mosque built by Bursa Metropolitan Municipality; the Orthodox Church; Alija Izetbegović Park and the retirees from Sarajevo who constantly play chess in the park; Ferhadiye Mosque; Ferhadiye Street (Sarajevo’s Istiklal Street); the Jewish Synagogue; the Catholic Church – Cathedral – Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Sarajevo roses (points where multiple people lost their lives in a single bomb attack during the war); the point where the Breadbasket Massacre took place; the eternal flame lit in memory of the liberation of Sarajevo from German occupation by the Yugoslav army on April 6, 1945; Markale Market, referred to as the Marketplace Massacre, where 68 people lost their lives on February 5, 1994; and Vjećnica (Viyecnitsa) library, built during the Austro-Hungarian period as the Government Building (Municipal building) and burned during the war, causing many manuscripts to turn to ash. After our walking tour in Baščaršija, we have dinner at our local restaurant and then head to our hotel in Sarajevo to stay overnight.
2. Day Sarajevo - Konjic - Jablanica - Blagaj - Mostar
After our early breakfast at our hotel, we leave the hotel and begin our Mostar tour. We arrive in Konjic, our first stop (Sarajevo- Konjic – 50 km). In this small town of 50,000 people established on the banks of the Neretva River, among the places we will see are the Ottoman bridge damaged during World War II and the 1992–95 war and restored by the Turkish General Directorate of Highways and TIKA, the mosque with a broken minaret, and the mini bazaar restored in its original form. After our photo break, we continue our journey. Our next stop is Jablanica, the city where the battle took place in which Josip Broz Tito, founder of Yugoslavia, received the rank of marshal. (Konyits, Jablanica – Konjic 23 km) In this city, also famous for its spit-roasted lamb, we see the bridge Tito destroyed in 1943 as a result of his struggle against the German Nazis, and the area where the event took place. Then we head to the Alperenler Lodge, established 5 centuries ago at the source of the Buna River. (Yablanitsa, Blagaj – Jablanica 59 km) On the way, we see Mostar Airport and the military area built opposite the airport during the Yugoslav era and used as a shelter for airplanes. This area was excavated inside the hill right across from the airport and prepared for hiding aircraft. We visit the lodge, also known as the Yellow Saltuk Lodge, established at the source of the Buna River, which has not yet been fully located and from which up to 43,000 liters of water per second flow. Inside the lodge, we visit the tomb of Ali Pasha and the tomb of Sarı Saltuk, and in this two-story house built in the style of a typical Anatolian house, we see the Women's prayer room, the Main room, the prayer room and dhikr room for men, the small bathhouse, and the room used as a retreat cell and kitchen. Our guests who wish may drink Turkish tea in the courtyard overlooking the river. Our final stop today is the city of Mostar. (Blagaj–Mostar 12 km) The places to be seen during our tour are; the Martyrs' Mosque and the cemetery in its courtyard. One special feature of this cemetery is that it also contains buried Croats and Serbs from Mostar who fought shoulder to shoulder with Muslim Bosniaks during the war. The paved Mostar bazaar, worked with stones collected from the river unique to the region, the Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque. This mosque is the one from which the most beautiful photo of the bridge is taken. Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in Mostar, Mostar Bridge – built in 1566 by Mimar Hayrettin, a student of Mimar Sinan, and destroyed in 1993, but restored again in 2004, this is a single-arch bridge. Tara Tower – While these towers once belonged to teams ensuring the security of the bridge, today they serve as a museum. Kriva Cuprija – Crooked Bridge, Tabakhane Mosque and Bathhouse – A mosque built especially for themselves by the local notables engaged in the leather trade so as not to disturb worshippers in other mosques with their odor, and with water flowing beneath it. After having dinner at our local restaurant, accommodation is at our hotel in Mostar.
3. Day MOSTAR - KOTOR - ST. STEFAN - PODGORICA (or Shkodër accommodation)
After our early breakfast at our hotel, we depart for Montenegro. We pass through the towns of Stolac, Ljubinje, and Trebinje, exiting Bosnia and Herzegovina. After crossing the Montenegro border, we arrive in the medieval city of Kotor, which is protected by UNESCO. On our city tour in Kotor with our local guide, we will see: the Weapons Square, the Clock Tower, the Column of Shame, St. Tryphon Cathedral, the Craftsmen Street, the Tulumba Fountains, the River Gate, and St. Luke Square. After our walking tour, we arrive at St. Stefan Island. After the photo break we will take here to immortalize the magnificent view, we arrive in the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica, after a short journey. In the capital Podgorica, we have our dinner at our local restaurant and then go to our hotel. (If accommodation is in Shkodra, there will be no stop in Podgorica)
4. Day Podgorica (or Shkodra) - Tirana - Elbasan - Struga - Ohrid
After breakfast, we take a panoramic city tour of the capital Podgorica by bus. During our tour, we will see the Presidency, the city park built by Azerbaijan, the Millennium Bridge, and the King Nikola Statue. Then, passing through the border gate, we enter Albania. Our first stop is the city of Shkodra, established next to Lake Shkodra, which forms the border between Albania and Montenegro. (Podgorica– Shkodra 55 km) This city, which remained under Ottoman rule for 435 years and is strategically one of the most important cities in the Balkans, is where we will see the city castle and walls. During the break we will give in the city center, we will take a short walking tour. After free time in the center, we continue our journey toward the capital, Tirana. (Shkodra - Tirana 115 km) In Tirana, which was developed by Suleyman Pasha in 1614 and has been the capital of Albania since 1920, the places we will see on our panoramic tour by bus are: the Republic of Turkey Embassy, the U.S. Embassy, the construction of the 4-balcony Namazgah Mosque financed by the Diyanet Foundation, the statue of Suleyman Pasha, the founder of Tirana, Tirana city square, the Ethem Bey Mosque, the Clock Tower, the National Museum, the University Building, the Opera and Ballet Building, the statue of Skender Beg, the national hero of Albanians, located in the square, the Parliament and Ministry buildings, and the Presidential Palace. After our Tirana tour, our next stop is Elbasan. (Tirana- Elbasan 42 km) We pass through the city by bus and stop at Elbasan Castle, located in the city center. After seeing the Turkish streets around the castle and the Hünkar Mosque, our journey continues toward the Kafasan border gate. We see the mushroom-shaped concrete shelters called “Bunkers,” whose number is said to be around 300,000 and which were built by the famous dictator Enver Hoxha, who ruled the country between 1945 and 1985. Then, passing through the Kafasan border gate, we enter Macedonia. Our first stop in Macedonia is the town of Struga, located on the western shore of Lake Ohrid and where most of the population is Muslim. (Elbasan- Struga 78 km) In Struga, we see the Black Drim River, which originates from Lake Ohrid, and its source, and receive general information about Struga from our guide. After free time for photos in this city, also known as the city of poets, we continue to Ohrid. (Struga- Ohrid 14 km) Upon our arrival in Ohrid, after dinner at our local restaurant overlooking Lake Ohrid, accommodation will be at our hotel in Ohrid.
5. Day Ohrid – Kalkan Delen - Skopje
After our breakfast, we will take a tour introducing the historic city of Ohrid, which was one of the important bases of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans. 11 The places we will see during our tour include: the 1,000-year-old plane tree, the Halveti Tekke, Ali Pasha Mosque, the City Square and the Ohrid Bazaar famous for its pearl shops, the Ohrid marketplace, the Church of St. Sophia, the Statue of St. Clement, the shop where paper can be seen being made using the technique applied in China in the 2nd century BC on streets reminiscent of Safranbolu, the Church of St. Sophia, and the Ancient Theater. After our tour, we head by bus to Kalkandelen (Tetovo), a charming town city built during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. (Ohrid- Kalkandelen 130 km) Our first of two important stops in Kalkandelen is the Painted Mosque, built by Abdurrahman Pasha in 1833. The mosque's interior and exterior decorations, made with paint created by mixing animal blood, plant roots, and egg white, will fascinate you. After getting information from Cemali about the tekke, we move to Abdulmuttalip, a Bektashi dervish residing in the other corner of the tekke, and listen to him about the history of the tekke and the work carried out there. At the time determined by our guide, we depart for Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. (Kalkandelen– Skopje 40 km) Upon our arrival in Skopje, we have dinner at our local restaurant. Afterwards, accommodation is at our hotel in Skopje. Guests who wish may spend time in the center after dinner to enjoy this city, which is beautifully illuminated at night.
6. Day Skopje - Pristina - Sultan Murad - Prizren - Skopje
After our early breakfast at the hotel, we depart for Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. In Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, which has played key roles in many periods of Ottoman history, we visit the mausoleum where the internal organs of Ottoman Sultan Murad I Hüdavendigar, who was martyred in the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, are buried. We also visit the Selamlık building, which is located right next to the mausoleum and is used as a museum. Inside the building, we have the opportunity to see photos from the Sultan Reşad’s visit in 1911, the last Ottoman Sultan to visit the Balkans. On our way from the mausoleum to Prizren, we see the square where, in 1989, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević launched his election campaign on the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo and where the rally was held at which the phrase “Greater Serbia,” which would later bring about the end of Yugoslavia, was first used, as well as the monument in the square. Then, after a one-and-a-half-hour journey, we arrive in Prizren, the second largest city in Kosovo, which contains many Ottoman monuments. We begin our Prizren city tour. On this tour, which we will do on foot with our guide, we see the Halveti Lodge, Gazi Mehmet Pasha Bathhouse, Bayrakli Mosque, the Namazgah where Fatih Sultan Mehmet’s army prayed, the Maraş District and Maraş Bridge, the 400-year-old great plane tree, Emin Pasha Mosque, the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in Prizren building, the Stone Bridge over the Bistrica (Akdere), Shadervan Square, Sinan Pasha Mosque, St. George and Catholic Churches, the Serbian quarter where we can still see the destructive effects of the war, and the minaret of the Arasta Mosque, whose mosque was destroyed during the Yugoslav period but whose minaret managed to remain standing. After our tour, free time to enjoy this beautiful city. Later, at the time تعیینed by our guide, we depart for our local restaurant to have dinner, and after dinner we head to our hotel in Skopje for accommodation.
7. Day Skopje - Istanbul
After our early breakfast at the hotel, we check out from our hotel, get off our bus near Skopje Castle, and begin our city tour. We start our tour on foot in the Skopje Turkish Bazaar, with its original name, which has remained almost unchanged and where the Ottoman Empire ruled for more than 500 years. The places we will see during our tour include; Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Goldsmiths Street, Arasta Mosque, the Stone Bridge, built over the Vardar River and the symbol of Skopje, the Turkish and Jewish Quarter, Davut Pasha Bath, Çifte Bath, Murat Pasha Mosque, Sulu Han, Kapan Han, Kurşunlu Han, the gigantic Alexander the Great Statue, which caused a naming crisis with Greece in 2011, the Statue of Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, the Vardar River, the Macedonia Archaeological Museum and Archive building, the National Theater Building, the Museum of the Resistance, the statues of Saints Cyril and Methodius, who invented the Cyrillic alphabet, the Saint Spas Church from the 17th century, the Mother Teresa monument and Teresa Museum, and the Old Train Station building, which stands as it was destroyed in the 1963 earthquake. After our walking tour, we depart for Skopje Airport. After passport and customs procedures, flight to Istanbul and arrival.
Services
What's Included
‣ Round-trip economy class airline ticket with Turkish Airlines Istanbul – Sarajevo / Skopje – Istanbul
‣ Tours and visits specified in the program
‣ Airport استقبال and round-trip transfers
‣ Accommodation in double & triple rooms at 4* and/or 5* hotels
‣ Open buffet breakfasts
‣ 6 dinners at local restaurants (Drinks taken at meals are not included in the price).
‣ Luxury bus and professional driver service to be used throughout the tour
‣ Professional guiding service
‣ City taxes
‣ Inter-country crossing taxes
‣ Local guiding service in Kotor
‣ Kotor landing fee
‣ Blagaj Lodge
‣ Sarajevo War Tunnel
Not Included
‣ Personal expenses and hotel extras
‣ Lunches
‣ Drinks taken during dinners and breaks.
‣ Overseas departure tax
‣ Tours and transfers not specified in the program
‣ Travel health insurance
‣ Museums and historical sites not specified in the program
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