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This spring, I led a group tour through eastern Turkey. Our route was a thousand-mile ark that traced the northern edge of the fertile crescent, where history is deeper than anywhere else on the planet. Our group met in Antakia, ancient Antioch. For centuries, despite being precariously close to the Persian frontier, Antioch was the third largest city in the Roman Empire, eclipsed only by Alexandria and Rome itself. A series of emperors, including Trejan and Julian, based themselves here, making Antioch the effective capital of the Roman world. On the first day of our tour, I met the 19 intrepid travelers and reunited with our guide, Alp. Alp guided my western Turkey trip in 2024, and I enjoyed working with him so much that we planned
the Eastern Turkey tour together. Although many group members were more than a little jet-lagged, we all enjoyed an excellent Turkish dinner at a restaurant tucked into Antakia's bazaar. The next day, we visited three sites near Antakia. The monastery of St. Simeon Stalites, the tunnel of Titus and Vakifi, the last Armenian village in Turkey. The monastery of St. Simeon Stalites the Younger was built in the 6th century. This sprawling ecclesiastical complex perched high in a mountaintop near the modern Syrian border is centered on a broken column. Upon that column for
nearly half a century, St. Simeon sat. At least he had a good view. The next stop was the tunnel of Titus and Vespasian excavated to divert the silt and floodwaters of a stream from Syukia Pier Antioch's port. Although it didn't work, the harbor silted up anyway. The tunnel is one of the most impressive products of Roman engineering anywhere. It's almost a mile long, at least 20 ft wide, and sometimes hundreds of feet deep. Long sections have the feel of a cathedral carved from living rock. After tea in the village of Viffle, we returned to Antakia. Our hotel was a wellpreserved Ottoman building. The whole neighborhood around it, however, was devastated by the 2023 earthquake.
Ancient Antioch suffered from many earthquakes. One of the most violent nearly killed Trejan when he was staying here. Several times the entire city had to be reconstructed over its own rubble. The same painful process was underway during our visit. We began day three with two sites in Antakia, the Church of St. Peter and the Museum Hotel. Then we drove east paralleling the Syrian border to the YameC open air museum. The church of St. Peter is built into a cave on the slopes of Mount Silius. It dates back to at least late antiquity and some believe that Christians were worshiping here when Peter himself lived in Antioch.
The Museum Hotel, Antakia's newest historical attraction, displays the ruins of a whole Roman neighborhood revealed during the construction of a new boutique hotel and incorporated into the design. We then drove to the Esmech open air museum. Few tourists come here and the nearest restaurants are across the border in Syria, so we had a picnic lunch and the site guard himself provided us with mint tea. The open air museum covers a quarry opened by the Hittite kings in the late Bronze Age. Dozens of half-finish basalt sculptures protrude from the tall grass depicting sphinxes, groups of gods, hunters, and warriors. The paths of
power have long run elsewhere. The quaries have been silent since the days of Homer. We stopped that night in the sprawling city of Gazant. Gazianep was our base on day four. We drove out to the nearby site of Zukma, then returned to visit the Mosaic Museum and explore the historic city center. For centuries, the Valley of the Euphrates was the frontier between the Roman and Persian empires. The city of Zugma, which stood beside the river, grew wealthy on trade crossing the imperial border. With the exception of a few scattered ruins, most of Zugma was drowned about 25 years ago beneath the
reservoir of the Beeric Dam. A modern shelter protects some of the Foman houses still above water. Several feature the mosaics that have made Zugma famous throughout Turkey. Most of the mosaics salvaged from Zugma, however, are now displayed in the aptly named Mosaic Museum at Gazianep. The mosaics, most dating to the first few centuries AD, range from abstract fractal patterns to detailed mythological scenes. The most iconic is the fragment known as the gypsy girl featured on countless tourist brochures. Post museum, we walked into the old town of Gazantep.
Unlike its touristy counterpart in Istanbul, Gazianeps bazaar is the real thing with heaps of pistachios and apricots, gleaming pyramids of copper pots, trays overflowing with oregano and pepper and cumin, and all the bustle of a few thousand shoppers simultaneously striking deals. We found a haven amid the mayhem in the form of an Ottoman era cafe, where we sipped tea and watched swallows swoop through the evening sky. The following day, we continued east along the Euphrates. After a river cruise near the submerged town of Haletti, we drove to Haran, ancient Karai in the Mesopotamian plain.
The same dam that drowned Zugma claimed a series of villages along the upper Euphrates. One of these, Hetti, has become a center for regionally popular boat excursions on the reservoir. As we cruised upstream, the heat and the soaring cliffs reminded me of the desert reservoirs in the American Southwest. We passed Room Kala, a Byzantine frontier fortress enlarged and reused by the Mamluke and Ottomans. Another highlight was the partially submerged minoret of Savashan Coo. That afternoon we stopped at Haran. Although the city dates back to the third millennium BC and was long famous for its temple of the moon god Sin, the visible remains are mostly from the
early Islamic period. The most impressive ruins are those of the great mosque built during the brief period in the mid 8th century when Haran was capital of the Umiad Caliphate. The minouret still stands to a height of more than 100 ft. In the modern village, we visited the Haran Culture House, an exceptionally large example of the region's famous beehive houses. Usually made of mud or clay bricks, they were well adapted to a region where summer temperatures routinely rise above 100° F. Today, however, most locals live in concrete houses. On day six, we were based in Ur, ancient Adessa. We visited the two famous
Neolithic sites in the vicinity, Kahanepe and Gobecley. Then we returned to the city to check out the archaeological museum and the sacred karp in the pool of Abraham. Our hotel built into a former Armenian monastery was an idyllic spot with courtyards shaded by grapevines and a rooftop terrace overlooking the heart of breakfast under the grapevines. We drove to Carahanepe. Like neighboring Gobecletepe, this is one of the oldest human settlements ever discovered, dating to the pre- pottery Neolithic before the invention of agriculture.
The functions of the stone enclosures built in the 10th millennium BC are uncertain. The human and animal sculptures found within among the oldest ever created add to the mystique. Until a few years ago, Gobeclete was known only to aficionados of Neolithic archaeology. That has changed in the wake of recent controversies, and the site has become something of a mecca for curiosity seekers, mythbusters, and the variously misinformed. If nothing else, the flood of tourists has helped to finance the construction of a shelter over the famous stone enclosures. As at Karahepe, the roofs of these structures, sometimes described as the world's first temples, were supported by
distinctive T-shaped pillars, sometimes carved with animal motifs. Back in Fa, we visited the cavernous archaeological museum. The most impressive exhibit was a reconstruction of the largest enclosure at Gobecletepe. Entering that space, you came to appreciate the scale of the enclosures built by hunter gatherers at the dawn of architecture. The T-shaped pillars loomed like the monoliths of Stonehenge. From the museum, we walked to the pool of Abraham. The name of this springfed pool derives from a local legend. The idolatrous king Nimrod, the story goes, tried to hurl Abraham into a pit of flame here, but God saved his prophet by turning the fire into cool water and the
logs to fish. The pool seems to actually be a relic from the Roman era when pools of fish sacred to the goddess Atarotus were scattered across Syria and Mesopotamia. Even today, it is forbidden to catch or eat the carp of Ur. Before we continue, a quick announcement. From May 11th to 23rd, 2026, I'm leading a tour that will follow the path of Alexander the Great across Turkey. We'll see the sites of Alexander's first great battles and siees along with some of the most spectacular ruins anywhere in the classical world. To learn more, follow the link on screen and in the description.
Resuming our tour, we left a on day seven and headed north, stopping along the way at an overlook of Turkeykey's largest dam. Entering the region known to the Greeks and Romans as Kogyny, we visited the tumulus of an ancient queen before continuing to the fabulous tomb of K Antiochus I on the summit of Neutrot Dog. Oversized dams are something of a regional specialty in this part of Turkey. So, we felt obligated to pause briefly at a cafe overlooking the Adaturk Dam, the third largest in the world. The view was impressive, and the ice cream wasn't bad either. The small kingdom of Komogyny emerged in the 2nd century BC and survived until Tiberius annexed it to the Roman Empire. The
royal family of Komogyny claimed descent from both the kings of Persia and the Henistic Syuka dynasty and seemed to have revered both Greek and Persian gods. Their tombs reflect this hybrid heritage. The first Kamagenian monument we encountered was Carakush Tumulus, the resting place of a queen who died in the 1st century BC. Some of the columns set up around the tomb still survive, bearing stel and statues of an eagle, lion, and bull. All around are the rugged foothills of the Taus Mountains, rolling to the horizon and the distant canyon of the Euphrates.
Then we started up the long and winding road to the summit of Neret Dog. Our bus was just barely big enough for the group, which had the effect of making us all close friends by the trip's end. Since our bus's engine was also somewhat undized, we moved slower and slower as we climbed the increasingly steep road. But that gave us more time to appreciate the mountain scenery, mile after mile of plunging valleys and weathered peaks. At last, we rolled into the parking lot at the base of the trail to the summit. It's the kind of trail that leaves you gasping on top and massaging your legs the next day. But everyone in the group made it up, and the view along the way
was all inspiring. Rank after rank of hills, every detail picked out by the late afternoon light. On the summit was the tomb of Antiochus I. As at Karakush, the tomb itself lies beneath a heap of broken rock. East and west of the tumulus, Antiochus erected colossal statues of himself with various Greek and Persian gods. We stayed until the sun set behind the western mountains. Then, as twilight settled over the summit, we made our slow way back down to the parking lot. Day eight found us heading eastward again into the valley of the Tigris. We spent most of the day exploring Diarbakur, the medieval bridge, the walls of the old town, and the great mosque.
Just before we entered Diarbakur, we paused to admire the bridge of 10 arches built over the Tigris in the 11th century. The Ottoman era markets in the old town of Diarbakur are still bustling. Also remarkably well preserved are the city's walls built by Justinian when Amida, as Diarbakur was then known, was a stronghold on the frontier facing assassinated Persia. Those interested in learning more about this triumph of Byzantine military engineering can check out my recent video on the Scenic Roots channel. After walking along part of the walls, we visited the great mosque. Sometimes claimed as the fifth holiest site in
Islam. Built like the bridge of 10 arches by the Selchukes, it incorporates numerous columns and blocks from long vanished Roman buildings. The next day, a long drive brought us northeast to Lake Van, the inland sea of the Anatolian Plateau. The day's highlight was a trip to Octamar Island. It was a beautiful day, clear and cool, with snow shining on the mountains around the lake. After a week among deserts and barren hills, the deep green of the shoreside meadows was a welcome change.
The Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Octamar Island built in the 10th century was the center of an active monastery until 1915. Thereafter, it was neglected and vandalized, only being partially restored and opened to visitors about 20 years ago. The reliefs on the outer walls narrate stories from the Bible. Though the fresco of the interior are mostly gone, the quiet majesty of the space endures. We were based in Van on day 10. We forayed out from the city to visit the Oratian fortress at Javoshepe, then returned to explore the many surprises, including a rock cut royal tomb of Van Castle.
The Uratians dominated the Armenian highlands in the era when the Assyrians, their arch rivals, ruled Mesopotamia. In the 7th and 6th centuries BC, Urarian kings built a series of imposing fortified palaces. One of these, Javepe, was our first destination. Only about a dozen people alive today can read the Aaratian language. One of them, Mett Kushman, met us at Javashepe and copied out an Aratian inscription in the dust. Our next stop was Van Castle, used and reconstructed by every civilization to rule this area from the Urartians to the Ottomans.
Elp working his usual magic, had managed to arrange special access to the tomb of an Uratian king, cut into a sheer rock face behind the castle. I followed the guard down the slippery stone steps to the tomb. The inscriptions around the door praised kings who reigned when Rome was still a village. After leaving the tomb, we had an hour to explore the rest of the castle. A few of us followed the spine of the long ridge on which the fortress was built. Ahead sparkled the Cobalt Lake and its Guardian Mountains. Far below lay the ruins of the old city of Van, once the Aratian capital, briefly an outpost of the Byzantine Empire, finally destroyed during the chaos of the First World War.
I walked out to a crumbling mudbrick bastion poised between the lake and the sky. For me, this place epitomized eastern Turkey, the layered ruins of three millennia, the vast landscape, the feeling of discovery. The climb back down felt very long. Day 11, we were on the move again, driving north along the Iranian frontier. We stopped twice. First at the Van Cat House, then at the Moradia waterfalls before reaching the border town of Dou Bazit. The drive north from Van brought us through a vast empty landscape shaped by prehistoric lava flows. We stopped briefly at a center dedicated to the Vancat, a local breed famous for having one blue and one amber eye. The next pit
stop was at the Moradia waterfalls, a series of cascades overlooked by a pleasant cafe. Dogu Bayis, our destination, has only one real attraction, the Ishach Pasha Palace, built for the local Ottoman governor in the 18th century. The grand reception rooms, recently restored, preserve much of their original decoration. But I was most enchanted by the dramatic mountain scenery that opened from every window. At the end of our visit, I hiked to the ruins of an Urartian fortress high above the palace for a panorama. There was no real path, just a grassy slope strewn with rubble. The view from the broken walls through a curtain of falling rain made the climb worthwhile. On day 12, we headed north to Carse, our
final destination. We stopped along the way at the vast and lonely ruins of Ani. The trek from Dubazit to cars through mountains and step was our last long drive. Ani perched on a windy mesa a few hundred yards from the Armenian frontier was once capital of the batted Armenian kingdom. Famous throughout Inatolia as the city of 101 churches. It rivaled Constantinople in size and importance. But thanks to a Mongol sect, a devastating earthquake, and the slow migration of trade routes, the city slowly withered. It has been empty for centuries. I had visited Ani twice before, but still felt a sense of discovery. We made a circuit of the major monuments, visiting a 13th century church that has preserved some of its fresco.
The cathedral, which lost its dome in a medieval earthquake, is currently undergoing some long delayed stabilization work. Most of Anie's surviving buildings, however, are gaunts scattered over the gray green vastness of the step. We could see them for miles from the road to Carse. We spent the last full day of our tour in Karsse, once an outpost of Imperial Russia. After breakfast in our hotel built by the Russians in the late 19th century, we set out to explore the city. We began with Kar's castle. Successively conquered by the Mongols, the Georgians, Tamarlain, and just about everyone else with a few horsemen and big dreams. The castle was captured and lost several times by the Ottomans. From
1878 to 1918, it was the center of a Russian province. We visited all the other local attractions. Like so many places in eastern Turkey, cars has a many layered history. But the day was really about enjoying the fine weather and the company. All too soon, it was time for the farewell dinner, our last meal together before everyone flew home the following morning. I'd like to thank all the travelers who joined me on the Eastern Turkey tour. For someone who spends most of his time staring at a computer screen, it was a real pleasure to be able to hang out and talk with 19 fellow history buffs. It
was also a privilege to work with my friend Elp again. El and I will be reuniting next year for the Alexander the Great Tour. If you'd like to join us, follow the link on screen and in the description. Thanks for watching.
