Discover East Turkey
Its historical charms excite Hanna Hussein
LYING at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Turkey is a unique destination with beautiful landscapes and a rich history that goes back to the ancient Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. There are, in fact, more than 83,000 mosques in Turkey, with more than 3,000 mosques in Istanbul alone!
Due to its alluring historic background, Turkey — especially Istanbul — has become one of the hottest destinations among Malaysians. While Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Spice Market and Grand Bazaar offer travellers fascinating experiences, there is actually more to Turkey than meets the eye.
Rey-Z Travel Services, a travel company of 10 years that has been specialising in Muslim tour packages, is promoting a unique all-in, full-board tour package to Eastern Turkey that will explore the region’s hidden treasures and historic charms.
For just RM7,250, the 9D7N package will start at Istanbul and then journeys to Tarsus, where guests will be taken to Ashab al-Kahf, a historic landmark known as the Seven Sleepers Cave. From there, they will continue to Gaziantep, Harran and Sanliurfa — the birth place of Prophet Ibrahim.
Another interesting place that guests will be visiting is the stunning hillside of Mardin, one of Turkey’s most attractive cities, before heading north west to Adiyaman City to visit the Ataturk Dam, hike to Mount Namrud to catch a stunning sunrise, as well as stop by the Cendere Bridge built by the Roman Emperor before heading back to Istanbul for the city tour.
Throughout the tour, a professional local guide will be on hand to share more stories and legends of each place the tour stops.
“This is a unique package that will take you to all the unexplored areas in Turkey that many tourists have not been to,” says Datin Norhanizah Ahmad, chief operations officer.
She adds that even though the package focuses on Islamic historic backgrounds, the non-Muslims can discover the Eurasia country from a different angle.
Available departure dates for the “9D/7N Discover the Hidden Treasures of Eastern Turkey” are on April 19, Sept 8, Oct 15, Nov 20 and Dec 1. Guests will travel on Qatar Airways and stay at 4-star accommodations. Rey-Z Travel Services also offers umrah packages and tours to other exotic destinations, including Palestines, Uzbekistan, Morocco, Egypt and Kashmir in India.
The company is based in Kajang and is actively expanding its services to customers and corporate clients in major cities in our country. It is founded by Mustaffa Martin and Datin Norhanizah Ahmad, who both have 35 years experience in travel industry and knowledge in customer service.
For more info, visit www.rey-ztravel. com or email reyztravel@gmail.com or call 012-338 7905 or 019-359 1583.
Ayn-I-Zeliha Lake in
Urfa, surrounded by tea gardens, is a calm and peaceful place in a busy city; Cotton picking in the fields in the Southeastern Turkey; A house in Midyat that is often used by television companies to film Turkish soap operas.