Great Balkan Tour (SJJ-SKP) with THY,
Tour Detail
ISTANBUL- WAR TUNNEL - SARAJEVO
Meeting in front of the airline counters and, after ticket and baggage procedures, flight to Sarajevo and arrival. With the transfer vehicle waiting for us at the airport, accompanied by our guide, we visit the Tunnel of Life dug under the airport, which was one of the most critical moves of the Bosniaks in the war fought between 1992 and 1995. In this tunnel and its museum, which broke the siege of Sarajevo, considered the longest siege in history (4 years 4 months) and changed the course of the war, we feel the war through a 15-minute video prepared from original images. (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 the photo gallery, war map, and tools and equipment used during the war are exhibited, we head to Baščaršija. Along our route, we see buildings still bearing the traces of wartime bombardment, the tram line, which was the first electric-motor tram line in Europe and still actively runs across Sarajevo, the buildings belonging to the Yugoslav People's Army during the Tito era but now used as the Sarajevo university campus, the building of the second-largest U.S. 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 the memorial grave of Alija Izetbegović 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 Bosniak-Turkish neighborhood preserved from the Ottoman period, we begin our walking tour of Baščaršija. Places we will see during our tour include: Sebilj, built in 18th-century Bosnian architecture; Bakırcılar Street, the only active art street preserved from the Ottoman period; Čaršija Mosque; Morića Han and the lodge of the Young Muslims organization inside it, “Mladi Muslimani”; Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque and tomb of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent’s cousin Gazi Husrev Bey; the Clock Tower; Kuršumlija Madrasa; Gazi Husrev Bey Museum and Library; Europe’s first public toilet; Latin Bridge, known as the place where World War I began; the Emperor’s Mosque built in the name of Fatih Sultan Mehmet; At Meydanı - Okmeydanı; Bakır Baba Mosque built by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality; the Orthodox Church; Alija Izetbegović Park and the Sarajevo retirees who constantly play chess there; Ferhadija Mosque; Ferhadija Street (Sarajevo’s Istiklal Street); the Jewish Synagogue; the Catholic Church - Cathedral - Sacred Heart Church; Sarajevo Roses (points where more than one person lost their life due to a single bomb during the war); the site of the Bread Factory massacre; the eternal flame lit in memory of Sarajevo’s liberation from German occupation by the Yugoslav army on April 6, 1945; Markale neighborhood market, where the market massacre took place on February 5, 1994 and 68 people lost their lives; and Vijećnica Library, built during the Austro-Hungarian period as the Government House (City Hall) 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 go to our hotel in Sarajevo to stay overnight.
SARAJEVO- KONJIC- JABLANICA – BLAGAJ - MOSTAR
After the early breakfast we will have at our hotel, we leave the hotel and begin our Mostar tour. We arrive in Konjic (Sarajevo- Konjic – 50 km), our first stop. In this small city of 50,000 people established on the banks of the Neretva River, the places we will see include the Ottoman bridge, which was damaged in World War II and during the 92-95 war and restored by the Turkish General Directorate of Highways and TIKA, the mosque with a broken minaret, and the mini bazaar restored in accordance with its original form. After our photo break, we continue our journey. Our next stop is Jablanica, the city where the war took place in which Josip Broz Tito, the founder of Yugoslavia, received his marshal title. (Konjic, Jablanica – Konjic 23 km) In this city, also famous for its roast lamb, we see the bridge Tito destroyed as a result of his struggle against the German Nazis in 1943 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. (Jablanica, Blagaj – Jablanica 59 km) Along the way, we see Mostar Airport and the military area built opposite the airport during the Yugoslav period and used as a shelter for airplanes. This area was prepared for hiding aircraft by hollowing out the hill right across from the airport. We visit the lodge, also known as the Yellow Saltuk Lodge, built at the source of the Buna River, from which up to 43,000 liters of water per second emerge, and whose source has not yet been fully identified. We visit the Ali Pasha tomb and the tomb of Sarı Saltuk inside the lodge, 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 men’s prayer room and dhikr room, the small bath, and the room used as a retreat cell and kitchen. 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) Places to be seen during our tour include the Martyrs’ Mosque and the cemetery in its courtyard. One special feature of this cemetery is that it also contains the graves of Croat and Serb residents of Mostar who fought side by side with Muslim Bosniaks during the war. The cobblestoned Mostar bazaar paved with stones gathered from the river specific to the region, Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque. This mosque is where the most beautiful photo of the bridge is taken. Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in Mostar, Mostar Bridge – a single-arch bridge built in 1566 by architect Hayruddin, a student of Mimar Sinan, destroyed in 1993 but restored again in 2004. Tara Tower – these towers once belonged to the teams ensuring bridge security, but today serve as a museum. Kriva Cuprija – the Crooked Bridge, the Tabakhane Mosque and bathhouse – a mosque built specially by the notables engaged in leatherwork so that they would not disturb worshippers in other mosques with odor, and where water flows beneath it. After dinner at our local restaurant, accommodation is at our hotel in Mostar.
MOSTAR- KOTOR – ST. STEFAN – PODGORICA (or accommodation in Shkodra)
After the early breakfast we will have at our hotel, we depart for Montenegro. We exit Bosnia and Herzegovina by passing through the towns of Stolac, Ljubinje, and Trebinje. After crossing the Montenegro border, we arrive in the UNESCO-protected medieval city of Kotor. On the city tour we will do in Kotor with our local guide, the places we will see are: the Arms Square, the Clock Tower, the Pillar of Shame, St. Tryphon Cathedral, Craftsmen Street, Tulumba Fountains, the River Gate, and St. Luke’s Square. After our walking tour, we arrive at St. Stefan Island. After the photo break we will give here to immortalize the magnificent view, we arrive in the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica, after a short journey. We have dinner at our local restaurant in the capital, Podgorica, and head to our hotel. (If accommodation is in Shkodra, there will be no stop in Podgorica)
PODGORICA (or Shkodra)- TIRANA- ELBASAN- STRUGA - OHRID
After breakfast, panoramic city tour by bus in the capital Podgorica. During our tour, we will see the Presidency, the city park built by Azerbaijan, the Millennium Bridge, and the King Nikola Statue. Then we cross the border gate and 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) In this city, which remained under Ottoman rule for 435 years and is strategically one of the most important cities in the Balkans, we will see the city castle and walls. We will take a short walking tour during our stop in the city center. After free time in the center, we continue on to 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 Embassy of the Republic of Turkey, 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, Ethem Bey Mosque, Clock Tower, National Museum, University Building, Opera and Ballet Building, the statue of Skanderbeg, the national hero of the Albanians, in the square, 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 Hünkar Mosque, our journey continues toward the Kafasan border gate. We see the mushroom-shaped concrete bunkers called “Bunker,” built by the famous dictator Enver Hoxha, who ruled the country between 1945 and 1985 and is said to number around 300,000. Then we cross the Kafasan border gate and enter Macedonia. Our first stop in Macedonia is Struga, a town on the western shore of Lake Ohrid, where most of the population is Muslim. (Elbasan- Struga 78 km) In Struga, we see the Black Drin River originating 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 arriving in Ohrid, after dinner at our local restaurant overlooking Lake Ohrid, accommodation is at our hotel in Ohrid.
OHRID – KALKANDELEN - SKOPJE
After 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 During our tour, the places we will see include the 1,000-year-old plane tree, the Halveti Lodge, Ali Pasha Mosque, the city square and Ohrid Bazaar famous for its pearl shops, Ohrid market, Hagia Sophia Church, the Statue of St. Clement, the shop where we can see paper-making using the technique applied in China in the 2nd century BC in streets reminiscent of Safranbolu, Hagia Sophia Church, and the Ancient Theatre. After our tour, we continue by bus to Kalkandelen (Tetovo), a charming town-city built during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. (Ohrid- Kalkandelen 130 km) In Kalkandelen, our first of two important stops is the Painted Mosque, built by Abdurrahman Pasha in 1833. The interior and exterior decorations of the mosque, made with paint created by mixing animal blood, plant roots, and egg white, will fascinate you. After Cemali provides information about the lodge, we move to Bektashi dervish Abdulmuttalip, who resides in another corner of the lodge, and hear from him about the history of the lodge and the work done there. At the time determined by our guide, we depart for Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. (Kalkandelen– Skopje 40 km) Upon arriving 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.
SKOPJE- PRISTINA – SULTAN MURAD- PRIZREN- SKOPJE
After the 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 tomb 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 right next to the tomb, which is used as a museum. Inside the building, we have the opportunity to see the photos from Sultan Reşad’s visit, the Ottoman Sultan who was the last to visit the Balkans in 1911. On the way from the tomb to Prizren, we see the square and monument where Slobodan Milošević, the Yugoslav president, launched his election campaign in 1989 due to the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo and where he first used the phrase “Greater Serbia,” which would later bring about the end of Yugoslavia. After a one-and-a-half-hour journey, we arrive in Prizren, Kosovo’s second largest city, home to many Ottoman works. We begin our Prizren city tour. On this walking tour with our guide, we will see: the Halveti Lodge, Gazi Mehmet Pasha Bathhouse, Bayraklı Mosque, Namazgah where Fatih Sultan Mehmet prayed with his army, Maraş District and Maraş Bridge, the 400-year-old giant plane tree, Emin Pasha Mosque, the building of the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in Prizren, the Stone Bridge over Bistrica (Akdere), the Shadervan Square, Sinan Pasha Mosque, the churches of St. George and Catholic, the minaret of Arasta Mosque whose mosque was demolished during the Yugoslav period but whose minaret managed to remain standing, and the Serb neighborhood where the destructive effects of the war can still be seen. After our tour, free time to enjoy this beautiful city. Then, at the time determined by our guide, we head to our local restaurant for dinner, and after dinner, we move to our hotel in Prizren for accommodation.
SKOPJE -ISTANBUL
After the early breakfast at the hotel, we check out and leave our hotel, get off the bus near Skopje Castle, and begin our city tour. We start our walking tour in the Skopje Turkish Bazaar, whose original name has been preserved and where the Ottoman Empire ruled for more than 500 years and which still retains its old appearance. During our tour, the places we will see are: Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Jeweler’s Street, Arasta Mosque, Stone Bridge built over the Vardar River and symbol of Skopje, the Turkish and Jewish Quarter, Davut Pasha Bathhouse, Double Bath, Murat Pasha Mosque, Sulu Han, Kapan Han, Kurşunlu Han, the gigantic Alexander the Great Statue that caused the name crisis with Greece in 2011, the Statue of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, the Vardar River, the Museum of Archaeology of Macedonia and the Archives building, the National Theater Building, the Museum of Resistance, the statues of Saints Cyril and Methodius, who invented the Cyrillic alphabet, the St. Spas Church dating from the 17th century, the Mother Teresa monument and Teresa Museum, and the Old Train Station building preserved as it was after being destroyed in the 1963 earthquake. After our walking tour, we head to Skopje Airport. After passport and customs procedures, flight to Istanbul and arrival.
Tour Program
Istanbul-War Tunnel-Sarajevo
Meeting in front of the airline counter and, after ticket and baggage procedures, flight to Sarajevo and arrival. With the transfer vehicle waiting for us at the airport, accompanied by our guide, we visit the Tunnel of Hope, one of the most critical moves of the Bosniaks during the war fought between 1992 and 1995, dug under the airport. In this tunnel, which broke the siege of Sarajevo that changed the course of the war and is considered the longest siege in history (4 years 4 months), and in its museum, we feel the war through a 15-minute video prepared from original footage. (In order not to disrupt the tour program, depending on the guide's decision, the War Tunnel tour will be carried out or canceled.) After visiting this museum, where a photo gallery, war map, and equipment used during the war are exhibited, we head to Bascarsija. On the way, we see buildings that still bear the traces of wartime bombardment, the tram line that is Europe's first electric motor tram line and still actively circles Sarajevo from end to end, the buildings belonging to the People's Army of Yugoslavia from the Tito era but today used as Sarajevo university campus, the U.S.'s second largest embassy building in the world, the Sarajevo city museum, the Parliament building, and the shopping mall built by Arab investors and the largest in the region, and then arrive at Bascarsija. Our first stop is the martyr cemetery where the martyrs of the tragic war of 1992-1995 and the memorial tomb of Alija Izetbegovic are located. After reciting Fatiha for the war martyrs, we receive information from our guide about Alija Izetbegovic, the first President of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and his life. Then, passing through the cobblestone Bosniak–Turkish neighborhood that has managed to survive from the Ottoman period, we begin our Bascarsija 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, Carsi Mosque, Morica Han and the “Mladi Muslimani” local office of the Young Muslims organization inside it, Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque and tomb, uncle's son of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, Clock Tower, Kuršunlu Medresa, Gazi Husrev Bey museum and library, Europe’s first public toilet, Latin Bridge known as the place where World War I broke out, Hunkar Mosque built in the name of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, At Meydani – Okmeydani, Bakır Baba Mosque built by Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, Orthodox Church, Alija Izetbegovic Park and the Sarajevo retirees who constantly play chess in the park, Ferhadiye Mosque, Ferhadiye Street (Sarajevo’s Istiklal Street), Jewish Synagogue, Catholic Church – Cathedral – Church of the Sacred Heart, Sarajevo Roses (points where more than one person lost their lives with a single bomb during the war), the point where the Bread Factory massacre took place, the eternal flame lit in memory of the liberation of Sarajevo, occupied by the Germans, by the Yugoslav army on April 6, 1945, Markale District Market, known as the Market Place massacre on February 5, 1994 and where 68 people lost their lives, and Vjecnica (Viyecnitsa) library, built during the Austro-Hungarian period as the Government House (Municipal building) and set on fire during the war, causing many manuscripts to turn to ash. After our walking tour in Bascarsija, we have our dinner at a local restaurant and then go to our hotel in Sarajevo to stay overnight.
Sarajevo - Konjic - Jablanica - Blagaj - Mostar
After our early breakfast at the hotel, we leave the hotel and start our Mostar tour. We arrive in Konjic (Sarajevo- Konjic – 50 km), our first stop. In this small town of 50,000 people, built along the Neretva River, the places we will see include 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 accordance with its original form. After our photo break, we continue our journey. Our next stop is Jablanica, the city where the war was fought in which Josip Broz Tito, the founder of Yugoslavia, received his marshal title. (Konjic, 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. (Jablanica, Blagaj – Jablanica 59 km) On the way, we see Mostar Airport and the military area built opposite the airport during Yugoslavia’s time and used as a shelter for aircraft. This area was prepared for hiding planes by hollowing out the little hill directly opposite the airport. We visit the lodge, also known as the Yellow Saltuk Lodge, built at the source of the Buna River, which has not yet been fully reached by its source and from which up to 43,000 liters of water flow per second. We visit the tomb of Ali Pasha and the tomb of Sarı Saltuk located inside the lodge, and in this two-story house built in the style of a typical Anatolian house, we see the Women’s prayer room, the Assembly room, the prayer room and dhikr room for men, the small bathhouse, the retreat room, and the room used as a 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 distinctive feature of this cemetery is that it also contains Croats and Serbs from Mostar who fought shoulder to shoulder with Muslim Bosniaks during the war. Mostar bazaar with paved streets laid with stones collected from the river unique to the region, 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 – a single-arched bridge built in 1566 by Mimar Hayrettin, a student of Mimar Sinan, and destroyed in 1993, but restored again in 2004. Tara Tower – while these towers once belonged to the teams that უზრუნველყოფed bridge security, today they serve as a museum. Kriva Cuprija – the Crooked Bridge, Tabakhane Mosque and Bathhouse – a mosque built especially for the notables engaged in leatherwork so that they would not disturb the congregation in other mosques with their smell, and from beneath which waters flow. After having our dinner at our local restaurant, accommodation is at our hotel in Mostar.
MOSTAR - KOTOR - ST. STEFAN - PODGORICA (or Shkodër accommodation)
After our early breakfast at our hotel, we depart for Montenegro. Passing through the towns of Stolac–Ljubinje–Trebinje, we exit 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, the places we will see are; the Square of Arms, the Clock Tower, the Pillar of Shame, the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon, the Craftsmen’s Street, the Tulumba Fountains, the River Gate, the Square of Saint Luke, and after our walking tour, we arrive at the island of St. Stefan. After the photo break we will give here to immortalize the magnificent view, we arrive after a short journey to Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. In the capital Podgorica, we have our dinner at our local restaurant and go to our hotel. (If accommodation is in Shkodra, we will not stop in Podgorica)
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.
Ohrid – Kalkan Delen - Skopje
After breakfast, we will take a tour introducing the historic city of Ohrid, which was once one of the important bases of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans. 11 The places we will see during our tour are 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 Saint Sophia, the statue of Saint Clement, a shop where we can see paper-making using a technique applied in China in the 2nd century BC in streets reminiscent of Safranbolu, the Church of Saint Sophia, and the Ancient Theater. After our tour, we proceed by bus to Tetovo, a charming town city built during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. (Ohrid- Tetovo 130 km) Our first of two important stops in Tetovo is the Colorful 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 Cemali informs us about the tekke and its decorations, we move to Bektashi dervish Abdulmuttalip, who resides in the other corner of the tekke, and listen to him as he tells us 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. (Tetovo– Skopje 40 km) Upon our arrival in Skopje, we have dinner at our local restaurant. Afterwards, accommodation 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.
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 played key roles in many periods of Ottoman history, we visit the tomb 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 located right next to the tomb and used as a museum. Inside the building, we have the opportunity to see the photographs from the visit of Ottoman Sultan Sultan Reşad, the last Ottoman Sultan to visit the Balkans in 1911. As we head from the tomb toward Prizren, we see the square on our way where, in 1989, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević launched his election campaign on the occasion of 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 used for the first time, 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 of Kosovo, which contains many Ottoman works. We begin our Prizren city tour. On this walking tour, which we will do accompanied by our guide, we see: the Halveti Lodge, Gazi Mehmet Pasha Bath, Bayraklı Mosque, the Namazgah where Fatih Sultan Mehmed performed prayer with his army, the Maraş District and Maraş Bridge, the 400-year-old giant plane tree, Emin Pasha Mosque, the building of the Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye in Prizren, the Stone Bridge over Bistrica (Akdere), Shadırvan Square, Sinan Pasha Mosque, the Orthodox Church of Saint George and Catholic Churches, the minaret of Arasta Mosque, whose mosque was demolished during the Yugoslav period but whose minaret managed to remain standing, and the Serbian quarter where we can still see the devastating effects of the war. After our tour, free time to enjoy this beautiful city. Later, at the time तय?
Skopje - Istanbul
After our early breakfast at the hotel, we check out and leave the hotel, get off our bus near Skopje Fortress, and begin our city tour. We start our walking tour in the Skopje Turkish Bazaar, which has been preserved in its original form, where the Ottoman Empire ruled for more than 500 years. Places we will see during our tour; Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Goldsmiths Street, Arasta Mosque, the Stone Bridge built over the Vardar River and the symbol of Skopje, Turkish and Jewish Quarter, Davut Pasha Bath, Cifte Bath, Murat Pasha Mosque, Sulu Han, Kapan Han, Kursunlu Han, the enormous Alexander the Great Statue that caused a name crisis with Greece in 2011, the Statue of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, the Vardar River, the Macedonia Archaeology Museum and Archive building, the National Theater Building, the Museum of Resistance, the statues of the saints Cyril and Methodius, who discovered the Cyrillic alphabet, the St. Spas Church from the 17th century, the Mother Teresa monument and Teresa Museum, and the Old Train Station building, which remains as it was destroyed in the 1963 earthquake. After our walking tour, we head to Skopje Airport. After passport and customs procedures, flight to Istanbul and arrival.
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