• 3 Days / 2 Night
• Rating : 15
• Cappadocia

2 Day Mt. Nemrut Plus Urfa Tour –  A Pilgrimage Through Time & Faith

Unearth the ancient heart of southeastern Turkey, where prophets walked, empires clashed, and humanity’s oldest secrets lie buried.

Why  You Should Make This Journey?

Southeastern Turkey is a tapestry of civilizations, faiths, and mysteries. From Gobekli Tepe, humanity’s oldest temple, to Sanliurfa—the birthplace of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), revered by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—this tour bridges 12,000 years of history. Walk in the footsteps of kings, prophets, and nomadic tribes beneath skies ablaze with sunset over Mount Nemrut’s colossal statues.

Key Notes:

Season: April–November (snow closes Mount Nemrut December–March).
Group Size: Minimum 2 travelers required.

Day 1: Ascending Mount Nemrut – Where Gods Meet Mortals

Morning: Flight to Adiyaman
Transfer from Istanbul to catch your domestic flight (1h40m) to Adiyaman. As you soar eastward, the landscape shifts from urban sprawl to rugged Anatolian plains—a prelude to the timeless wonders ahead.

Afternoon: Path of Empires
Upon arrival, journey toward Mount Nemrut, stopping at:

Karakus Tumulus: A 1st-century BC royal tomb marked by a lone eagle column, whispering tales of Commagene royalty.
Cendere Bridge: A marvel of Roman engineering, still standing after 1,800 years. Cross its stones and imagine legions marching toward Syria.
Arsemia & Kahta Castle: Climb to the ruins of Arsemia, ancient Commagene capital, where a rock relief depicts King Mithridates shaking hands with Hercules. Nearby, Kahta Castle perches defiantly, a medieval sentinel overlooking the Euphrates.
Sunset at Mount Nemrut Summit
Ascend to 2,150 meters, where the gods await. Atop this UNESCO-listed peak, the tomb-sanctuary of King Antiochus I (69–34 BC) sprawls across terraces. Gigantic stone heads—Apollo, Zeus, Fortuna—lie half-buried, their gazes fixed on eternity. As the sun dips, the statues glow crimson, casting long shadows over the Anti-Taurus Mountains. This is not merely a sunset; it’s communion with the divine.

Evening: Overnight in Kahta
Retreat to Kahta, a quiet town cradled by mountains. Savor regional dishes like çiğ köfte (spiced raw meatballs) and rest for tomorrow’s revelations.

Day 2: Sanliurfa & Gobekli Tepe – Cradle of Faith & Civilization
Breakfast & Departure
Fuel up with Turkish tea and simit (sesame bread) before a day tracing humanity’s spiritual and cultural dawn.

Stop 1: Ataturk Dam
Pause at Turkey’s largest dam, a modern titan taming the Euphrates. Contrast its concrete vastness with the ancient valleys beyond.

Stop 2: Sanliurfa – City of Prophets
Step into Sanliurfa (ancient Edessa), a pilgrimage site for three faiths. Here, Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) was born in a cave, now the Hazreti Ibrahim Hallilullah Cave. According to Islamic tradition, the tyrant Nimrod cast Ibrahim into a pyre for destroying idols, but God transformed flames into water and logs into sacred fish. Today, the Pool of Sacred Fish (Balıklıgöl) shimmers beside the cave, its carp revered as holy. Wander the bazaars, where the scent of saffron and voices chanting Qur’anic verses mingle—a living testament to Ibrahim’s legacy as the “Friend of God” (Khalilullah).

Stop 3: Gobekli Tepe – Humanity’s First Temple
Venture to Gobekli Tepe, a 12,000-year-old enigma rewriting history. Predating Stonehenge by 6 millennia, this hilltop sanctuary features T-shaped pillars carved with foxes, scorpions, and vultures in high relief. Archaeologists ponder: How did hunter-gatherers erect such a complex? Why bury it deliberately? Wander the excavation site, where each stone whispers of forgotten rituals—a place where humans first sought to touch the divine.

Stop 4: Harran – Beehive Domes & Cosmic Wisdom
Conclude in Harran, famed in Genesis as Abraham’s temporary home. Its iconic beehive houses, built from mud bricks without timber, defy 3,000 years of storms. Once a Mesopotamian trade hub and center of pagan star worship, Harran’s ruins include an 8th-century Umayyad Mosque and the remnants of the world’s first Islamic university. As twilight falls, imagine caravans from Nineveh and scholars debating astronomy under desert stars.

Evening: Return to Istanbul
Transfer to Sanliurfa Airport for your flight back. As Istanbul’s lights glitter below, reflect on a land where faith, myth, and history are etched into every stone.