Situated at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East,
and Asia, Turkey is a diverse country with a storied past, robust present,
and exciting future.
This August, join Wellesley alumnae and friends
as we explore the remarkable succession of civilizations
and the spectacular landscapes of this country,
accompanied by Harvard professor David Mitten,
an expert in classical antiquity.
Our journey begins in the capital
city of Ankara, where we are introduced to Turkish
history through
the country’s richest collection of artifacts
at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. We will
continue to Cappadocia, a region known for its
lunar landscape, which has inspired unique underground
architecture. Participants will have the opportunity
to get a bird’s eye view of the region via
a hot-air balloon ride. Next, we will travel across
Turkey’s heartland to the center of Sufic
mysticism in Konya and begin our exploration of
the dramatic coastline in the ports of Antalya and Fethiye. In Konya, we will tour the Palace
of the Seljuk Sultans and witness a performance
of the whirling dervishes. In Antalya, we will
visit the Roman monuments near Perge and Aspendos,
erected in the second and third centuries.
A highlight of our program is
a five-day cruise along the ruggedly beautiful
Turquoise Coast, from
Fethiye to Marmaris, aboard traditional wooden
gulet boats. We will visit the riches along the
coast, including villages, ruins, and hidden coves.
We will explore Caunos, a once-thriving port city
now in ruins, as well as Knidos, the home of the
statue of Aphrodite by Praxiteles. A full day will
be spent in Ephesus, the greatest of all the Roman
cities in Asia Minor and home to the Temple of
Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World. From Izmir, we will fly to Istanbul, the
historical, physical, and cultural link between
Europe and Asia. Cruising along the Bosphorus,
we will spend time at the Sultans’ Topkapi
Palace and explore the Hagia Sophia, the spiritual
center of the Byzantine Empire for nearly a thousand
years. We will also visit the magnificent Blue
Mosque, the not-to-be-missed spice market, and
the largest
covered bazaar in the world. Join us for this remarkable
Mediterranean journey.
|
David Gordon Mitten is the George M.A. Hanfmann Curator
of Ancient Art, Emeritus, for Harvard University Art
Museums. He also serves as associate director of Harvard’s Sardis
Expedition and has spent 17 summers in the field with
the Harvard-Cornell Archaeological Exploration of Sardis.
Interested in
all areas of classical
antiquity,
he has specialized in publishing classical bronzes.
In the classroom, Professor Mitten teaches Greek and
Roman archaeology and art history,
as well as Aegean, Anatolian, and Achaemenian Persian
art and archaeology. For the past 15 years, he has
taught the seminar, “Archaeology
and the World of the New Testament,” with Helmut Koester of the
Harvard Divinity School. Professor Mitten has lectured
widely on study trips to the Mediterranean for the Harvard Alumni Association
and the
Harvard Art Museums. He is working on a book surveying
Greek, Roman, and Etruscan bronzes. |
