Çeşme Boat Tour
City of Çeşme is located 30 km west of İzTech. The name “Çeşme” means “fountain” and possibly draws reference from the many Ottoman fountains scattered across the city. Its name in Classical antiquity was Kysos under the Greeks and Kysus under the Romans. The town of Çeşme lies across a strait facing the Greek island of Chios, which is at a few miles’ distance and there are regular ferry connections between the two centers, as well as larger ferries from and to Italy. Çeşme is one of the most popular holiday resorts for Turkish tourists and is becoming increasingly popular with the foreign visitors. Çeşme offers an exclusive and authentic holiday experience and is home to the second best surfing waters in the world.
You will take a bus from Konak (İzmir) at 8:00 AM and from İzTech at 9:00 AM. The boat will be boarded at 10:00 AM in Çeşme harbor near Çeşme castle at the city center. The boat tour will take you to Donkey Island, Blue Bay, Winter Harbour and Makril Island for sightseeing, which will also include a break at sea to enjoy the warm waters of the Aegean. You will have a fixed lunch menu that is included in the price, which is 80 TL per person. Registration fee includes transportation cost from/to İzmir to/from Çeşme and the boat tour only. Return time is 5:00 PM.
Note: Those who would like to stay in campus dorms on September 13th (extra night after the tour) should pay an additional 30 TL on top of their package fee.
Ephesus Ancient City Tour
Ephesus (Greek: Ephesos; Turkish: Efes; ultimately from Hittite: Apasa) was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Aegean, located 100 kilometers southeast of İzTech. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of the former ruins as one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League. The city flourished after it came under the control of the Roman Republic in 129 BC. The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (ca. 550 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Temple was destroyed or damaged in a raid by the Goths in 268 AD. Although it was destroyed by earthquakes and was rebuilt many times, the city’s importance as a commercial center declined as the harbor was slowly silted up by the River Küçük Menderes. Today, its harbor is 5 kilometers inland. The loss of its harbor caused Ephesus to lose its access to the Aegean Sea and people started leaving the city. Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia that are cited in Bible. The ruins of Ephesus are a favorite international and local tourist attraction due to the famous Temple of Artemis, the Library of Celsus, and its theatre, which was capable of holding 25,000 spectators. Some of the ruins of the temples were used as building blocks for new homes. Marble sculptures were ground to powder to make lime for plaster.
You will take a bus from İzTech at 8:00 AM and from Konak (İzmir) at 9:00 AM. The guided tour will begin at 10:00 AM in Ephesus. The tour will take you to the Library of Celsus, the Amphitheater, the Gate of Augustus, the Temple of Hadrian in the streets of Ephesus and some of the sites nearby including the Temple of Artemis, the Basilica of St. John, Village of Şirince, and the House of Virgin Mary. There will be a break in Selçuk for those who would like to have lunch. Museum and site entrances and lunch, which averages around 50 TL per person, is not included in 60 TL fee. The Müze Kart or Maximum Credit Card may be used for free entrance to the site. The fee includes transportation cost from/to İzmir to/from Efes and tour guide only. Return time is 5:00 PM.
Note: Those who would like to stay in campus dorms on September 13th (extra night after the tour) should pay an additional 30 TL on top of their package fee.