 | Ayia Sophia, Constantinople
Photo courtesy of Izzet Keribar
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 | Pillar in the Basilica Cistern, Constantinople
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 | The Enrollment for Taxation before Zyrenius
Holy Saviour in Chora, Constantinople
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 | Covered Bazaar, Constantinople
Photo courtesy of Klaudio Dadich
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 | Saint Dimitrios with Two Children
Church of Ayios Dimitrios, Thessaloniki
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Icon Gallery
Museum of Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki
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4th-Century Baptismal Pool, Stobi
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 | Detail of the Bogorodica Pelagonitisa Icon
National Museum Icon Gallery, Skopje
Photo courtesy of Bojan Stankovski
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 | Church of Sveta Bogorodica Perivlepta, Ohrid
Photo courtesy of Pande Trajkoski
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 | Church of Sveti Jovan (the Theologian), Ohrid
Photo courtesy of Tale Atanasovski
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 | Monastery of Ayiou Stefanou, Metéora
Photo courtesy of Philip Peynerdjiev
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6 Oct (Mon)
Travel day.
7 Oct (Tue) Constantinople
Arrive Constantinople (Istanbul).
(Istanbul, 3 nights)
Optional Private Ephesus Day Tour
Early morning transfer from hotel to airport. Fly from Istanbul to Izmir. Transfer from airport to Ephesus. Visit Terrace Houses of Ephesus, Church of the Virgin Mary, Basilica of Saint John, Prison of Saint Paul, Tomb of Saint Luke, and the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers. Transfer to Izmir airport for return flight to Istanbul. Transfer from airport to hotel. Note: You must arrive no later than 6 Oct to take advantage of this optional tour!
8 Oct (Wed) Constantinople
“We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. We only know that God dwells there among men, and their service is fairer than the ceremonies of other nations.” With these words, envoys of pagan Russian Prince Vladimir in the year 987, sent to search for the true religion, recorded their impression of Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Ayia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) in Constantinople. The awesome church, built by Emperor Saint Justinian in the years 532-537AD, is the supreme masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. The Basilica Cistern, a backup water supply for periods of drought or siege, was first constructed by Emperor Saint Constantine and later enlarged to its present form by Emperor Saint Justinian using 336 marble columns recycled from Hellenistic ruins in and around the Bosphorous. The Istanbul Archaeology Museum is housed in three buildings just inside the first court of Topkapi Palace. Exhibits from Byzantium, the Ottoman Empire, and the many civilizations of Anatolia and ancient Egypt, cover 5,000 years of history with artifacts gathered from all over Turkey and the near east.
9 Oct (Thu) Constantinople
Holy Saviour in the Country (chora, Greek, means country) was built in the 4th century as part of a monastery complex outside the City Walls. The present structure dates to the 11th century, the magnificent decoration dates to the early 14th century, and about 50 mosaic panels survive. The interior of Theotokos Pammakaristos (Joyous Mother of God) contains the restored remains of a number of Byzantine mosaic panels equal in artistry to those in Holy Saviour. The Bosphorous, a 32-kilometer-long strait joining the Sea of Marmara with the Black Sea, separates the continents of Europe and Asia. Our Bosphorous Cruise hugs the shore through the heart of Istanbul, past several palaces, two fortresses, forested hills, and villages.
10 Oct (Fri) Constantinople
The Covered Bazaar is a labyrinth of more than 58 streets covered by painted vaults, lined with more than 4,000 shops whose keepers are relentless in their quest for a sale. Don’t forget to bargain! We depart this evening for Thessaloniki on the overnight Dostluk/Filia Express. (Dostluk/Filia Express Train, 1 night)
11 Oct (Sat) Thessaloniki
The 9th-century Ayia Sofia was inspired by Emperor Saint Justinian’s Cathedral of Ayia Sofia in Constantinople. Some original mosaics have survived, including some from the 8th-century iconoclastic period. The beautifully frescoed Ayia Theodora contains two reliquary chapels, one of Saint Theodora and the other of Saint David. The new church of Saint Gregory Palamas contains his relics. Standing below the level of the modern-day street is Panayía Acheiropoietos (Mother of God Made without Hands), its 5th-century mosaics restored. Ayios Dimitrios is the site of the martyrdom of Saint Dimitrios. Some of its 5th- to 7th-century mosaics have survived. Vespers. (Thessaloniki, 3 nights)
12 Oct (Sun) Thessaloniki
Divine Liturgy. Artisans and archaeologists have worked – and continue to work – with literally millions of tesserae to restore the dazzling mosaics in Ayios Yioryos, a pagan mausoleum converted to a church in the 4th century by Emperor Saint Theodosius. The Museum of Byzantine Culture is one of Greece’s preeminent Byzantine museums, covering the 1,100-year development of Byzantine culture from its early beginnings in the Roman world through the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
13 Oct (Mon) Thessaloniki
Ayios Nikolaos Orfanos is an unprepossessing brick-and-stone church holding an astonishing treasure of well-preserved frescoes of the 14th century, the zenith of Thessaloniki’s artistic excellence. Nothing about Osios David’s simple exterior can prepare you for the glorious mosaic of the vision of Ezekiel inside – there is no finer in the city. The great diversity in the architectural arrangement of Ayioi Aposoloi has produced a variety of surfaces that have been decorated with frescos and mosaic masterpieces of the Paleologan art.
14 Oct (Tue) Stobi
On our way to Skopje, the Stobi Archaeological Site offers sweeping views of the central Macedonian plain and contains early Christian ruins with extensive and ornate mosaic floors.
(Skopje, 3 nights)
15 Oct (Wed) Skopje
The best room of the Macedonian National Museum is the Icon Gallery, housing a priceless collection of icons, the most famous of which is the Bogorodica Pelagonitisa painted for the iconostasis of Zrze Monastery. The ethereal 14th-century Sveti Gjorgi in Staro Nagoricane is richly decorated with frescoes painted from 1317-18 by Mihajlo and Eftihije, two of the greatest painters in the Byzantine Balkans.
16 Oct (Thu) Skopje
In a monastery complex on Skopje’s Black Mountain, Sveti Nikita dates from the early 14th century and contains many important and unique frescos by the renowned Balkan painters Mihajlo and Eftihije. The frescos of Sveti Panteleimon in the village of Nerezi are outstanding examples of Macedonian medieval monumental painting in the later 12th century.
17 Oct (Fri) Ohrid
The incredible hand-carved iconostasis of Sveti Jovan (the Forerunner) in Bigorski Monastery has over 200 human figures and 500 animals. Sveta Bogorodica (Holy Mother) Perivlepta (known as Sveti Kliment) is one of the most beautiful churches in Ohrid, above all, for its frescos. (Ohrid, 3 nights)
18 Oct (Sat) Ohrid
Among the many icons exhibited in the Ohrid Icon Gallery are at least thirty estimated as masterworks. Sveta Sofija (Holy Wisdom) is famous for its 11th- and 12th-century frescos.
19 Oct (Sun) Ohrid
Overlooking Lake Ohrid is the church dedicated to Sveti Jovan (the Theologian) with its unique architecture and 13th-century frescos. The Monastery of Sveti Naum occupies a commanding position on a promontory overlooking Lake Ohrid. The frescos of the church containing the tomb of Saint Naum date from the first half of the 18th century. A Boat Ride around the springs feeding into Lake Ohrid is a wonderfully peaceful experience.
20 Oct (Mon) Kurbinovo
On our way to Kalambaka, on the slopes of beautiful Mount Pelister near the blue waters of Lake Prespa, we stop near the village of Kurbinovo to visit a monastery church dedicated to Sveti Gjorgi. It is known for its 12th-century frescos, pearls of the medieval art of Macedonia. The Cathedral of the Dormition of the Virgin is a 12th-century basilica with frescos from the 12th to 16th centuries. Of special interest is the rare, early marble ambo in the center of the church, as well as the marble ciborium and synthronium. (Kalambaka, 2 nights)
21 Oct (Tue) Metéora
The Metéora Monasteries crown pillars of stone that rise precipitously out of the plain of Thessaly. The topography is the most unique and fascinating in all Greece. Between today and tomorrow, we visit five monasteries dating from the 14th to the 16th centuries, all still occupied by a small number of monks or nuns.
22 Oct (Wed) Metéora & Thessaloniki
The best-known of the Metéora Monasteries, the Great Meteoron, contains some of the most beautiful frescos and post-Byzantine mural art that can be found in Greece. We return to Thessaloniki this afternoon. Farewell Supper. (Thessaloniki, 1 night)
23 Oct (Thu) Travel Day
Transfer from hotel to airport for flights home.
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