07.00 am Departure from Sabiha Gokcen Airport for Erzurum with Turkish Airlines flight no TK 7400
After landing in Erzurum at 08.50 am, we will take the tour bus and head to downtown Erzurum, where we will have breakfast. Following the breakfast, our city starts with Yakutiye Madrasah, one of the landmarks of the city. After examining this magnificent Seljuki era madrasah, with the largest closed courtyard in Anatolia, we will move on to a nearby Ottoman era mosque: Lala Mustafa Pasha. Taking a walk among the historical houses of the city, we will visit the Double Minaret Madrasah. Following a brief coffee break, we will visit the Three Tombs, one of the most impressive examples of monumental tomb architecture in Anatolia. After visiting the Grand Mosque, the most glorious mosque of the city, we will salute the citadel before having a lunch break. In the afternoon, our first stop will be the Erzurum Congress Hall, which is the convention center of the Erzurum Congress of 1919, now serving as the Ataturk Art and Sculpture Museum. Then we will head to the Demirciler Church, today serving as the Conquest Mosque, after its restoration in 1997. Our last stop will be the Tas Han, also known as the Rustem Pasha Caravanserai, where we will learn about the story of Oltu stone (jet). Late in the afternoon, we will leave Erzurum and head to Bayburt. Taking an almost two-hour ride, we will arrive at Guesthouse of Baksı Museum, where we will spend the night after dinner.