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CAU > Seminars and Study Tours > Turkey and the Crimea: Treasures of the Black Sea

Turkey and the Crimea: Treasures of the Black Sea

August 28-September 8, 2006

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Overview

From the Crimea to the Bosporus, the Black Sea has always signified the edge of the familiar and the beginning of the unknown. Its waters, mysterious to ancient mariners, were believed to be the path of intrepid voyagers, from Noah and the ark to Jason and the Argonauts. Its people and its rugged, isolated shores were forever exposed to strangers and invasions, military and cultural, by Greeks, Romans, Mongols, Tartars, Persians, Turks, land-hungry Czars, and assorted twentieth-century despots (including one native son). These days, however, comfortable cruise ships have replaced barn-like arks; visiting Americans have replaced Stalin, Churchill, and FDR; and university teachers have replaced the ancient Greek poets and biblical scribes. Outfitted with a wonderful ship, a splendid itinerary, a full program of lectures and discussions, and delightful sailing mates, we are very much looking forward to CAU's first expedition to the Black Sea. We hope you'll join us!

Faculty

Our leaders will be CAU favorite Valerie J. Bunce, the Aaron Binenkorb Professor of International Studies, a professor in and the chair of the Department of Government at Cornell, and a specialist in the politics and geopolitics of Russia and the Balkans, and David Hooson, a professor of geography at the University of California, Berkeley, and a specialist from the American Geographical Society, our travel partner. Together, they will guide our explorations as we seek to better appreciate and understand the currents that have shaped—and continue to shape—the civilizations of the Black Sea.

Our Ship and Itinerary

Our cruise ship, the MV Corinthian II, is a state-of-the-art all-suite vessel that accommodates 110 passengers in comfort and style. We'll board in Istanbul and set sail through the Bosporus to the Black Sea. The cruise will take us counterclockwise, first traversing the northern coast of Turkey, then crossing the Black Sea to the Crimea, and finally sailing south to Bulgaria, with Istanbul as our ultimate destination.

Our first encounters will be with ancient Anatolia, including the port of Paphlagonia; Amasra, the ancient Sesamos, located in beautiful mountainous country that kept out invaders for millennia; and Amasya, on the River Iris, with monuments that span the centuries. At Trabzon, the ancient Trapezus, one of antiquity's greatest cities and commercial centers, we'll encounter remains of Byzantine rule, including Sumela Monastery and the thirteenth-century church of Hagia Sophia, with its exquisite frescoes.

After a day at sea, we'll arrive in Kerch (ancient Panticapaeum), with its fine archaeological museum and its kurgans—tumuli tombs or burial mounds dating from the fourth century B.C.E. to the second century C.E. At Yalta, the mid-nineteenth-century summer residence of the Russian Imperial family, we'll tour Livadia Palace, site of the 1945 conference at which Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin made fateful decisions about postwar Europe. We'll reboard the Corinthian II at Sevastopol, whose many historical associations include the battles of the Crimean War. At the fine seaport of Odessa, we'll explore this handsome city, including the remarkable Potemkin Steps, site of the 1905 uprising of workers and sailors from the battleship Potemkin (memorably portrayed in Sergei Eisenstein's classic silent film, which we hope to have available for viewing).

After a second day at sea we'll dock at Nessebar in Bulgaria, an intact traditional Black Sea city dotted with ancient timbered houses, Hellenistic ruins, and splendid Byzantine churches. Last, and certainly not least, we'll arrive at Istanbul, which will amaze you if this is your first visit and recapture you if you've had the good fortune to visit before. We'll devote a full day to site visits, including Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace, and overnight aboard ship to enjoy our valedictory dinner and, perhaps, take a farewell stroll along the shore. The following morning—reluctantly we're sure—we'll head home.

Program Cost and Travel Arrangements

Program fees vary with the cabin you select, from $7,495 (per-person, double-occupancy). They include all accommodations, receptions, and meals aboard ship, wine with dinners, all site visits and entry fees, all port taxes and gratuities (including tips to the ship's crew), full escort services, emergency medical-evacuation insurance, and the full educational program. The supplement for single occupancy (limited availability) is $2,695. We will send you the deck plan and cabin information and rates when we receive your deposit, or, if you prefer, we'll send you the information before you register. A group air package from the U.S. will be available at additional cost (the current price from New York is $805), but you are free to make your own air arrangements.

Physical Requirements

This is not a strenuous trip, but we will be walking for a mile or more at many sites, traversing uneven ground, and climbing steps.