Exploring Istanbul, the Black Sea, and Cappadocia — 2011

 

From August 22 – September 4, 2011, supporters of Save Venice participated in a trip to Istanbul, the Black Sea, and Cappadocia, organized by Chairman Emeritus Randolph H. Guthrie. The proceeds of the excursion, bolstered by a contribution from Elizabeth Locke and John Staelin, will support various restoration projects. Expert lecturers included Patricia Fortini Brown, Andrew Kepler, Carlos Picón, Alessandra Ricci, and Elihu Rose. In Istanbul guests enjoyed visits to many of the chief attractions – Haghia Sophia, Topkapi, the Basilica Cistern, and the covered Bazaar. Soon after, the cities of the Black Sea were explored aboard Le Levant: Nessebur, one of the oldest cities in Europe; Odessa, built by Catherine the Great; Sevastopol, the center of the Crimean War; the ancient Greek city of Chersonesos; and Yalta, the site of the 1945 Big Three Conference with Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. The trip ended in Cappadocia, a small region of south central Turkey, where the wind and rain has eroded the landscape into extraordinary shapes, best seen from soaring hot air balloons.