May 27, 2008 – June 6, 2008 ( 11 days )
$2,930 INCLUSIVE (plus tuition, 3 credits)
The Office of Continuing Education at the State University of New York, College at Oneonta is sponsoring an 11 day field course in Greece and Turkey from May 27th through June 6th, 2008. The course will be led by Dr. Kenneth Johnson and Dr. Tracy Allen; both from the Department of Geography at SUNY Oneonta.
This program is open to people of all backgrounds and ages. Students may enroll on either a 3 credit or non-credit basis. Non-students are also welcome. Anyone not enrolled for college credit will be charged a non-credit assessment in lieu of tuition.
Course Description
International Studies 294 (cross-listed as Geography 294) – Greece and Turkey: Cultures and Environments. 3 credits.
A field study of the human and physical geography of Greece and Turkey. Topics to be covered include: cultural and historical geography, political geography, economic development, urban and regional planning, rural landscapes, physical geography, vegetation, climate, animals, topography and environmental conservation. Permission of the instructors is required. No prior coursework needed. Every participant in this program must submit a physician’s statement that the participant is healthy enough to travel overseas and participate in this program.
Itinerary
Day 1 Overnight flight to Greece. Spend the night flying across the Atlantic.
Day 2 Arrival in Athens – Touch down in Athens, Cradle of Democracy and birthplace of Western civilization! After clearing customs, you are greeted by your bilingual Tour Director, who will remain with you throughout your stay. Walking tour of Athens – Get acquainted with the endearing Plaka district. Stroll past Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus, built to honor the most powerful of all Greek gods – construction began in 515 B.C.
Day 3 Guided sightseeing of Athens – An expert local guide introduces you to the antiquities of Athens. Climb the Acropolis to view the majestic Parthenon, perhaps the world’s greatest architectural feat. See the Temple of Athena Nike, which once housed a gold statue of the goddess (her wings were clipped to keep her from ever deserting the city). Athens is named after Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom. After seeing the Presidential Guard in their traditional costumes, pass the stadium, where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896, as well as lively Omonia and Syntagma Squares. During free time you may have later, use your ticket from this morning’s sightseeing to explore other sights in Athens. Visit the Agora, ancient Athens’ political, economic and commercial center, which holds the remains of the Temple of Hephaistos, begun in 449 B.C. You might also visit the Athenian Cemetery, a who’s who of Ancient Athens. It contains impressive family tombs, where statesmen, warriors and authors were laid to rest.
Day 4 Athens – Cruise (Friday departure) – This morning, you’ll check in for your Louis Cruise Lines voyage, which sails out of Athens. A captivating three-day odyssey lies ahead, with stops at some of the Mediterranean’s most historically and culturally rich islands and seaports: Mykonos, Rhodes, Patmos and Kusadasi. In between ports of call, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the activities on-board ship. Free-time options while you’re at sea include shopping, games, fitness activities, swimming and sunning. Mykonos - The first island you’ll visit is Mykonos, one of Greece’s Cyclades Islands. It was ruled by Venetians in the 13 th and 14 th centuries, and more recently was under Turkish occupation. In the center of Mykonos’ Old Town is Mando Mavrogenous Square, named after the woman credited with saving the island from the Muslims during Greece’s War of Independence. Nearby is the Church of Agia Kiriaki, which contains some of Mykonos’ most fascinating and beautiful religious icons. The quaint winding streets of the Old Town are perfect for browsing trendy boutiques and crafts shops.
Day 5 Cruise - Rhodes – The largest of the Dodecanese Islands, Rhodes is one of Greece’s most popular resort areas. According to ancient myth, this island erupted from the sea to appease Helios the sun god, after Zeus overlooked him while distributing the earth among the other gods. Rhodes once stood as a bastion of Christianity against the Turks. Its three major archaeological sites, Ialyssos, Lindos and Kamiron, date back to the 7 th century B.C. Rhodes was a center of Hellenistic culture in its early days, then became the territory of the medieval Knights of St. John.
Day 6 Cruise – Patmos – Patmos, which united with Greece in 1948, is one of the 12 Dodecanese Islands that extend off the western coast of Turkey. Despite many centuries of foreign rule, Patmos has long retained its Greek language and culture. According to Christian Tradition, St. John wrote the Book of Revelation on this island. Kusadasi – Your cruise will come to an end at the picturesque Turkish village of Kusadasi, which lies on the Aegean coast. Guided excursion to Ephesus – This afternoon, enjoy a half-day excursion to Ephesus, one of the Mediterranean region’s best-preserved classical cities. During the reign of the Roman Empire, Ephesus was considered the greatest city in Asia Minor. You will see all the highlights, from the Forum, the Odeon and the elaborate Library of Celsus to the Thermal Baths of Scolastika, the Temple of Hadrian and the Great Theatre. Visit the Archaeological Museum, and you may also have the chance to see the nearby house where the Virgin Mary is said to have spent her last days.
Day 7 Canakkale – Transfer via guided sightseeing in Pergamon – En route to Canakkale, travel north along the Aegean coast to Pergamon, where your local guide shows you the sights. A stronghold of the Greek Attalid dynasty, this was, at one time, one of the world’s most magnificent cities. Here you’ll visit the impressive Acropolis. Arrival in Canakkale – Continue to Canakkale, whose shores touch both Europe and Asia, a highly strategic area to control. The city is known for its crucial role during the eight-month Battle of Gallipoli in WWI, when Turkish soldiers defended the Dardanelles Strait and prevented the Allied army from entering the country. Today the Gallipoli peninsula is a national park dedicated to those who lost their lives here. Keep your eyes out for the tribute carved on one of Canakkale’s cliff walls: “O Passer-by: The quiet earth on which you tread unaware is the place where a generation was lost. Bow and listen, for this ground is where the heart of a nation throbs.”
Day 8 Canakkale – Guided excursion to Troy – Journey today to Troy, the city from which the beautiful Helen incited the Trojan War in the 12 th century B.C. Author of The Illiad and The Odyssey, Homer alleges that Paris, the Prince of Troy, eloped with Helen, the wife of Menelaus of Sparta. The best remembered part of the 10-year war was its conclusion, when the Greeks hid in a wooden horse that the Trojans mistakenly thought was a peace offering. Needless to say, the Greeks emerged from the horse and ransacked the town. Tour the ancient site, where the remains of nine civilizations dating back 5,000 years were excavated only 120 years ago. After returning from Troy, spend some free time on the beach.
Day 9 Canakkale – Istanbul – Transfer via guided sightseeing in Bursa – En route to Istanbul, stop in Bursa, the very first capital of the Ottoman empire. A local guide shows you the highlights of this city, known for its Ottoman art and architecture, the Turkish automobile industry and bubbling Turkish baths. Arrival in Istanbul – Welcome to Istanbul, crossroads of the East and West, as well as the world’s only city that spans two continents.
Day 10 Istanbul – Guided sightseeing of Istanbul – A local guide introduces you to Istanbul’s major sites on this morning’s sightseeing tour. Discover the ancient Hippodrome, which once served as the public center of Byzantium for more than a thousand years. Then behold the breathtaking Blue Mosque, built by Sultan Ahmet and decorated with exquisite blue Iznik tiles. Continue to the magnificent Topkapi Palace, once the residence of the Ottoman sultans. Your tour concludes with a stop at Istanbul’s legendary Grand Bazaar, where you can browse and barter for treasures of all kinds, from brassware to spices.
Day 11 Return Home – Professors assist with the transfer to the airport, where you’ll check in for your return flight home.
EXPENSES
Tuition – based on tuition rates in effect at the time of the trip (currently):
- Undergraduate in-state residents $545.55 (total for all three credits).
- Undergraduate out-of-state residents $1,328.55 (total for all three credits).
Non-credit Assessment – “not-for-credit” participants, only – 65% of Undergraduate in-state tuition. Currently $355.00. (Non-credit participants will not be required to do any academic assignments.)
Program Cost – This amount is to be paid directly to the tour agency.
- Youth Rate (participants 22 years of age or younger at the date of the trip) $2,930. It includes round-trip airfare, the 3 day cruise, private motor-coaches throughout the trip, all airport transfers, all airport departure taxes, security fees, lifetime tour agency membership; 7 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms, 2 nights on the cruise ship, breakfast and dinner daily, full-time resident bi-lingual Tour Director, 5 sightseeing tours led by licensed local guides, 6 visits to special attractions (such as famous museums) and one walking tour. Participants are grouped together with 3 or 4 students per room.
- Adult Rate: (participants 23 years or older at the date of the departure or who turn 23 during the trip) $3,360. This covers everything listed above; however, adults are grouped at 2 per room.
Health Insurance – All students (“for credit” and “not-for-credit”) who are traveling overseas must submit a completed SUNY Overseas Academic Program Student Health Information form prior to being issued a plane ticket.
- Health Insurance/Repatriation/Medical Evacuation - $70.75.
- Repatriation/Medical Evaluation only - $5.25 (proof of adequate health insurance coverage is required in order to purchase this option.
Application Deadline
To reserve a place in this program, you should complete and submit an application to Dr. Johnson and Dr. Allen as soon as possible. Your application should be accompanied by a $95 check made payable to the travel agency. When the professors admit you to the program, you will be asked to pay your travel charges directly to the tour agency. You may obtain application forms and instructions from Dr. Kenneth Johnson, Department of Geography, 322 Milne Library, SUNY-Oneonta 13820. Telephone (607) 436-3379 or contact Dr. Tracy Allen via e-mail at: allenth@oneonta.edu. ( Your $95 deposit protects you from any price increases from the tour company.) (Prices may be higher after December 1 st).
Graduate Students Students interested in participating in this program for graduate credit should consult directly with Dr. Allen or Dr. Johnson.
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