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IslamiCity > Travel
> Program to Turkey
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - TURKEY TOUR |
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- What is
IslamiCity’s travel study program?
The program provides adult Muslims (young adults/students and older,
life-long learners alike) an opportunity to travel and learn about
their Islamic heritage, as well as interact with their Muslim
brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. The program is
supervised and expects proper Islamic adab (behavior) of all
participants. Please note that this is not a deen-intensive or
intensive Arabic/religious studies program. The focus is on
history, culture and society, relying on the insights and
knowledge of expert guides.
- Who is
the program designed for?
The program is specifically designed for adult Muslims over the age of 18, and
teenagers 14 yrs. old and over who are accompanied by a parent or
older relative. The program seeks to strengthen bonds of brotherhood/sisterhood
between participants and their peers in the country visited.
- Why
should I participate in this particular tour?
Such tours are in fact organized by many tour operators. There are
two distinct reasons why you should participate in IslamiCity
Education Tours. (1) Tours organized by IslamiCity are always
educational and fun in an Islamic environment and context. They
are supervised with Muslim experts of the area. (2) IslamiCity
tours are very
affordable compared to other tours. We invite you to call a Tour
Operator in your city and ask them to quote you a price for a
comparable tour to surprise yourself.
- When
should I deposit & what are the payment terms?
You should deposit a minimum of US$500 to reserve your space
no later than June 30, 2004. The deposit is non-refundable. The
balance amount must be paid by July 15, 2004. If (God forbid) you cannot join the tour for any unforeseen reason, less
deposit of $500 with a 20% service fee on the rest, will be refunded
post tour.
- Why the
penalties?
This is to offset penalties that will be imposed upon
IslamiCity by the hotels and airlines.
- How many
cities will we visit?
We will visit 2 cities - Istanbul, Bursa. Istanbul is about the
size of the Greater Los Angeles with a population of 11 million
people. Bursa trip will be a daily trip. These cities mark as the
top 2 most historic cities as far as the Ottoman Empire is
concerned and they both served as the capitals of the great
Ottoman Empire.
- Will we
interact with local Muslims?
Yes. We will be visiting many Muslim communities and will meet
Muslims from all walks of life. We will also meet scholars and members for several informal gatherings so that you
may ask questions about life in Turkey.
- What are
the arrangements for daily prayers?
You can pray Fajr in your hotel room. Or go to the greatest mosque
of Istanbul, which would be in walking distance from where you will
be staying. The daily itinerary will
have time allocated for the prayers ( Duhr/Asr/Maghrib/Isha ) . Friday prayers
will be prayed in
congregation at one of the Grand Mosques of Istanbul, Sultanahmet
and Suleymaniye.
- What will
the accommodations be like?
We will be staying in a special hotel, Armada.
Accommodation will be
clean, pleasant and comfortable. Reconstructed as a 19th Century
Ottoman Mansion, Armada Hotel Istanbul is a wonderful hotel
located in the center of Istanbul and in the center of the most
historic peninsula. All rooms will have two beds, one
for each person in the room. Single occupancy is subject to
supplementary costs and availability, both. To learn more
about the hotel, click here.
- What is
the meal situation?
All meals are all the time will be Halal. Breakfast will be at the
hotel. Lunch & Dinner meals will be at a restaurant or eatery,
arranged by the tour guide. Most of these restaurants are
known as the best restaurants in town and carefully selected
considering the nature of our group and expectations. However, if you want
to order something extra and/or special, you may do so at your
own expense.
- What
travel arrangements need to be made? Do I need
a visa?
Participants are responsible for making their own travel
arrangements from their points of origin to and from Chicago
&/or New York.
Participants are responsible for making their own visa
arrangements. For the visa requirements, click
here.
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