Traditional Easter Celebration in Turabdin, 1-8 May 2024
Book your ticket now to become one of the lucky Arameans who will enjoy a Traditional Easter Celebration in the Turabdin region in Southeast Türkiye! During an ALL-INCLUSIVE 8-day spiritual and cultural journey home, you will experience the Passion Week and Easter in Aramaic, the language of Jesus.
1. Turabdin: A Journey Home 5.0, from 1 – 8 May 2024
This year, WCA again gives Arameans the chance to relive their childhood and bring up memories with fellow Arameans in the place that gave birth to them and/or their (grand)parents. For 30-50 years, many Diaspora Arameans did not return to their homeland. These Journeys Home are truly amazing and Arameans experience them in no way inferior to a pilgrimage to the Holy City of Jerusalem!
- Watch the 1.15-hour video of our Youth Trip from 5-13 November 2022; see here for photos.
- Watch the 1-hour DVDs of the Journey Home from 19-26 April 2011 & 11-17 April 2012.
2. Among others, participants may expect from WCA
You will enjoy an ALL-INCLUSIVE 8-day tour to 8 enchanting monasteries and through ancient places like Diyarbakir, Mardin, Nisibin, Turizlo, Midyat and its region. In addition to this spiritual and cultural experience, you will also have time to celebrate, have fun and enjoy traditional food, dance and music. Major things you can expect include:
- 4- & 5-Star Hotels
- Easter Dinner Party
- Aramaic Tour Guide
- Bus with WiFi connection
- Mardin Food/Dance/Music
- Flight with Transfer in Türkiye
SUMMARY OF THE PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
- Wednesday, 1 May: Arrival day! After your meet-and-greet opportunity with other participants at the airport and in the plane, there will be a group dinner at a local restaurant in Diyarbakir.
- Maundy Thursday, 2 May: After visiting the St. Mary Church, we will take you to Mardin. In the city, you will visit the 40 Martyrs Church and enjoy lunch and free time. After that, we will take you to the Mor Hananyo (Zafaran) Monastery and then to Midyat where we will spend the next 4 nights.
- Good Friday, 3 May: Those who wish to receive the communion (faghro) can do so early in the morning at the Mor Sharbel Church. After that, we will visit the Mor Yakub Church in Nisibin and the Mor Augin Monastery with its breathtaking view! After this, we may visit a nearby Aramean village, have dinner at the Maye Hewore (Nawale/Beyaz Su), will endeavor to visit the village of Anhil before we will have dinner in Midyat.
- Holy Saturday, 4 May: We will visit H.E. Archbishop Mor Timotheus Samuel Aktas at the Mor Gabriel Monastery. We will also visit the villages of Beth Zabday (Azekh), Midin, Bsorino, and have dinner in Midyat.
- Easter Sunday, 5 May: We will celebrate Easter in Midyat with H.E. Archbishop Mor Timotheus Samuel Aktas. After that, we will tour Turizlo, including Kafro Tahteyto, Badibbe, Arkah and the Monasteries of Mor Yakup d-Qarne and Mor Melke. In the evening, we will be back in Midyat for an Aramaic dinner party.
- Easter Monday, 6 May: The Easter Monday celebration will be in Midyat, first at Mor Abrohom & Mor Hobil Monastery. The group will then visit the Monastery of Mor Yakup in Salah, Hah, Kfarze, Arnas and end the day with a nice dinner in Midyat.
- Tuesday, 7 May: In the morning, we need to check-out from the hotel and we'll visit Iwardo and from 11:00-14:00 there is a FREE PROGRAM. This time can be used to tour Midyat city and/or commemorate the deceased in your (parents’) village. At noon we'll leave to the historical place of Dara and from there to Mardin city to explore the city and a fantastic entertainnment program where you will enjoy the local traditional food, dance and music (alcoholic drinks are not included but can be ordered individually).
- Wednesday, 8 May: Departure day! To put a good end to this trip, which we know you will always fondly remember, all the participants will be shuttled to the local airports of Mardin and Diyarbakir. After this journey to your historical home, WCA wishes you a safe flight back to your current home. :-)
3. The Price of this ALL-INCLUSIVE package
These prices are ONLY for flights from Europe:
- € 1.299 per person for non-WCA Members
- € 1.249 per person, for WCA Members of at least €5 per month
- € 1.199 per person, for WCA Members of at least €10 per month
If you are no WCA Member yet, register here for discounts and more via: www.SupportWCA.com.
DISCLAIMER: Today it is 9 January 2024. If the price for the flights will rise a lot in the coming months, the price of this trip that we can charge may change accordingly from March onwards.
If you want to fly from OUTSIDE of Europe, please contact us at turabdin [at] wca-ngo.org or fill out this registration form (www.tinyurl.com/2d8htkxb) and we will contact you.
4. Book / Register here and secure your seat
If you want to participate in this unique journey home, fill out this registration form (www.tinyurl.com/2d8htkxb) (1 form per participant)!
NOTE:
- Participants can register for this Journey Home until Wednesday, 10 April 2024;
- Participants will have to share a double room, but can book a single room if they pay €250 extra per person;
- After you have paid, cancellation is not possible and a partial refund of €250 is available until 10 March 2024 in demonstrable emergency cases;
- If I cancel the trip after 10 March 2024 or do not show up, for whatever reason, I agree that this is my own responsibility and accept that I will not be entitled to any refund;
- Your registration will be confirmed AFTER your payment has been received at WCA’s bank account with the following details:
Name: World Council of Arameans
Description: Turabdin Trip 5.0
IBAN number: NL 71 RABO 0396 7306 20
BIC number: RABONL2U
Bank: RABOBANK
Place: Enschede-Haaksbergen, The Netherlands