The root cause of the Crimean war was the fear of Britain and France that Russia would increase its powers at the expense of the declining Ottoman (Turkish) empire, a problem known as the "Eastern Question". Since the reign of Peter the Great, Russia had sought naval supremacy in the Black Sea and access to the Mediterranean. This was a potential threat to trade routes to India and the East. The Crimean War was not the first or the last in the long series of wars between Russia and Turkey that erupted sporadically in the 1780's, 1820's, 1870's and most recently, as part of the Great War.

However the ostensible cause of the Crimean War was a dispute between France and Russia over access to the Christian sites in the Turkish controlled Holy Land. Initial Russian operations against the Ottoman Empire were conducted in Rumania when Russian troops marched into the province of Moldavia in July 1853. In response Turkey declared war on 5 October. After a long drawn out period of negotiation and manoeuvring Britain and France declared war on Russia in defence of Turkey on 28 March 1854. In April British and French troops began arriving in Constantinople (Istanbul).

Your guide in Colonel Peter Knox who has accompanied many succesful Crimean War tours who has researched this new tour.

The tour focuses on Turkey's role in the Crimean War and includes a visit to Scutari Barracks made famous by Florence Nightingale and several sites in Istanbul not usually open to the public. It then moves to the city of Kars in the east of the country to look at the successful capture by the Russians of the fortress of Kars in November 1855 after hostilities had ceased in the Crimea. Russia used this success in negotiations at the Paris peace talks in March 1856.

We also visit the former Armenian city of Ani, now part of Turkey.

ITINERARY
Day 1 (Thursday): Fly London Heathrow to Istanbul. Transfer to our hotel in Pera. (3 nights) Welcome drink and group dinner.
Day 2: The legacy of the Crimean War, including Selimiye (Scutari) Barracks (used as a hospital), the British cemetery and Florence Nightingale monument at Hydarpasa, the Crimean church, Pera House and British Cemetery. Group Dinner.
Day 3: Historic Istanbul including the magnificent Dolmabahce Palace (built 1843-56), the Tarabya Gardens – the British Embassy summer residence, and the Lighthouse Rumerli Feneri, built during the Crimean War. After a group lunch we have a private boat cruise along the upper Bosphorus, and visit the Buyukdere where the British fleet were anchored during the war. Own dinner.
Day 4: Internal flight to Kars. Check into our hotel for a 3 night stay. An orientation tour of the city and visit to Kars Castle. Group dinner.
Day 5: The Siege of Kars. We visit the historic places connected with the siege including General Williams' HQ as the story unfolds. Group lunch and dinner.
Day 6: Drive east to the ruined medieval Armenian city of Ani, once the 'city of 1001 churches' and walk along the Araxes river, bordering Turkey and Armenia. Explore Kars on foot to admire the Baltic architecture from the Russian period. Group lunch and dinner.
Day 7: To Erzurum, a city important in the Byzantine period and to the Ottomans, captured by the Russians in 1829. Visits en route to Mecidye Bastion and the fortifications of Uzanahmet Tabya. Sightseeing tour of Ersurum. Group lunch. Farewell dinner at our hotel near Erzurum.
Day 8: Return flights to London Heathrow, via Istanbul.