London/ Erbil- Arrive in Erbil.

Erbil- “Arba Ilu”, the city of the four gods, was the religious capital of the Assyrian kingdom. Visit the Civilisation Museum and Choli Minaret, built by the Sultan of Erbil (563 - 636). On to the Textile Museum in the towering 30 metre high Citadel, which itself dates to the 6th millennium BC and lays claim to being the site of the oldest continuously inhabited city on earth. Also view Dwin Castle.

Bursa- Tour 3rd-century St Matthew’s Monastery with the monks and visit the site of the Battle of Gaugamela where Alexander the Great defeated Darius III. On to Jirwana for the world’s oldest aqueduct built for Nineveh by Sennacherib, King of Assyria in the 7th century BC and the site of Khanis with Assyrian sculptures. Proceed to Lalesh, pilgrimage site for Kurdish Yezidis, descendants of the Zoroastrians with a lecture on the religion from a local scholar. On to Furthian-era Zoroastrian Chwar Stoon Cave and to Dohuk.

Dohuk- To Al Qush, home of the prophet Nahum, whose ministry ran from 650 to 612 BC and who predicted the destruction of Nineveh. His tomb is housed in the abandoned synagogue next to Mar Gorgis Monastery and Mar Mekha Church. Visit 3rdcentury Rabban Hormizd Monastery, once home to 600 cave dwelling monks, including Mar Hormizd Church (1300), an architectural masterpiece, and St Mary’s Convent, church and orphanage. Afternoon to Zakho for the Abbassid bridge over the Khabor River.

Amadiya, Rawanduz- Travel via Sulav Waterfall to Amadiya town and Assyrian hilltop fortress. See the surviving Bab Zebar gate (500 – 600 AD) and the 3rdcentury AD synagogue. Continue to the Mullah Mustapha Memorial to the father of modern Kurdistan, passing Shanidar Cave, find site of very early prehistoric remains. Arrive Rawanduz.