Abdul-Rehman Malik, an award-winning journalist, educator and cultural organizer, will be the guest faculty escort for the tour, supported by Bayan faculty and staff. He is Lecturer and Associate Research Scholar at the Yale Divinity School, and serves as Director of the Muslim Leadership Lab, an innovative student leadership program at the Dwight Hall Center of Social Justice at Yale. He has a lifetime of experience in community organizing, broadcasting and peacebuilding. His work has spanned the UK, United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sudan, Mali, Singapore, Canada, Malaysia and beyond. Until 2018 regularly presented the popular Pause for Thought segment on BBC Radio 2 and Something Understood on BBC Radio 4. His radio documentary on the history of Islam and Coffee – “The Muhammadan Bean” – has won numerous awards. This tour is designed around the theme of coffee culture in Islamic civilization.

Bayan’s tours are focused on providing a well-rounded experience featuring academic knowledge, historical site visits, cultural exposure, recreational activities, and free time. Special visits to notable coffee houses will help us to explore the coffee-centric theme. The itinerary includes visits to mosques and other sites of prayer. Most tour groups are multi-generational and diverse in nature. Our group size tends to be in the range of 25-30 participants from North America and beyond. This enables participants to get to know one another and develop bonds of friendship and camaraderie that can last a lifetime. By participating in a tour, you are helping sustain and advance Bayan’s mission as a non-profit educational institution.

We are accepting registrations for the tour until capacity is reached before [TBD], in order to book seats on internal flights, secure sufficient hotel rooms, pre-purchase entrance tickets to monuments, and finalize other details.

Upon booking your reservation, you must pay a refundable deposit of [TBD] per traveler. The deposit is partially refundable until [TBD], minus a [TBD] fee per traveler. After payment of the deposit, you will receive an invoice for the remaining balance for your party, reflecting any applicable discounts. The remaining balance shall be due upon receipt of invoice and must be paid no later than [TBD] or your reservation will be subject to cancellation.

Bayan’s tours are open to participants who wish to join from anywhere in the world. However, the majority of participants tend to be from the United States. As of January 2024, U.S. citizens do not need a visa to enter Turkey for less than 90 days for tourism. Non-US passport holders are encouraged to check specific requirements for their nationality and obtain a visa if required. Bayan does not secure visas on behalf of participants of this tour.

Our group will be transported from site to site in a luxury air-conditioned tourist bus. In different cities and historical sites, there will be a significant amount of walking, including some steps and inclines. It is likely that on some days, our group will cover no less than 10,000 steps. Other days will require less walking despite a full itinerary. The program includes some free time to rest and for personal exploration of nearby shops and markets in various locales.

Some locations may not be wheelchair accessible, though efforts will be made to accommodate as much as possible. The guides will aim to take into account the differing abilities and health conditions of group members and regulate the pace and intensity of the tour as possible.

Turkish cuisine descends from the heritage of Ottoman culinary traditions, and can be described as a fusion and refinement of Mediterranean, Balkan, Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Eastern European cuisines. The food of Turkey is very colorful and contains countless different influences and tastes. We will have opportunities to sample various types of kebab, doner, mercimek corbasi (lentil soup), borek (stuffed savory pastry) pide and lahmacun (flatbread pizza), rice, dumplings, fresh and stewed vegetables, cheeses, and local breads, along with unique desserts and sweets such as puddings, baklava and more, not to mention Turkish coffee and teas.

Yes, all participants who have completed their full payment will receive a detailed information packet that includes descriptions of the cities and sites to be visited, the daily schedule, currency exchange, local prayer times, electrical adapters, weather, what to pack, and more.

We encourage participants to be fully vaccinated with at least one booster shot for all who are eligible to receive these shots.

Restrictions pertaining to Covid-19 were lifted in Turkey on June 1st, 2022. Therefore, passengers arriving in Turkey do not need to present evidence of their vaccination status or PCR test results.

We do not expect to mandate masking during the tour, but we encourage masking whenever possible and according to each individual’s comfort level. For example, when shopping in crowded areas, it would be best to wear a mask. General sanitary practices should be maintained at all times, such as washing hands with soap, using sanitizing gels and wipes, and maintaining a reasonable distance between individuals.

If a participant feels ill during the tour and tests positive with a rapid test, they will be required to maintain isolation and distance from other travelers in the group. The costs of additional testing and treatment, if required, shall be the responsibility of the participant. Alternative transport along the tour itinerary may be arranged and expenses for such shall be the responsibility of the participant. Additional hotel nights, if necessary prior to return travel, shall be the responsibility of the participant.