Thursday, March 5, 2015

BOOK HERE: MAY 1-3 Confirmed Schedule of 1st International Ramazanoglu Family Reunion and Heritage Tour 2015 - ADANA

RAMAZANOGLU2015 REUNION - EVENT SCHEDULE AND INSTRUCTIONS...

Dear Cousins,

Now that we have confirmed the schedule of the First International Ramazanoglu Family Reunion and Heritage Tour for Friday to Sunday May 1 to May 3! Yey!

IMPORTANT FOR ALL FAMILY MEMBERS:
YOU WILL HAVE TO BOOK HOTEL ON YOUR OWN!  As well as Flights.

AFTER MARCH 16, BEST ON BOOKING.COM

BUSSES WILL DEPART AND RETURN FROM HILTON HOTEL - ADANA

May 1, is labor day, and members of the labor party are likely to come to Adana prior to elections, so I cannot guarantee rooms at the Hilton if you reserve late.

You all need to arrive Thursday April 30th the night before.

Hilton Hotel Adana (5 Stars)


Reunion and Heritage Tour Package Prices are set as follows:

A0 - @USD$245 per person for Package Only - Excluding Hotel B&B (book your own Hotel).

"NEW" PACKAGES ADDED:

B1 - @USD$175 per person for Day-1 (May 1) only events without Hotel B&B
      Includes: Family Mansion, Group Picture, Ulu Cami, Ramazanoglu Bazar,        Family Lunch, Yag Cami, New Grand Ramazanoglu Cami,        Formal Dinner with local Dignitaries + Commemorative Pin & Polo Shirt.


C1 - @USD$75 per person for 1/2 Day (May1) only events without Hotel B&B       includes: Family Mansion, Group Picture, Ulu Cami, Ramazanoglu Bazar, plus Family       (no Commemorative pin or Commemorative Polo shirt included)

A0 - Package without Hotel B&B is $245 and includes:
  1. Three nice separate Family Lunches for all.
  2. Formal Dinner*
  3. Nice Buss Transportation (Internal Transportation)
  4. Banners on Busses and behind the Mansion for the Picture
  5. Printing of a large updated family tree from Geni.com (work on it will continue until event time)
  6. Public Relation Costs and Media Management
  7. Three Trips by the organizer to Adana/Tarsus/Kozan and Mount Taurous to arrange everything
  8. Print invitations to major contributors of the new Grand Ramazanoglu Mosque to join our Dinner in thanks to their contributions, and cover their Dinner cost
  9. Trip to Ankara to invite Government officials
  10. Commemorative Polo Shirts, Hats and Pins for everyone
  11. Any unforeseen expense
  12. Photography & Video
  13. 4-5 Media guests to come along with us
  14. Cost of hosting research historian Cezmi Yurtsevir and his staff with us – who promised to cover the event in a historical TV show.
  15. Miscellaneous costs
  16. Also everyone will receive a complementary copy of the Turkish book that was translated to Arabic by Cousin Subhi Ramadan Titled: The Ramadan Kingdom.


The costs are based on 100 members participating; any leftover money will go to fund additional research to create the Ramadanids Book.

Please click on this link to Reserve a Booking or click here.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2CZJ2XX 


PRICE is for paid reservations before March 15, 2015 - After March 15 only Package without Hotel B&B will be available.

Package Price is excluding Turkish 18% VAT (KDV Taxes) and excluding Air Travel.

YOU NEED TO START BOOKING YOUR FLIGHTS TO FIND GOOD DEALS NOW!

Plan to arrive the night before on Thursday April 30, because our first day is full and eventful, so you need to look good for the Formal Dinner and Group Picture Taking.

FLIGHT BOOKINGS:

TRAVEL AGENT SERVICE:

From Outside Lebanon:
If you wish a travel agent to service you, we are working with IKLIM TUR in Istanbul, they can help you find best flight options: Contact Mr. Yavuz Ozdemir @ +905305415082 or email him at:  yavuzozdemir@iklimtur.com

NOTE: IKLIM TUR is also arranging additional extended Toursim packages such as Cappadocia and Istanbul for those who wish to do so.

From Inside Lebanon:
Contact National Travel in Tripoli to book your tickets, call Mr. Yahya Krayem @03 690730

From Inside Istanbul:
Well there are great VIP bus services to Adana and numerous internal air carriers such as Pegasus, Atlasjet and Borajet.

DO IT YOURSELF AIRLINE BOOKING:

From Beirut:

Your best bet is to get a direct flight from Beirut to Adana on Borajet at:
http://borajet.com.tr/ roundtrip from Beirut should be under USD $300 - there is a daily flight.

From Other Countries: 

Check if you have direct flights to Adana, if not, you will have to fly to Istanbul.
It may be more expensive to purchase a Istanbul connecting flight to Adana, try checking prices for flight to Istanbul, then purchase another ticket on an internal airlines like Atlasjet ot Pegasus Airlines (flypgs.com) to Adana.

For those traveling on a budget, the Bus transportation in Turkey have great service and are very comfortable, it takes about 12 hrs from Istanbul to Adana by Bus.

TO BOOK YOUR PACKAGE:

Please click on this link or click here.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2CZJ2XX 


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

Planned Reunion and Tour Schedule:


Day 0: THURSDAY - Arrivals 

Afternoon or Evening, arrive to Adana and settle in Hotel.  You will need to take a Taxi to Hilton Hotel from Airport (of Bosnali Hotel, will inform you in advance) - Taxi should be about 30-40 TL ($12-$17) (10-15 min).

I will greet you at the lobby of the Hotel to get you your room, Inshallah.

Day 1: FRIDAY - Adana Tour

7:00-8:45 am
Breakfast at Hilton or Bosnali Hotel (likely the Hilton - will know once numbers are in and we book)

9:00 am
Take a walk across the ancient roman foot bridge to visit:
- Ramazanoglu Konagi (Reunion & Presentation and Souvenir Picture)
This is the 520 years old Family Mansion, where Sultan Selim and Sultan Suleyman stayed as guests.
- Ramazanoglu Medresesi
A school established by the family over 500 years ago to teach Koran, still operating.
- Ulu Cami  
First built by Prince Halil son of Ramadan, it also houses his Tomb.
- Ramazanoglu Koleji
A school established by the family foundation and gives many scholarships.

1:00-2:00 pm: 
Friday Prayer at Ulu Cami

2:00-3:30 pm:
Lunch at Restaurant in old Ramazanoglu Bazar - Special Adana Kebab. (price included in the package - Halal food and no Alcohol)
Family gatherings is about fun and eating together, this is the first of 3 lunches during the tour. This restaurant is at the heart of the Shopping Bazars established by the Ramazanoglu family over 500 years ago.  We will also take a walk through the bazar and over 300 shops that reportedly still belongs to the family foundation.

3:30 pm - Walk thru old bazars to Yag Cami.
Yag Cami, was the first Mosque established by the family in Adana, it was a converted and expanded church.

4:30 pm take the Bus to the new Grand Ramazanoglu Cami at Turgut Ozal Blvd.
This is a very large mosque funded by the good people of Adana and named Ramazanoglu Cami to honor the family and its rich history of giving and generosity and contribution to society and religion.

6:00 pm - Formal Dinner at the Convention Hall of the New GRAND RAMAZANOGLU CAMI
Where we will be joined by welcoming dignitaries from Adana and hosted by the Mufti.  We will invite Turkish Government officials and major contributors to the building of the mosque, proceeds from the dinner will be given as donations towards completion of the Cami (mosque).

8:30 pm - Return to Hilton Hotel.


Ucok Cemetery - where elders settled (about 900 years ago)

Day 2: Saturday - Old Ucuk Cemetery & Kozan Tour

7:00-8:45 am
Breakfast at Hilton or Bosnali Hotel - to be announced.

9:00 am 
Take Bus to Ucuk Cemetery 15 Km southeast of Adana


9:20-10:30 am
Visit the 800-900 years old Uçok Cemetery and the first settlement Uçok Tribe Cave
This is from the time of first settlers in the late 12th century.

10:30 am
Take Bus to Kozan (Old SIS, the Capital of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia that was conquered by Ibrahim sone of Sheikh Ramadan in 1352 AD. - about 70 km northeast of Adana)

11:45-12:30 pm 
Stop at the Buyuk Cami, in Kozan (first Mosque built by Ramazanoglu during Memluks time under Emir Davud Ramazanoglu)

12:30-2:30 pm  Family Lunch 2
Fun Family Picnic lunch at the park at the foot of the Kozan Castle that Prince Ibrahim Ramazanoglu Conquered.  Beautiful place and scenery.

View from top of the Armenian Kingdom Sis Castle - Conquered by Prince Ibrahim son of Sheikh Ramadan

2:30-5:30 pm
Visit the Kozan Castle - it is a Hike - so you need sneakers or comfortable shoes.

5:30-7:00 pm
Take Bus back to Hilton Hotel. (Dinner is on your own, as some groups will want to explore and take more time to get to know one another better)


Day 3: Sunday - Tarsus and Çamliyayla Namrun Dag tour

7:00-8:45 
Breakfast at Hilton or Bosnali Hotel

9:00 am
Take BUS to Tarsus City (50 km west of Adana)

9:45-12:15 pm 
Visit Ulu Cami (built by Prince Ibrahim Ramazanoglu (most in Beirut, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria are descendants from Emir Ibrahim), Eski Cami, Prince Kubad Pasha Ramazanoglu Medresesi, Tombs of Seth and Daniel. 
(All within walking distance)


Tarsus Ulu Cami - Great Mosque (built by Prince Ibrahim Ramazanoglu - where also exists the Tomb of Seth, son of Adam)
12:15-1:30 pm 
Head by Bus to beautiful summer haven Çamliyayla/Mersin in Namrun Dag (Mount Namrun, 70 km north of Tarsus) and Mount Gulek where our family used to spend the hot summers

1:30 pm Family Lunch Day3
Have lunch in Mount Gulek with beautiful amazing scenery overlooking the vast lands that the family foundation owned and ruled.

Camliyayla in Namrun Dag, where many Ramazanoglus used to spend the hot summers.
3:30 pm 
Head to Camliyayla, Namrun Dag Castle by Bus, stop to take photo in downtown Camliyayla.

5:00-7:00 pm 
Head back by Bus to Hotel to Adana 

Fly Back Home

If extra night required due to flight schedules let me know, also some of you may need to be at the Airport by 3:30 pm  and may miss the trip to the mountain, I also need to know.

Ramazanoglu Family Reunion - Adana 2015 Logo

Ramazanoglu (means Son of Ramadan), Ramazanogullari (means Sons or Children of Ramadan - plural)
The logo represents the Kestrel Falcon and the Three Silver Arrows (Ucok) which are the symbols of the family handed down to us from Oghuz Han. 

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