Greek Islands, Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean

Cruise through History© — Itinerary III Ports of the Eastern Mediterranean, the sixth in storybooks for travelers, takes readers through Athens and islands of Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and Israel. At each port are stories of the characters who built fortresses, palaces, ancient shrines and new museums. Once again stories are distilled from hundreds of source materials, mined for facts of saints and soldiers, who bequeathed the landscape of castles, churches and monuments of culture visited on a typical cruise itinerary. Accompanied by hundreds of images and original art to illustrate the stories, go beyond where guide books take readers, to deepen enjoyment of your travels. In Cruise through History — Itinerary III, enter the Parthenon Museum as the beneficiary of Melina Mercouri, who as Cultural Minister for Greece made a case for return of bits of the Greek icon from foreign museums. Known as the actress in Never on a Sunday, Mercouri endured death threats as she endeavored to recoup Greek treasures. In Mykonos the heroines are the well-known Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis and the not as well-known outside of Greece Manto Mavrogenous. Manto gave her fortune and sacrificed her love life for the good of Greek independence from Turkey. Jackie O fed a hungry island, then left a legacy of tourism that sustains it today. At Hagia Sofia in Istanbul meet Empress Zoë, the Golden Woman of the Hagia Sophia and her husbands and lovers. Also in Istanbul meet the self-impressed benefactor of the Chora Church and the Sultans who remade the city from Constantinople to the visitor favorite today.. Stories take readers to sacred caves and along travels of the Apostles and footsteps of Jesus, from the Cave of St. John on Patmos, to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Follow the Knights of St. John in Jerusalem, Acre and Rhodes. Then explore the ancient world of King Minos on Crete and Queens of Western Turkey who built cities of trade, led ships in battle and left lasting monuments to their accomplishments. In Troy, Delos and Crete, the heroes are archaeologists, who have brought ancient stories to life. Finally, swim the Hellespont with the unlikely character, the English poet Lord Byron.