Bloomsbury Summer School & Academy in Turkey (text)

Fascinated by ancient civilisations?

We offer anyone with any level of knowledge, inspiring short courses on ancient Egypt and other areas of the ancient world.

BSS&A in Turkey 2026

We are excited to announce a NEW onsite course destination! Like our BSS&A in Egypt courses, BSS&A in Turkey will be a very special learning experience — taught in Turkey, offering a programme of classes and visits to archaeological sites, including sites that are off the beaten path. This will be our first BSS in Turkey course, with focus on the Hittite heartland as well as important Neolithic sites. Thus far, our overseas courses have taken place in Italy (Turin), France (Paris), and — of course — Egypt (Cairo, Minya, Sohag, Luxor, and Aswan). Why not join us in autumn 2026 in Turkey?


BOOKING NOW OPEN! Monday 21 to Tuesday 29 September 2026


EXPLORING THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS, STATES, AND EMPIRES IN TURKEY: FROM THE NEOLITHIC TO THE HITTITE PERIODS

Course Director: Dr Christoph Bachhuber (University of Oxford)

Join Dr Christoph Bachhuber on a NEW course in Turkey to explore the cities of the Hittites and the oldest and most famous Neolithic monuments and settlements in the world. Combining classes in hotels and museums in the historic city centres of Konya, Urfa, and Ankara, with walking lectures through UNESCO-listed sites including the Hittite capital of Hattusa, Neolithic Çatalhöyük and Göbekli Tepe, and other Hittite and Neolithic sites that are off the beaten track, BSS&A in Turkey offers you a very special opportunity to experience this beautiful country and explore its most ancient civilisations. BSS&A in Turkey compliments the BSS&A courses Christoph has offered on the archaeology and civilisation of the Hittites and on Neolithic archaeology, but this course presumes no prior knowledge of the Hittites or of the Neolithic.

Course Director info Itinerary
Course fee per person:
€3,970 (approx. £3,460) (single supplement €400 (approx. £350))
Recommended reading
Bryce, T. (2005, 2nd ed.) The Kingdom of the Hittites. Oxford University Press.

Bryce, T. (2012, 3rd ed.) Life and Society in the Hittite World. Oxford University Press.

Graeber, D. and Wengrow, D. (2021) The Dawn of Everything: A new history of humanity. Penguin.

Glatz, C. (2020) The Making of Empire in Bronze Age Anatolia: Hittite sovereign practice, resistance, and negotiation. Cambridge University Press.

Hodder, I. (2006) The Leopard's Tale: Revealing the mysteries of Çatalhöyük. Thames and Hudson.

Stone, D. (2023) The Hittites: Lost civilisations. Reaktion Books.

Watkins, T. (2023) Becoming Neolithic The Pivot of Human History. Routledge.


Course fee inclusions and exclusions

Price includes:

  • All hotel nights (8 nights in en suite rooms and including breakfast);
  • All airport transfers, including meet-and-assist services on a private basis for separate arrivals;
  • All tours and transfers as detailed in the itineray above including entry fees to all sites, museums, guiding, and coach transportation;
  • Visits as indicated in the itinerary, including entry fees to sites and museums, guiding, and transportation;
  • Guiding headsets;
  • Daily hotel and in-site lectures with Dr Christoph Bachhuber;

Meals and drinks as follows:

  • Breakfast daily in our hotel;
  • Welcome Dinner on Day 2 and Farewell Dinner on Day 8;
  • 6 lunches in restaurants and 1 box lunch;
  • Refreshments with each hotel lecture;
  • Unlimited water with meals and on the coach transportation;
  • Tips for the bus driver, archaeological sites guards, porters, waiters, and others providing ad hoc service during the course.

Price DOES NOT include:

  • Return airfare to Konya, Turkey*;
  • Travel insurance;
  • Entry visa for Turkey;
  • Meals or drinks not noted in the itinerary;
  • Goods or services not specified as included in the per person course price;
  • Tip for our Turkish tour guide, Akın Aykurt;
  • Any other costs for goods or services not indicated as included in the per person course price.

* Participants are responsible for their own airfare to and from Konya. Should you require assistance booking flights, our Turkish Travel Coordinator Leyla Özer can assist you. For details, please email: leyla@fontetur.com.


How to book

To make your booking and deposit payment (€800 (approx. £700) per person), please fill in this form:

Payment information:

Deposit (€800 (approx. £700)) and balance payments should be made to LG Turizm Seyahat Ticaret Limited Şirketi via bank transfer as follows:


Bank: Yapıkredi Bankası
Account name: LG Turizm Seyahat Ticaret Limited Şirketi
Account number: 79851928
Swift code (EUR): YAPITRISXXX
IBAN number: TR93 0006 7010 0000 0079 8519 28

IMPORTANT: It is critical that you instruct your bank that payment must be in Euros. Sender is responsible for all fees. For the reference, please use: BSSA2026 + your surname. The balance is due on 1 June 2026.

If you wish to pay by credit card (only Visa or Mastercard are accepted), a 5% fee must be added. To pay by credit card download this form. Email a scan or photo of the completed and signed form to Leyla Özer: leyla@fontetur.com.

TURSAB license number 7783

BSS welcomes neurodivergent participants. We want your time with us to be comfortable, enjoyable, and inclusive, and will do our best to accommodate any additional needs.

For any further queries, please contact Dr Kathryn Piquette: