After several years of preparation, the first study tour organized by the Luwian Studies Foundation to key archaeological sites in Central and Western Anatolia took place from September 30 to October 7, 2025.

The ten-member group – consisting of individuals connected with the Getty Foundation in Los Angeles and/or Luwian Studies – began their journey in Ankara, visiting the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, the Hittite capital Hattusa, and the nearby rock sanctuary of Yazılıkaya. Other highlights included the Museum of Underwater Archaeology in Bodrum, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, and the ancient city of Pedasa.

In Ephesus and Pergamon, archaeologists from the ongoing excavations offered the participants exceptionally detailed and up-to-date insights into their research during extended guided tours lasting four to five hours. The journey concluded in Troy, where the group visited the museum and excavation site before exploring the surrounding plain on an impressive Land Rover tour.

One of the participants, Alyn Rumbold from Flagstaff, Arizona, summed up his experience: “It was a fantastic experience. I got so much out of the journey; it really brought Bronze Age, Archaic, and Hellenistic Anatolia to life for me. It was a great group to travel and associate with – such a privilege for me!”