Marmaris

Marmaris is a town in Turkey, along the Mediterranean coast in the province of Muğla. It has around 28,000 inhabitants, however the population can be up to 250,000 during the height of the tourist season.

Dalyan

Dalyan is a town in southern Muğla Province of Turkey.

Gallipoli

peninsula

Pamphylia

Pamphylia is a region in the southern Mediterranean region of Turkey. With large sandy beaches backed by Roman ruins, Pamphylia is great for swimmers, as well as history lovers.

Ölüdeniz

geographical object

Ankara

capital of Turkey

Pamukkale

natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey

Istanbul

largest city in Turkey

Uludağ

mountain

Konya

city in Turkey

Bursa

Bursa, the fourth-largest Turkish city, is in the northwestern part of the country, just south of the Sea of Marmara.

Urfa

city in Turkey

Antalya

popular touristic city in Turkey at Mediterranean Coast

Bodrum

district of Turkey

Kabak

Kabak is a small village in Lycia, Turkey. It's a great place on the Turkish Mediterranean to have a truly laid-back experience away from the package tourist groups.

Edirne

city in Turkey

Faralya

Faralya is a village in Lycia, Turkey.

Kahta

district of Turkey

Ani

ruined medieval Armenian city now situated in the Turkish province of Kars

Trabzon

Turkish city

Izmir

the third largest city by population in Turkey

Hagia Sophia

former basilica and mosque, now museum in Istanbul, Turkey

Topkapı Palace

palace in Istanbul, Turkey; primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for approximately 400 years (1465–1856)

Ephesus

well-preserved ruins of the Roman city on the west coast

Kütahya

district of Turkey

Kars

district of Turkey

İzmit

city in Turkey

Mount Ararat

large peak in Turkey near Armenia

Denizli

city in Turkey

Princes' Islands

A group of island in the Marmara Sea and a district of Istanbul, Turkey.

Safranbolu

district in Karabük Province, Turkey

Çanakkale

city in Turkey

Çatalhöyük

archaelogical site in Turkey

Fethiye

district in Muğla Province, Turkey

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

A short walk uphill from the marina, the foundations of the Mausoleum (see above) can be seen.

Aphrodisias

ancient Greek city in Caria (in today's Turkey)

Selimiye Mosque

That mosque which dominates the skyline of the city, built on a slightly higher hill than its surroundings, although a play on dimensions makes the exterior sight of the building smaller as you get closer to it. A grandiose piece of art by Mimar Sinan, the Ottoman architect of 16th century, Selimiye is usually considered the zenith of Ottoman architecture and has been listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2011. Sinan himself considered this building as his best work. The dome of the building, which hangs high over main hall, encloses a huge space which gives the place an expansive atmosphere, had the largest diameter (31.28 m) of all domes in the world for several centuries. And its minarets (towers) are the second highest minarets (70.89 m) in the world, surpassed only by Qutb Minar (72.50 m) in Delhi, India. The mosque has 999 windows, which according to its architect, Sinan, symbolize the perfectness of God, through the imperfectness of the mosque he designed. The dome and interior walls are decorated with calligraphy and geometrical designs, most of which are painted in hues of pink and blue. If you have admired Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque) of Istanbul, you’ll adore this one, since Blue Mosque is quite a copy of Selimiye. The upside down tulips, which are some sort of symbol of Edirne have their origin in a tulip illustration engraved on a marble in the fountain right under the central dome of Selimiye. It is believed to symbolize the landlord of the tulip garden on which the mosque was built, who was said to be reluctant to give over his garden.

Aspendos

Well-preserved Roman amphitheatre about half an hour from Antalya. The site includes other ancient ruins.

Gümüşhane

city in Turkey

Bosporus

strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia

Çeşme

town and district in İzmir Province, Turkey

Ayvalık

district in Balıkesir Province, Turkey

Laodicea on the Lycus

See the Denizli article for more information.

Foça

town and district in İzmir Province, Turkey

Göbekli Tepe

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Marmara Region

region of Turkey

Basilica Cistern

cistern of Byzantine Constantinople

Anıtkabir

Atatürk's mausoleum in Ankara

Mount Nemrut

mountain

Galata

neighbourhood of Beyoğlu, often referred to as Pera in the past

Aizanoi

Alaçatı

mahalle

Grand Mosque of Bursa

mosque in Turkey

Strandzha

mountain range

Maçka

city

Sürmene

district in Trabzon Province, Turkey

Golden Horn

urban waterway and the primary inlet of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey

Hagia Sophia, Trabzon

A beautiful and picturesque church converted into a mosque and later into a museum that still has stunning frescoes within—just like its namesake in Istanbul. The portico on the south side of the church has a freeze running above an arch that rests on two Corinthian columns, which were probably part of a previous classical temple at the site. The columns in the western portico leading to the narthex, however, are styled with muqarnas, showing eastern Anatolian influences. The use of arches, freezes and muqarnas is atypical for Byzantine churches. The church has a freestanding square bell tower, which is unique among churches of the Black Sea region. It houses a small chapel on its second floor. Invisible from its exterior, the internal walls of the bell tower are covered in frescoes. There is a peaceful open-air tea garden on the grounds. Just north of the church the foundation of a previous chapel can be seen. While the main hall of the church was converted into a mosque in 2013 (its legal status is still under debate), all of the best preserved frescoes are still visible in the narthex. In December 2017 it was announced that the building will be renovated again, making all the frescoes and Opus Sectile floor mosaics visible to tourists.

Bodrum Castle

Built from 1402 by the Knights Hospitaller, the castle is easily the most prominent landmark in the city. The castle now operates as a museum, with the focus on the Museum of Underwater Archaeology (see below). It is one of the world's best preserved monuments dating back to medieval times. The supervision of the construction of the castle was assigned to the German architect Heinrich Schlegelholt, so that the latest developments in castle design were included. The castle is quite pretty and the views are spectacular.

Ethnography Museum of Ankara

Mevlana Museum

This must-see tourist destination of Konya, is the tomb of the famous mystic, sufi, and thinker Rumi (known as Mevlana in Turkish, or with the full name Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi in English literature). The neighboring museum displays relics of his life and his time. The items on display in the museum range from old manuscripts, hand written copies of the Koran, musical instruments used at Rumi's time, and many art works dating from the Seljuk era.

Cathedral of Ani

ANZAC Cove

Şenol Güneş Stadium

Watch a match of the local football team, Trabzonspor, the most successful team in Turkey outside of Istanbul. If you are in the city on a weekend, you can watch the team at the brand new stadium.

Kayaköy

Kayaköy is a "ghost town" near Fethiye in Lycia, Turkey.

Şirince

Beşparmak Mountains

mountain range

Cathedral of the Holy Spirit

cathedral in Istanbul, Turkey

Hacı Bayram Mosque

Restored by architect Mimar Sinan in the 16th century, with Kütahya tiles being added in the 18th century. Just next door is the small tomb of Hacı Bayram Veli, a poet and Sufi, who settled in Ankara in the 15th century to spread his teachings. This is considered to be the holiest shrine in the city by pious Muslims, who can be found praying in and outside the tomb in large numbers regardless of the time of the day. Take a look inside to see the colourful dome topping the structure.

Asansör

This landmark was constructed by a Jewish businessman in 1907. The purpose was to help residents to go to their districts on the top of the hill. The elevator used to work by a water-driven mechanism. Later, it was restored by İzmir Municipality and now it works by electricity. There is a restaurant on the top of the elevator, with a bird-eye view of İzmir.

Complex of Sultan Bayezid II Health Museum

This museum, which was awarded “European Museum of the Year” in early 2000s, was essentially a mental institution used during Ottoman times, part of Beyazıt Complex (Beyazıt Külliyesi). It was notable for its progressive or alternative approach towards its patients. Instead of locking them into cells with shackles, which was widespread during that time, methods such as meditative music or flower gardens were tried in this institution. Today, many Ottoman miniatures from medical schoolbooks and elsewhere and models of patients are among the displayed.

Konak Square

Main square of the city center, famous for the clock tower, one of the unique symbols of İzmir. The clock tower was built in 1901. There are also Konak Yali Mosque and Kemeraltı Bazaar around the square.

Olympus (Lycia)

Olympos (Olimpos) is a string of pansiyons and tourist activities strung along a narrow road on the bottom of a valley just inland from coastal Roman ruins in Lycia, Mediterranean Turkey. It might be generously labelled a "village".

Meram

district in Konya Province, Turkey

Alsancak

A neighbourhood of small streets with lots of bars in old Greek houses, where you can have tea or a beer and try several waterpipe flavors.

Library of Celsus

One of the highlights of Turkey, the impressively restored facade of this ancient library stands three stories high and is a historically accurate recreation of how the library once appeared. Built between 117 and 120 AD, the library once held as many as 12,000 scrolls, making it one of the largest in the Ancient world.

Ankara Castle

There were laid by the Galatians on a prominent lava outcrop, and the rest was completed by the Romans. Walk through the cobbled streets lined by old houses to climb up to one of the towers, which offers a good view of the sprawling city below and the surrounding mountains.

Hüdavendigar Mosque

Hüdavendigar Mosque or Murat I, the Hüdavendigar Mosque is a historic mosque in Bursa, Turkey, that is part of the large complex (külliye) built by the Ottoman Sultan, Murad I, between 1365–1385 and is also named after the same sultan. It went under extensive renovation following the 1855 Bursa earthquake.

Bayezid I Mosque

mosque in Turkey

Green Mosque (Bursa)

mosque

Ilgaz

district in Çankırı Province, Turkey

Lone Pine Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery

Atatürk Monument (İzmir)

Equestrian statue of the Turkish leader, erected on 27 July 1932.

Helles Memorial

Muradiye Complex

The Muradiye Complex or the Complex of Sultan Murad II, the Ottoman sultan, is located in Bursa, Turkey.

Kuştul Monastery

The Saint George Peristereota Monastery was one of the most impressive monuments of the entire Pontus, rivaling Sumela with its dramatic location on a rocky mountaintop. The monastery was made up of multiple residential and clerical structures, including two freestanding churches. It is now almost completely ruined and exceedingly difficult to reach. To get an idea of how it looked before it was abandoned, watch the 3D reconstruction video by architect Nefidis Vladimiros on YouTube.

Kocatepe Mosque

Built between 1967 and 1987, completed in 1987, this project is built in a neoclassical Ottoman architecture style, and is an eclectic building.

Üç Şerefeli Mosque

This mosque is easily recognizable, having four distinctive minarets that all have very different designs, uncommon during the 15th century, one of which has three balconies, giving it its name which literally means "three balconied". Long undergoing restoration, interior of the mosque, which features a colourfully decorated central dome, smaller surrounding domes of varying sizes each featuring a different colour pattern, and very stately columns supporting them, has recently been re-opened to visits. Visiting this colourful mosque is a joyful experience.

Kadifekale

An old castle named after the hill on which it stands. Be careful as this castle resides in an undeveloped neighbourhood.

Ince Minaret Medrese

İnce Minare is the remains of a 13th-century madrasah (school) built by the Anatolian Seljuks. Located close to the city center near the northern end of "Alaaddin Tepesi", this minaret and the surrounding small buildings today serve as a museum that displays various artefacts from the Seljuk and Ottoman eras. It is a popular tourist attraction, owing mostly to the noteworthy ornamental architecture which has been very well preserved over the centuries.

Emir Sultan Mosque

mosque

Old Mosque, Edirne

The smallest—and the oldest—one of three nearby, imperial mosques in downtown Edirne is known for its calligraphic inscriptions on its interior walls with a small central dome atop.

East Thrace

geographic region

Yedikule Fortress

fortress

Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial

Akköprü

Bridge in Turkey

Hadrian's Gate

Antalya

Hayri Gür Arena

With a capacity of 7500, it is one of the largest basketball courts in Europe.

Church of Sts. Constantine and Helen (Edirne)

Victory Monument (Ankara)

Erected in 1927, the monument is made of marble and bronze, and features an equestrian statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Since it was erected a year before the "alphabet reform", it is one of the very few republican monuments in Turkey that has an inscription written in Ottoman Turkish, using the Arabic script.

Atatürk Forest Farm and Zoo

Kaymaklı Monastery

The Armenian monastery of the All-Saviour is in a suburb to the southeast of Boztepe. It is made up of a number of structures, which may not be accessible to visitors, as the monastery is in a state of disrepair. The interior of the church of the monastery is covered in frescoes.

Green Tomb

Mausoleum in Turkey

Muradiye Mosque, Edirne

Çamlıca Hill

Saint Anne Church, Trabzon

According to an inscription on the facade, this small basilican church was restored in the 9th century. It is possibly one of the oldest buildings in the city, dating to the 6th or 7th century. Visitors are welcomed by carvings of a soldier and a winged Nike on the spolia inserted as lintel above the entrance. In 2018 the church-building was opened for tourists. Just south of the church stands the imposing 'office of the chamber of mechanical engineers' (Makina Mühendisleri Odası).

Bursa Archaeological Museum

Archaeology museum in Çekirge, Bursa

Kurşunlu Waterfall Nature Park

A beautiful park with some impressive waterfalls. There is a concrete/stone path around the site which takes you past all the best bits. It is not suitable for elderly/disabled persons. There is the chance to get wet in the waterfall. In the ponds, you can see fish and turtles. There are refreshment stalls near the entrance and a good café/restaurant near the end of the path.

Panagia Theoskepastos Monastery

Şanlıurfa Castle

The ancient ruined castle with newer walls dating from around 814 AD on the rocky promontory at the south side of town. A lone column is just about all that remains of the older structure but the views are spectacular. Almost mystical crimson and hazy sights from the terrace at the entrance of the castle over the old city during the evening call to prayer is hard to beat and well worth the effort the climb there, even if the grounds of the castle is closed already. 09:00-17:00. 3 TL

New Friday Mosque

The former church dedicated to the patron saint of the city. Dates from the late 13th to 14th century. Converted into a mosque before 1523.

Vazelon Monastery

Founded in 270 AD as one of the first Christian monasteries in the world. The wealth aggregated at Vazelon through taxation of the lands in the valley below were invested in the construction of some of the other monasteries in the region. Now it lies ruined and abandoned. The road is rocky and dangerous. Check current conditions, as fallen trees or other obstacles may make it impossible to access the monastery. The impressive outer walls of the monastery remain standing in large part, but the roof has collapsed entirely.

Kuğulu Park

architectural structure

Kilitbahir

village in Marmara Region, Turkey

İskender Pasha Mosque, Trabzon

Built by governor İskender (Alexander) Pasha in 1529. This mosque lies just east of Meydan square.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy Indoor Swimming Pool

Olympic-size swimming pool. Not for small children.

Roman Road of Ankara