Turkey is home to plenty of ancient places that were left over from a parade of empires and has amazing sceneries that impress every single person. Not only Turkey’s famous food, vibrant culture, and vast history but also its glorious landscapes, Mediterranean outlook, mountains, and arid steppe, attract all who venture here. In Turkey, you can enjoy the Ottoman and Byzantine glories and explore historical places or laze on the beach. Turkey is a stunning destination located in the middle of Asia and Europe and offers a wide range of activities for travelers. If you are interested in knowing about the best places to visit in Turkey, we’ve listed them down right here for you.
Pamukkale
Pamukkale which is located in the west of Turkey is popular for its white terraces. Pamukkale means “cotton castle” in Turkish and it is an unreal site. The white terraces of Pamukkale are made of travertine which is a sedimentary rock deposited from the hot springs water that has high mineral content. It has some specific pools that people bathed for years. The kings of Pergamon built the ancient Greek city of Hierapolis which is located on the top part of the hot springs. There are more than pools in Pamukkale for visiting like temples, remains of the baths, and other Greek monuments which make it more interesting.
Sumela Monastery
Sumela Monastery or Monastery of the Virgin Mary is located along the Black Sea Beach. This place is one of the most well-favored monasteries in the world and was established by two monks who dreamt they found the Virgin Mary painting at the monastery’s location, on top of a jaw-dropping hill. The monastery has a holy spring, rock-cut design, chapel, library, student rooms, and guest house and provide plenty of activities in its place. At first, in the time of the Eastern Roman Emperor, Sumela Monastery was used for education, and for showing respect, the Ottoman sultans delivered some gifts to the monastery.
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is known to be among the most beautiful Mosques in the whole world, the mesmerizing Byzantine glory of this place is one of the greatest things to do in Istanbul, Turkey. Hagia Sophia remained the largest church for 1,000 years and was built in 537 CE by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian it is well-known as the Byzantine Empire’s greatest architectural achievement. The astonishing part of the building’s exterior is rimmed by the fine minarets added after the Ottoman victory, and the best part of the interior is the caves fresco that is a great reminder of Constantinople’s power. This popular location is extremely recommended for all tourists.
Blue Mosque
The Sultan Ahmed which is known as Blue Mosque in Istanbul has a perfect attraction from the outside due to its six minarets and excellent architecture. This Mosque is used both as a mosque and a tourist attraction in Turkey. The Blue Mosque was built by Sultan Ahmed from 1609 to 1616 and contains the tomb of Sultan Ahmed. as its name suggests, this mosque has 20,000 blue tiles with different patterns that added to its beauty.
Cappadocia
The amazing beauty of the rock valleys of Cappadocia attracts every traveler. It also catches every photographer’s attention. Cappadocia has been formed by thousands of wind and water actions and created amazing cliff ridges and hill crests. In this top destination in the world, you can enjoy a hot-air balloon ride and a unique landscape of wave-like rock or wacky-shaped pinnacles. Moreover, you can see and enjoy frescoed rock-cut churches, and cave-cut architecture in the Byzantine Era. In this area, we can mention the churches which look like the cave and also Ihlara Valley as some of the best samples of remaining mid-Byzantine-era religious art in the world.
Library of Celsus
The library of Celsus was built in 125 AD and was used to maintain 12,000 scrolls. Today, this library is one of the remained places in Ephesus city, a well-known city that was famous due to its Artemis Temple and was called one of the seven wonders of the old world. the city was destroyed by a mob in 401 AD and the remaining ruins of this city made it a wonderful tourist attraction in Turkey. The Great Theater and the Library of Celsus were two of the buildings that can still be usable after the destruction, but they were cautiously reconstructed in the 1970s.
Troy
Troy is a familiar name for most people thanks to Homer’s classic epic “The Illiad.” it has been said that Troy is a true town in northwestern Turkey. Although the empire of Troy was destroyed by the army of King Agamemnon, travelers can still visit the exact location of the ancient kingdom, Hisarlik. Keep in mind that it is a long journey from Istanbul to visit Hisarlik, and you should allocate at least a day to commute to this city.
Topkapı Palace
Topkapı Palace, another wonderful attraction in Turkey, takes you into the extraordinary, opulent world of the sultans. This palace is magnificent beyond belief. The lavish world of the sultans started in the 15th and 16th centuries when the Ottoman sultans carved out an empire, and it expanded from Europe to the Middle East and Africa. The inside of the building was designed with decadently exuberant tiling and magnificent jeweled decor. You can also enjoy the dazzling Harem rooms and the world-class collection of miniature paintings which were designed by Sinan, a famous Ottoman architect.
Oludeniz
Ă–lĂĽdeniz is located on the southwestern part of the beach on the Aegean Sea. It is a small village with a quiet sandy spot on a blue lagoon. This coast is renowned because of the shades of turquoise and is one of the most remarkable shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Ă–lĂĽdeniz is also considered the best place all over the world to paraglide because of its unique views.
Antalya
This active Mediterranean center always offers something for everyone. There are two main coasts outside of the city which attract travelers from all over Europe to sun-sloth in summer. On the other side the old area of the city, with its cobblestone alleys is an amazing location to explore. Moreover, another famous country spot in Antalya is its Museum, with an extravagant collection. In particular, Antalya is the best place for a one-day trip to visit some of Turkey’s most famous.
Gobeklitepe
Gobeklitepe is situated six miles from Sanliurfa and it is known as the “world’s first temple.” The date of this site backs to 11,000 years ago and includes many pillars that different animals carved on them. This place was selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, In 2018. There’s an argument about the meaning of these pillars and the animals on the pillars, like vultures and scorpions. Gobeklitepe is very close to Sanliurfa Airport, and it is easily accessible for enjoying a daily tour from Istanbul. Another must-visit place that is extremely recommended is the new Sanliurfa Museum where a lot of excavated remains ruins from Gobeklitepe are displayed.