Historic Area sights in Europe
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Gölbaşı
Legend had it that Abraham (İbrahim), who is a great Islamic prophet, was in old Urfa destroying pagan gods one day when Nimrod, the local Assyrian king, took offence at this rash behaviour. Nimrod had Abraham immolated on a funeral pyre, but God turned the fire into water and the burning coals into fish. Abraham himself was hurled into the air from the hill where the fortress stands, but landed safely in a bed of roses.
The picturesque Gölbaşı area of Urfa is a symbolic re-creation of this story. Two rectangular pools of water (Balıklı Göl and Ayn-i Zeliha) are filled with supposedly sacred carp, while the area west of the Hasan Padişah Camii is a gorgeous rose gar…
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Boztepe Picnic Place
On the hillside 2km southeast of Atatürk Alanı, is the Boztepe Picnic Place (Boztepe Piknik Alanı), with fine views of the city and the sea, tea gardens and restaurants. In ancient times, Boztepe harboured temples to the Persian sun god Mithra. Later, the Byzantines built churches and monasteries here. Now it's a top place for a sunset beer.
From Atatürk Alanı, take a frequent Boztepe dolmuş (TL1.50) from near the southeastern end of Atatürk Alanı. The route goes uphill 2.2km to Boztepe park.
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Sarayiçi
The Inner Palace is actually an island that was once the private hunting reserve of the Ottoman sultans. Today it's the site of the famous Kırkpınar oil wrestling matches.
Near the modern stadium, which is flanked by uberbutch başpehlivan (champions) in bronze, stands the Adalet Kasrı (Justice Hall; 1561), a stone tower with a conical roof that dates from the time of Süleyman the Magnificent. In front of it are two square columns: on the Seng-i Hürmet (Stone of Respect) to the right, people would place petitions to the sultan, while the Seng-i İbret (Stone of Warning) on the left displayed the heads of high-court officers who had managed to dis the sultan.
Behind th…
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Royal Crescent & the Circus
Bath has so many listed buildings that the entire city has been named a World Heritage Site by Unesco. The city's crowning glory is the Royal Crescent, a semicircular terrace of majestic houses overlooking a private lawn and the green sweep of Royal Victoria Park. Designed by John Wood the Younger (1728–82) and built between 1767 and 1775, the houses would have originally been rented for the season by wealthy socialites. These days flats on the crescent are still keenly sought after, and entire houses almost never come up for sale.
For a glimpse into the splendour and razzle-dazzle of Georgian life, head for No 1 Royal Crescent, given to the city by the shipping magnate …
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Old Town
There are few specific sights but Ayvalık's old town is a joy to wander around, with its maze of cobbled streets lined with wonderfully worn-looking Greek houses. You can pick up a map with information about sights, including the former Greek Orthodox churches, at Tarlakusu Gurmeko. There are plans to turn the broken-chimneyed former olive-oil factory just northwest of the cafe into a local museum.
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Kaleiçi
Antalya's historical district begins at the main square called Kale Kapısı (Fortress Gate), which is marked by an old stone clock tower (saat kalesi) and a statue of Attalus II of Pergamum, the city's founder. To the northeast is the İki Kapılar Hanı, a sprawling bazaar dating to the late 15th century.
Walk south along Uzun Çarşi Sokak, the street opposite the clock tower. On the left is the 18th-century Tekeli Mehmet Paşa Camii, a mosque built by then Beylerbey (Governor of Governors) and repaired extensively in 1886 and 1926. Note the beautiful Arabic inscriptions in the coloured tiles above the windows.
Wander further into this protected zone; many of the grac…
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Kaleiçi
The Kaleiçi area, framed by Saraçlar Caddesi, Talat Paşa Caddesi, the railway line and the Tunca River, was the original medieval town, with narrow streets laid out on a grid plan. You could start exploring by walking south from the tourist office along Maarif Caddesi, which takes you past some fine examples of ornate wooden houses with attractive Edirnekari woodwork and finishes at Edirne's derelict Great Synagogue (Büyük Sinagog; 1906). Cumhuriyet Caddesi, running perpendicular to Maarif Caddesi, is another interesting street with wooden houses.
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Clifton
During the 18th and 19th centuries, wealthy Bristol merchants transformed the former spa resort of Clifton into an elegant hilltop suburb packed with porticoed mansions – especially around Cornwallis Cres and Royal York Cres. These days, Clifton is still the poshest postcode in Bristol, with a wealth of streetside cafes and designer shops, and a villagey atmosphere that's far removed from the rest of the city.
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Citadel
When you're done with the museum, make the most of its location by wandering to the imposing hisar (citadel; Ankara Kalesi) just up the hill. The most interesting part of Ankara to poke about in, this well-preserved quarter of thick walls and intriguing winding streets took its present shape in the 9th century AD, when the Byzantine emperor Michael II constructed the outer ramparts. The inner walls, which the local authority is slowly rebuilding, date from the 7th century. To find it, head around the back of the museum up Gözcü Sokak, past the octagonal tower, to the Parmak Kapısı (Finger Gate), also called the Saatli Kapı (Clock Gate).
Opposite the gate, in the beaut…
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