Eastern Mediterranean
The most imposing mosque in Adana is the six-minaret Sabancı Merkez Camii, rising gracefully from the left bank of the Seyhan River. The largest mosque…
Must-see attractions in Turkey
Central Anatolia
Tokat's historic neighbourhood of slouching Ottoman houses, nestled at the foot of the castle hill, hides this gem of a mosque with floral motifs crawling…
Pamukkale
The Roman theatre is the highlight of Hierapolis, dramatically sitting uphill from the site and overlooking the ruins and mountains beyond. The stage area…
Mardin
Mardin's rambling commercial hub parallels 1 Caddesi one block down the hill. It's packed with metalworkers, donkey-saddle repairers, woodworkers, stores…
Bodrum Peninsula
Painter and sculptor Ender Guzey established this unique space in a remote hillside location east of Bodrum, showcasing contemporary art and (occasional)…
Konya
For Muslims and non-Muslims alike, the main reason to come to Konya is to visit this former lodge of the whirling dervishes and home to the tomb of…
Ankara
The monumental mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938), the founder of modern Turkey, sits high above the city with its abundance of marble and air…
Bodrum Town
One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Mausoleum (originally 44.8m high) was the greatest achievement of Carian King Mausolus (r 376–353 BC),…
Alanya
Surmounting Alanya's rocky peninsula is its awesome, Seljuk-era castle, girdled by 6km of walls and awaiting Unesco World Heritage listing. Climb to it…
Western Anatolia
Rural Çavdarhisar (60km southwest of Kütahya) is home to one of Anatolia's best-preserved Roman remains. The Temple of Zeus, built under Hadrian (r AD 117…
Turquoise Coast
People come in droves to this ancient site near the modern-day village of Belkıs for one reason: to view the awesome theatre, considered the best…
Southeastern Anatolia
Perched on Akdamar Island, 3km out on Lake Van, Akdamar Kilisesi is one of the marvels of Armenian architecture. Built in 921 by the Armenian King of…
Trabzon
Standing in walled gardens amid symphonies of birdsong, 4km west of centre, is this fine 13th-century church-turned-mosque retaining some carved reliefs…
Bursa
This enormous Seljuk-style mosque (1399) is central Bursa's dominating feature. Sultan Beyazıt I built it in a monumental compromise – having pledged to…
Southeastern Anatolia
Take the winding path from the road up the hillside to view the remnants of the ancient Commagene capital of Arsameia, passing stelae, stone reliefs and…
Side
This compact site is one of the most romantic on the Mediterranean coast. Apollo and Athena were Side's deities, although Apollo eventually became more…
Amasya
Looming above the northern bank of the river is a sheer rock face with the conspicuous rock-cut Tombs of the Pontic Kings. The tombs, chiselled deep into…
Far Northeast
Second only to Dörtkilise, Öşkvank is the region's most memorable Georgian church. Large, relatively well preserved and with plenty of very fine relief…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
This opulently furnished 1865 building was designed by Sarkis Balyan, brother of Nikoğos (architect of Dolmabahçe Palace). It delighted both Sultan Abdül…
Şanlıurfa
Legend claims that the Prophet Abraham (father of the three major monotheistic religions) was confronted by Nimrod, the local Assyrian king, while…
Bodrum Town
Bodrum's magnificent waterfront castle, built by the Knights Hospitaller, dates back to the 15th century. It houses the excellent Museum of Underwater…
Central Anatolia
Hattuşa's star attraction is this postern gate complex with an artificial mound pierced by a 70m-long tunnel. The Hittites built the tunnel using a…
Cappadocia
Let's get one thing straight: despite its science-fiction setting, no scene in Star Wars was ever filmed near Soğanlı. But don't despair Chewbacca fans;…
Kars
Dating from at least 1153, Kars Castle' s hefty, dark-stone walls crown the craggy ridge that dominates the city-centre's northern edge, fronted by a…
Far Northeast
Possibly of Urartian origin, this 'Devil's Castle' was for centuries a Georgian stronghold known as Qajis Tsikhe. It remains one of northeast Turkey's…
Amasya
Amasya's museum packs in treasures from the Chalcolithic era up to the Byzantine age in its ground-floor galleries. Look out for the famous bronze…
Amasya
The graceful Sultan Beyazıt II Cami (1486) is Amasya's largest külliye (mosque complex), with a medrese (seminary), fountain, imaret (soup kitchen) and…
Far Northeast
Completed in 1010, the grassy-roofed cathedral is the largest building among the Ani ruins. The building's elegantly finished stone walls are relatively…
Gaziantep
Gaziantep's labyrinthine bazaar stretches between Hamdi Kutler Caddesi and Kundaracılar Çarşısı Sokak. There are a couple of entrances so just dive in and…
Erzurum
Erzurum's most iconic medieval landmark features twin fluted minarets with detailing in blue glaze on brick. There's a beautifully carved main portal and…
Northeastern Anatolia
The enchanting ruins of this 10th-century Georgian basilica are domeless and decaying but monumentally large, atmospherically mossy and photogenically…
Central Anatolia
Dating to 1218, this was one of the most important medical schools built by the Seljuks and was once Anatolia's foremost hospital.
Erimtan Archaeology & Arts Museum
Ankara
Ankara's newest museum houses the astounding collection of mostly Roman (but also Bronze Age, Hittite and Byzantine) artefacts collected over the years by…
Eskişehir
Eskişehir's protected heritage district is crammed with cobblestone alleyways of timber-framed konaks (mansions) with overhanging upper stories. Many of…
Mardin
This superbly restored late-19th-century mansion was once Mardin's Syriac Catholic Patriarchate and sports carved pillars and elegant arcades on the upper…
Konya
Gorgeously restored, the interior central dome and walls of this former Seljuk theological school (1251) showcase some finely preserved blue-and-white…
Erzurum
Dominating Erzurum's central park, this handsome 1310 medrese (seminary) building features a minaret whose superb mosaic tile work wouldn't look out of…
Far Northeast
Ani's 1072 Manuçehr Camii was built by the Seljuk Turks, using Armenian architects and artisans, creating a stylistic blend in what is considered to have…
Turquoise Coast
The long island of Kekova south of Üçağız is famous for its spectacular underwater ruins. These are partly submerged 6m below the sea off its northern…
Black Sea Coast
At the summit of a steep urban hill, this unexpected little paradise is primarily a delightful teahouse beneath a big, fragrant magnolia tree, but there…
