Eskişehir
This ambitious art museum, with its highly contemporary wood-slat facade riffing on Eskişehir's history as a major wood-market town, opened in 2019…
Must-see attractions in Turkey
Central Anatolia
Commissioned by the Mongol-İlkhanid vizier Şemsettin Güveyni after defeating the Seljuks at the battle of Kosedağ, the Çifte Minare Medrese (1271) has a…
Central Anatolia
In the Bronze Age, the Hittite kingdom encompassed an area that stretched west to the Aegean Sea and south into Syria with its command centre here in the…
Kayseri
This excellent museum is set in the restored Çifte Medrese, a 13th-century twin hospital and seminary built at the bequest of Seljuk sultan Keyhüsrev I…
Black Sea Coast
Ordu's top attraction, this seven-minute teleferik (cable-car) ride whisks you 2.3km from the seafront promenade to Boztepe, at an altitude of nearly 500m…
Cappadocia
On the main highway into Gülşehir, just before the turn-off to the centre (another 500m further) is a signposted trail leading to the incredible 13th…
Ürgüp
The back alleys of Ürgüp are home to many examples of the traditional stone architecture of this region. In particular, in the northern section of the old…
Kuşadası
Kuşadası's small, picturesque Byzantine fortress stands on the causeway-connected Güvercin Adası (Pigeon Island) and has recently been renovated. It's now…
Sultan İsa (Zinciriye) Medresesi
Mardin
Dating from 1385, this medrese (seminary) complex's highlight is the imposing recessed doorway, but make sure you wander through the pretty courtyards and…
Sakıp Sabancı Mardin City Museum
Mardin
Housed in former army barracks, this superb museum showcases the fascinating history and culture of Mardin. Excellent English-language translations and…
Dibeklihan Culture & Art Village
Bodrum Peninsula
In the all-but abandoned village of Yakaköy just off the road between Yalıkavak and Ortakent, this complex contains an art gallery, shops, the Dibek…
Turquoise Coast
The ruins of ancient Simena include this impressive fortress perched on top of the hill looking out to sea. Within the castle a couple of canons are…
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır's single most conspicuous feature is its great circuit of basalt walls, probably dating from Roman times, although the present walls, around…
Diyarbakır
The Dengbêj Evi (House of Dengbêj) showcases the Kurdish tradition of Dengbêj, storytelling by song. Kurdish elders gather together in informal groups and…
Sultanahmet
The Byzantine emperors loved nothing more than an afternoon at the chariot races, and this rectangular arena alongside Sultanahmet Park was their venue of…
Patriarchal Church of St George
Istanbul
Dating from 1836, this church is part of the Greek Patriarchate compound. Inside the church are artefacts including Byzantine mosaics, religious relics…
South Aegean
Didyma (now Didim) was a important religious centre, the site of the Oracle of Apollo. The astonishing Temple of Apollo here was once the ancient world's…
Thrace & Marmara
If you come to Troy expecting a rebuilt ancient city along the lines of Ephesus, you'll be disappointed. The site resembles an overgrown archaeological…
İzmir & the North Aegean
The Asklepion may not be as dramatic as the Acropolis, but in some ways it is even more extraordinary. One of the most important healing centres of the…
Sultanahmet
Part of the Aya Sofya complex but entered via Babıhümayun Caddesi, these tombs are the final resting places of five 16th- and 17th-century sultans –…
Black Sea Coast
The extensive ruins of Sumela Monastery, founded by Greeks in the 4th century, cling improbably to a sheer cliff, high above evergreen forests. This is…
Turquoise Coast
Patara's grand monuments lie scattered along the road to the beach. The main section of ruins is dominated by the dilapidated 5000-seat theatre. Next door…
Datça & Bozburun Peninsulas
The ruins of Knidos (kuh-nee-dos), a once-prosperous Dorian port city dating to 400 BC, lies scattered across the western tip of the Datça Peninsula…
Istanbul
This important complex marks the supposed burial place of Ebu Eyüp el-Ensari, a friend of the Prophet who fell in battle outside the walls of…
Turquoise Coast
Backed by large sand dunes, this splendid, 18km-long sandy beach is one of Turkey's best. Due to its length, you can find a quiet spot even in the height…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Scattered around the village of Sartmustafa (or Sart), this archaeological site is a rewarding day trip from İzmir (80km away). It and Manisa can easily…
Ephesus
Named for the demigods who helped Lena give birth to Artemis and Apollo, the Curetes Way was Ephesus' main thoroughfare, 210m long and lined with statuary…
Ephesus
This square structure has toilet 'seats' along the back walls with a roof above. Although some wealthy citizens had private home bathrooms, they also used…
Western Anatolia
Laodicea was once a commercial city straddling two major trade routes, famed for its black wool, banking and medicines. Cicero lived here for a time and…
Istanbul
Nestled in the middle of the busy Tahtakale shopping district, this diminutive mosque is a gem. Dating from 1560, it was designed by Sinan for Rüstem Paşa…
Turquoise Coast
Built over five terraces, Arykanda is one of the most dramatically situated ruins in Turkey. The city's most outstanding feature is its 10m-tall two…
Istanbul
The sultan to whom this mosque was dedicated (Süleyman the Magnificent's father, Selim I, known as 'the Grim') is famous for having killed two of his…
Eastern Mediterranean
The remnants of Roman Diocaesarea sit within the village of Uzuncaburç, 30km northeast of Silifke. Originally this was the Hellenistic city of Olba, home…
Sultanahmet
Justinian and his wife Theodora built this little church sometime between 527 and 536, just before Justinian built Aya Sofya. You can still see their…
Sultanahmet
Gülhane Park was once part of the grounds of Topkapı Palace, accessible only to the royal court. These days crowds of locals come here to picnic under the…
Thrace & Marmara
Cutting-edge architects are rarely given commissions to design religious buildings in modern-day Turkey, and as a result most contemporary mosques are…
Museum of Great Palace Mosaics
Sultanahmet
When archaeologists from the University of Ankara and Scotland's University of St Andrews excavated around the nearby Arasta Bazaar in the 1930s and 1950s…
Eastern Mediterranean
The compact Old City lies between Adana Bulvarı and Hal Caddesi. It includes a wonderful 60m-long stretch of Roman road and a labyrinth of alleyways…
Istanbul
The great Sinan put his stamp on the entire city and this mosque, constructed in the 1560s next to the Edirnekapı section of the historic land walls, is…
Eastern Mediterranean
Now housed in an enormous purpose-built complex on the site of a former textile factory about 4km west of the centre, Turkey's largest museum might also…
