Gaziantep
One of the most interesting of Gaziantep's cache of small, speciality museums, this museum is dedicated to the history and culture of the Turkish bath…
Must-see attractions in Southeastern Anatolia
Mardin
This church dates back to the 4th century, and was renamed in the 15th century to commemorate Cappadocian martyrs, now remembered in the fine carvings…
Mardin
This medrese (seminary) was built in the 12th century. The complex includes a mosque, with an intricate stone-cut mihrab (niche indicating the direction…
Şanlıurfa
Scoot off busy Divan Yolu Caddesi to explore the narrow alleyways of the Beykapı Mahallesi (neighbourhood) where many of the honey-hued and high-walled…
Gaziantep
Restored to its former glory (having been destroyed by fire in the 1950s), this vaulted-ceiling bedesten (warehouse) now houses tourist-orientated stores…
Southeastern Anatolia
Malatya's vibrant city-centre market sprawls north from Halep Caddesi. Especially fascinating is the lively metalworking section. Don't leave without…
Southeastern Anatolia
You need to knock for entry to Mor Izozoal, which sits grandly atop the hill in Altıntaş (Kiverzê). Inside, the church has some beautiful stone carved…
Southeastern Anatolia
Knock for entry to Mor Kyriakos, surrounded by high walls on the edge of Bağlarbaşı (Arnasê) village. Once through the gate, the bulky fortress-style…
Şanlıurfa
This Ottoman-style mosque commands the western section of the Dergah Complex. The prayer hall interior includes some beautiful calligraphy and arabesque…
Mardin
This 12th-century Iraqi Seljuk structure suffered badly during the Kurdish rebellion of 1832. Inside it's fairly plain, but the expansive courtyard and…
Mardin
Look for the elegant, slender minaret of this 14th-century mosque. Access is down the staircase right beside the side of Atilla Çay Bahçesi.
Şanlıurfa
Tucked inside the bazaar district, the vaulted-ceiling bedesten is home to shops selling scarves and silk products.
Rızvaniye Vakfı Cami & Medresesi
Şanlıurfa
This mosque and medrese (seminary) complex, dating to 1736, sits along the northern edge of Balıklı Göl.
Southeastern Anatolia
Not to be confused with its more famous namesake near Kahta, Lake Van's Nemrut Dağı (3050m) is an inactive volcano with a crater lake, to the north of…
Gaziantep
Belkıs-Zeugma was founded by one of Alexander the Great's generals around 300 BC. It had its golden age with the Romans, and later became a major trading…
Şanlıurfa
Urfa's fortress on Damlacık hill, from which Abraham was supposedly tossed, has good city views, but there's not much to see at the actual site. On the…
Southeastern Anatolia
Drawing large numbers of Turkish visitors, this külliye (mosque complex) sits at the entrance to the Tohma Canyon and contains the tomb of Sheikh Hamidi…
Southeastern Anatolia
The ruins of the 8th-century Ulu Cami, built by Marwan II, last of the Umayyad caliphs, is Harran's most prominent historic site. You'll recognise it by…
Southeastern Anatolia
Five kilometres east of Cendere Bridge en route towards Nemrut Dağı is a 1km detour to Kocahisar (Eski Kahta) village. There was a Commagene palace here…
Van
The ruins of the Urartian fortress of Sarduri-Hinili, built by King Sardur II between 764 and 735 BC, sit scattered atop a rocky hill at Çavuştepe. The…
Gaziantep
Thought to have been constructed by the Romans, the citadel was restored by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century and rebuilt extensively by the Seljuks in…
Southeastern Anatolia
Midyat's compact old town area extends east behind Atatürk Caddesi, the main road through town. At the main roundabout between Atatürk and Cumhuriyet…
Southeastern Anatolia
Malatya's small, old-fashioned museum has a collection of smaller finds from Arslantepe including an excellent haul of metallurgical objects. Other…
Southeastern Anatolia
This graceful Seljuk-era bridge is known locally as Şeytan Köprüsü (Devil's Bridge) and is worth a stop for the surrounding scenery. Below it runs the…
Southeastern Anatolia
On the far (east) side of the hill, Harran's crumbling kale (castle) stands right by some beehive houses. Fortifications probably already existed here…
Van
Hoşap Castle, built in 1643 by a local Kurdish chieftain, looms over the village of Güzelsu from its rocky perch. From the castle entrance you can see the…
Southeastern Anatolia
This relatively well-preserved Armenian church is perched on a mound overlooking the lake. From Akdamar, drive 12km towards Tatvan until you reach a…
Gaziantep
This small museum is tucked within the courtyard of the Tekke Cami and once functioned as the mosque's dervish lodge. Its exhibits focus on the history of…
Gaziantep
Housed in the grand old Bayazhan building, this museum features interactive displays showcasing Gaziantep's culture including the story of baklava and the…
Gaziantep
Wedged between modern buildings, this church was constructed by French priests with the help of Napoleon III in 1860. A closer inspection of the building…
Southeastern Anatolia
The Malatya area produces about two-thirds of the world's dried apricots and you'll find them in every imaginable degree of desiccation, as well as…
Southeastern Anatolia
Bitlis' most important surviving Seljuk monument, the black-stone İhlasiye Medrese dates back to 1589. Two domed interior rooms are utilised as office…
Southeastern Anatolia
A church is thought to have sat on this site since 343 but the present church building in Alagöz (Baqisyan) is much rebuilt and restored. The stone-arched…
Southeastern Anatolia
Around 12km northeast of Han el Ba'rur are the extensive remains of Şuayb City, where hefty stone walls and lintels survive above a network of…
Southeastern Anatolia
Hasankeyf's castle sits high atop the cliff so is going to escape being submerged by the Ilısu Dam. Due to the reservoir wall construction going on just…
Southeastern Anatolia
This modern beehive house complex is a popular stop for domestic tour buses. Inside, the rooms are decked out in traditional style while the walled…
Southeastern Anatolia
You can only admire Bitlis castle's dramatic fortifications from outside as the building is closed due to archaeological excavation work. Local lore says…
Southeastern Anatolia
This large restored caravanserai, just off the southwest corner of Battalgazi's main square, dates from the 17th century. You can't miss it – the small…
Southeastern Anatolia
This small museum, housed in a group of restored old Malatyan mansions known as the Beşkonaklar (Five Mansions), is worth a quick look for the displays of…
Southeastern Anatolia
Gevaş has a cemetery full of tombstones dating from the 14th to 17th centuries. Notable is the polygonal Halime Hatun Türbesi, built in 1358 for a female…
