334 Best Sights in Turkey

Just east of Aspendos, a turnoff leads north to Köprülü Kanyon (a popular spot for white-water rafting) and the ruins of Selge. Just before Beskonak (30 km/18 miles), the road splits, and one branch crosses the river, passing a couple of pleasant riverside restaurants. After 10 km (6 miles), the two roads meet again at the start of the canyon proper—you'll drive over a remarkably well-preserved Roman bridge.

From here you head another 15 km (9 miles) up a steep road through rock formations to the village of Zelve, the site of the Roman city of Selge. Just before you reach town, take the left turn, and the impressive Roman theater will soon come into view. Most visitors are happy to clamber over the theater, but from the top you can see the ruins of the city itself on the hill opposite.

There are dozens of raft operators on the river, which runs through the 14-km (8.5-mile) canyon. The area is also part of the St. Paul Trail long-distance trekking route.

Sultan Selim II began this medium-size mosque just across from Rumi's tomb in 1558, when he was heir to the throne and governor of Konya. The structure, completed after he became sultan, is reminiscent of Fatih Camii in Istanbul, with soaring arches and windows surrounding the base of the dome.

On the northern edge of town is Sen Piyer Kilisesi, or Saint Peter Church—a tiny cave high up on a cliff, blackened by centuries of candle smoke and dripping with water that seeps out of the rocks. According to tradition, this is where the apostle secretly preached to his converts and where they first came to be called Christians. Now operated as a museum, it is one of the oldest churches in existence; the facade you see, however, was added by the crusaders in the 11th to 12th century. The area around it was a cemetery in classical times, and there are numerous rock-cut tombs and tunnels.

A scrambly path leads up to the giant carved face of Charon, the legendary boatman who took the dead across the River Styx. Adventurous visitors can follow the valley just south to view a large section of the Byzantine walls, which also served as a bridge and dam. The church was declared a site of pilgrimage by Pope Paul VI, and the Catholic Church traditionally holds a religious service here on the 29th of June.

Other than to catch a glimpse of Mt. Ararat, the main reason to visit Doğubeyazit is the enchanting İshak Paşa Sarayı, in the mountains southeast of town. The fortified palace was built in the late 18th century by local potentate Çolak Abdi Paşa and his son İshak. The interior of the building features ornate stonework, a fantastic mixture of Armenian, Persian, and classical Ottoman styles, but the once gold-plated doors were carted off by Russian troops in 1917 and are now in St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum. Like Istanbul's Topkapı, the palace is divided into three areas: the first courtyard, which was open to all; the second courtyard, which holds the mosque and meeting rooms once used by the Paşa and other important personages; and the third courtyard, an inner sanctum housing the massive kitchen and the harem. Note how most rooms are small and equipped with their own hearths for the long cold winters. Visit in the morning or late afternoon, when the sun casts a deep orange glow over the palace. A renovation has placed a discordant, modern glass roof over portions of the site. You can clamber up to the fortress on a rough trail that starts next to the mosque; look for the two Uratian figures carved in the rock. Above the palace are a few Kurdish mud-brick houses. Taxis from Doğubeyazit cost around 60 TL one way, though they will also wait for an hour for an extra 20 to 30 TL.

The Syriac Christians have a long tradition of wine making, but Shiluh is the region's first professional winery. Shiluh has a shop in the center of Midyat, but the winery is 7 km (4 miles) from Midyat on the road to Mor Gabriel, where they hold regular wine tastings (though mostly in Turkish) during high season.

Across the street from the theater, the Side Museum is housed in a restored 2nd-century AD Roman bath that was expanded in the 5th or 6th century. The collection of Roman statuary and other artifacts is small but interesting, featuring a gorgeous group of marble torsos that includes the Three Graces; various cherubs; a brilliant satyr; a bust of Emperor Hadrian; a Roman sundial; and the usual smattering of inscriptions, amphorae, columns, and sarcophagi. The sculpture garden behind the museum is larger than the museum itself and overlooks the Mediterranean.

Local finds, some dating as far back as the Bronze Age, are displayed in the small Silifke Müzesi, just on the edge of the city center towards Anamur. The specimens of Roman jewelry are particularly lovely, and there is also a folkloric exhibit.

The formerly Greek village of Sille can be visited as an excursion or detour on your way out of Konya. In AD 327, St. Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, built a small church here, the Aya Elena (Hagia Helena), which was extensively restored in the 19th century and again in 2013, when it reopened as a museum (Free  Closed Mon.). The recent restoration preserved the beautiful frescoes, which date from the 1880s, and the gilt wooden iconostasis and pulpit. In the hillside above town are some Cappadocia-style rock-cut chapels with badly deteriorated frescoes and graves carved out of the stone floors. Still a working village complete with crowing roosters and the smell of manure, Sille has recently become a popular destination for the cafés housed in old homes along the stream running through the center of town. To get to Sille by car, follow Yeni Sille Caddesi out of the city from where it begins near the Dedeman Hotel, or board city bus 64 in front of Alaaddin Camii. If you're heading out of Konya in the direction of Ankara, look for the fabulous Seljuk portal at the entrance to the Horozlu Han, a former kervansaray (now housing a restaurant) near the four-lane beginning of Route 715.

More than just a prison, this fortress became the focus of creative works by poets and movie directors during its century of use. Built into the inner section of the already ancient fortress, it was notorious for its harsh conditions and zero possibility of escape. Today, it's being rehabilitated for tourism, with plans for a cultural center and several museums. For now it remains a fascinating, but ghostly empty shell, still haunted by the misery in the prisoners' cells and common areas.

Several millennia of history have bequeathed Sinop a rich archaeology, some of it on display in this small but well-organized museum. Amphoras, tools statues, coins, frescoes, icons, and mosaics from most ages of Sinop's past are displayed with descriptions in English. Upstairs, the exhibits focus heavily on the Ottoman era, with prayer rugs, calligraphy, and book bindings, but the section devoted to Byzantine icons remains the favorite. Outside, the surrounding garden is further stuffed with tombstones and building fragments excavated around the area, as well as the remains of the temple of Serapis.

Excavations of this 4th-century Roman town have been going on since 2002. So far, the well-preserved remains of a Roman bathhouse and a meeting hall with an extensive mosaic floor have been uncovered, as has as a Byzantine church that was later built on top of the mosaics. A roof protects part of the site. There are catwalks and some limited explanatory panels for visitors.

Built in 1571 for Sokollu Mehmet Pasha, a grand vizier to three successive sultans, this small mosque is not as grand as the Süleymaniye Camii (in the Bazaar Quarter), but many consider it to be one of the most beautiful of the mosques built by master Ottoman architect Sinan. Here, Sinan chose not to dazzle with size but to create a graceful, harmonious whole—from the courtyard and porticoes outside to the interior, where floral-motif stained-glass windows and gorgeous, well-preserved İznik tiles with both floral patterns and calligraphic inscriptions are set off by white stone walls. Inside, the minbar (pulpit), delicately carved in white marble and crowned with a tiled conical cap, is particularly noteworthy.

Also known as Sura, this was ancient Myra's most important pre-Christian holy site. Priests of Apollo would release fish into the sacred pool here, and then "read" the future from their movements. It still has Lycian tombs and a small acropolis, from which the temple of Apollo is visible in the overgrown valley below.

These two scenic wooded valleys that form a V-shape were home to a monastic community during Byzantine times, and there are hundreds of rock dwellings and churches cut into the cliffs. The northern, or "upper," valley (on the right-hand side), has most of the churches, while the southern, or "lower," valley is noteworthy for its many dovecotes. In the former, a path follows a little stream past enormous, house-size boulders and comes to churches including the Karabaş Kilisesi ("Church of the Black Head") and Yılanlı (Snake) Church, with extensive frescoes that have been badly damaged by graffiti. The two-story Kubbeli (Domed) Church has an unusual rock-cut cylindrical dome, reminiscent of medieval Armenian churches. If you're lucky enough to come on a day when there are no tour groups, you'll practically be on your own. Climb up the cliff face, and you'll be rewarded with incredible views.

The enticing Spice Bazaar, also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, is much smaller than the Grand Bazaar but more colorful—though not as colorful, perhaps, as it was in the 17th century, when it was built to generate rental income to pay for the upkeep of the Yeni Cami (New Mosque) next door. In those earlier days, the bazaar was a vast pharmacy filled with burlap bags overflowing with herbs and spices fresh off the ships from Egypt and the Spice Islands. Today, although an increasing number of souvenir shops have opened up in the bazaar, you can still wander past numerous stalls chockablock with sacks of spices (including highly sought-after Iranian saffron); bags full of dried fruit and nuts; and delicacies including lokum (Turkish delight), caviar, and Turkish coffee and tea. The maze of narrow streets around the back of the bazaar is filled with open-air booths and shops selling similar foodstuffs—as well as everything from household items to medicinal leeches—at generally cheaper prices.

On the western side of Gülhane Parkı, this museum, located in the former stables of Topkapı Palace, chronicles the significant role played by medieval Muslim scientists, inventors, and physicians in advancing scientific knowledge and technology while Europe was still in the Dark Ages. Exhibits cover subjects such as astronomy, navigation, mathematics, physics, warfare, and medical expertise. Unfortunately, almost none of the items on display are actual historical artifacts, but the models and reproductions built especially for the museum are interesting nevertheless.

Running for almost a mile between Taksim Square and Tünel Square, İstiklal Caddesi is the heart of modern Istanbul. The street was once known as "La Grande Rue de Péra," after the Pera neighborhood. In the 19th century, palatial European embassies were built here, away from the dirt and chaos of the Old City. The wealthy city folk soon followed, particularly after the short funicular called the Tünel—the first underground urban rail line in continental Europe—was built in 1875. The area was traditionally non-Muslim, and the Greek, Armenian, Catholic, and Protestant churches here are more prominent than the mosques. Today, İstiklal is a lively pedestrian thoroughfare, filled with shops (an increasing number of them international chains), restaurants, cafés, and a handful of cinemas. Turks love to promenade here—even in the wee hours of the morning it's still alive with people. This is the Istanbul that never sleeps.

One of Turkey’s most important bird sanctuaries, Sultan Sazlığı is a national park and Ramsar-protected wetland that’s a 32-km (20-mile) drive from the turnoff for the Soğanlı Valleys. A total of 301 species have been observed here, including flamingos, spoonbills, buzzards, gray herons, lapwings, and great white egrets. There’s no admission fee for the park, but first-timers are encouraged to hire a field guide to take them out by boat, jeep, or foot (depending on the water level in the marshes). Spring is the best time to visit—though, thanks to good rains in the last couple of years, birds can be seen year-round. Contact the guides who run Sultan Pansiyon in Ovaçiftlik village in advance to make arrangements.

One of the most remarkable and odd structures in Istanbul (and that's saying a lot), this small neo-Gothic church looks like it's covered with elaborate stone carvings, but when you get up close, you realize that it's all cast iron. It was prefabricated in Vienna, shipped down the Danube on barges, and erected on the western shore of the Golden Horn in 1898. The then-flourishing Bulgarian Orthodox community in Istanbul was eager to have an impressive church of its own as a statement of its independence from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate (the Ottoman Sultan had given the community permission to break away in 1870, but the first church built on the site had burned down). The Istanbul municipality announced in mid-2011 that the church—one of the few such surviving prefab cast-iron churches in the world—would undergo restoration. The building is set in neatly tended gardens by the waters of the Golden Horn.

At the north end of İstiklal Caddesi, Istanbul's largest public square was once essentially a chaotic traffic circle and public transportation hub, but the Istanbul municipality undertook a project to completely pedestrianize the area and create a true open plaza. The entrance to the Taksim Square station, from which both the metro and the funicular going down to Kabataş can be reached, is in the square, so you'll probably end up here at one point or another. The open area at the top of İstiklal is dominated by the Monument of the Republic, built in 1928 and featuring Atatürk and his revolutionary cohorts. Cumhuriyet Caddesi, the main street heading north from the square, is lined with travel agencies, currency-exchange offices, and airline ticket offices. Farther up Cumhuriyet, Vali Konağı Caddesi splits off from the avenue and veers right, taking you to Nişantaşı, the city's high-fashion district.

This beautiful church, built in 1844 on the site of a 15th-century edifice that was the first church in Ayvalık, was carefully restored and reopened as a museum by the Turkish government in 2013. Along with the gorgeous frescoes and imitation marble panels, the elaborate pulpit with icons of saints and the marble bishop's seat with gold bird reliefs are noteworthy.

Opened at the end of 2020, Tarsus’s impressive archaeological museum makes a fine first stop—for understanding the history of the city, which has been settled for 9,000 years, and for putting together the jigsaw puzzle of relics scattered around town. A video reconstruction shows what the stone platform that remains of the Donuktaş Temple might have looked like with the temple building on top. Other videos tell the stories of figures both historical and mythological that are important to the region. The artifacts on display range from prehistoric pottery and tools from Gözlükule Höyüğü (Mound); the 1st-century AD Roman mosaic in the entry atrium depicting a banquet scene; the small but well-preserved Hellenistic terracotta figures; and traditional Yörük (nomad) textiles.

The area between the castle and the Church of the Apostles was the heart of Kars prior to its Russian occupation, but only a few early constructions survive. The most notable is the Taş Köprü, which means "the Stone Bridge," of Seljuk origin, dating from the 1400s and built of volcanic rock. On either side of the bridge are several mostly abandoned hammams and timber and stone houses; you'll also find the restored 300-year-old home of famed poet Nemik Kemal that is now a cultural center with a slightly bizarre collection of miniature Turkish buildings in the garden. The rest of the area is somewhat neglected, though local authorities occasionally attempt to rejuvenate the area.

South along the river from the Merkez Camii is another civic symbol: the impressively long Taş Köprü, or "stone bridge," built by the Emperor Hadrian in AD 125 and restored by later rulers.

Follow the main street filled with shops selling jewelry and clothing until you reach the water and turn left. You'll reach the picture-postcard ruins of Side's Roman Temple of Apollo, its gleaming white marble columns set off beautifully by the blue ocean behind it. Millions of visitors a year visit the sun god's ruined temple—come at first light to avoid the crush. Beside it lie the ruins of the temple of Apollo's half-sister Athena, goddess of wisdom and war.

Today a lone column towering over a scattering of fallen stones in a marshy lowland on the Selçuk–Ephesus road is all that remains of a temple that was once four times larger than the Parthenon in Athens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Fragments of the temple are on display at İsa Bey Mosque. Begun in the 7th century BC, greatly expanded by the wealthy Lydian king Croesus, and redone in marble in the 6th century BC, the temple was torched by a disgruntled worshipper in 356 BC. Rebuilt by Alexander the Great, it was captured by Goths in AD 263 and later stripped for materials to build Istanbul's Aya Sofya and Selçuk's St. John Basilica. As goddess of the hunt and wild creatures, Artemis might well approve of the temple's new inhabitants: lizards, frogs, storks, and dozens of other birds. The temple is an easy 10-minute walk along a tree-lined road from Selçuk center, and more evocative if you visit it on your own.

A popular spa since Roman times, Termal is a good stop if you're en route from Yalova to either İznik or Bursa. The springs were used by the Ottomans, refurbished in 1900 by Sultan Abdül Hamid II, and regularly visited by Atatürk in the 1920s and 1930s. Termal is a self-contained resort with exotic gardens, a huge swimming pool, and four historic bathhouses that have many options for soaking in the mineral-rich waters. The baths are open to non-hotel guests, and private family bathing cabins can be reserved for an extra charge.

Avoid summer weekends, when the place is absolutely packed, and the crowds will probably outweigh the baths' relaxing properties. Besides, the hot baths are more appealing (and the rates cheaper) in other seasons. Also consider a walk in the pine forests, where you can enjoy a packed lunch.

If you're looking for a good spot to watch the sun set over İznik Lake, the tomb of Abdülvahap Sultan Sancaktarı, a hero of the battle in which the Ottomans captured the city in 1331, is well worth the trip for its sweeping view. On a clear evening, the orange glow of sunset makes the surrounding mountains look like the backs of gigantic serpents sleeping in the lake. The monument—a short drive or a 30-minute walk (some of it uphill) from the city center—attracts couples young and old as well as extended families, many of whom bring dinner along to accentuate the experience. Take Kılıçaslan Caddesi east through Lefke Gate and then follow the ruins of the Roman aqueduct along the road on your right until you see a large Turkish flag on the hilltop near the tomb.

The main attraction of the Trabzon Museum is the building itself, a 1910 mansion built for a local Greek banker. The grand rooms of the main floor have been restored and filled with period furniture. The basement holds a small collection of archaeological finds from the Trabzon region, while upstairs you'll find a collection devoted to local people and their culture. Unfortunately, the museum has been closed for renovations for several years and there is currently no expected finish date.