334 Best Sights in Turkey

The Troy Museum sits at the entrance of the archeological site and was the government’s primary initiative for 2018’s Year of Troy. The impressive building, standing at the pre-excavation height of ancient Troy, brings to life more than 5,000 years of history in seven sections, including Troas Region Archaeology, Iliad and the Trojan War, and Troas and Ilion in Antiquity. Some 2,000 artifacts range from gold jewelry to sarcophagi, weapons, tear bottles, and sculptures. Because the museum provides perspective on the history and significance of the entire region, with exhibits on the history of Assos and other nearby cities, it's an excellent place to start your exploration of other areas in the Northern Aegean as well as of the ruins.

Established in 1943, one of the region's largest wine producers has tastings in the factory store, as well as brief tours of the production facilities and cellars. Turasan, having substantially expanded and improved its range in recent years, makes wines from both local grape varieties (namely the white Emir and red Kalecik Karası) and foreign ones. Prices here are about 30% less than at a retail store.

To the west of Yeşil Cami, this small museum in an attractive, 15th-century medrese is part of a complex that includes the mosque and Yeşil Türbe. Displayed in chambers around a shaded courtyard are inlaid wood items, jewelry, calligraphy and manuscripts, Turkish shadow puppets, carpets, coins, weapons, İznik ceramics, and traditional clothes embellished with colorful embroidery.

This pleasant resort town is only about 19 km (12 miles) from Marmaris. Come for the bustling Monday market where you can shop for local produce and trinkets or lounge on the free sun beds at the pretty Blue Flag beach. With a car, you can reach the little-known ruins of Amos, about 4 km (2.5 miles) up into the hills, with sweeping views over the bay. A water taxi will take you to Turunç from the Marmaris seafront promenade in season; a 20 TL dolmuş also runs from central Marmaris.

Bursa's most important mosque dates from 1399, when Sultan Beyazıt had it constructed after vowing to build 20 mosques if he was victorious in the battle of Nicopolis in Macedonia. He ended up compromising: this one huge mosque has 20 domes. The interior is decorated with an elegantly understated display of quotations from the Koran in fine calligraphy. The fountain, with taps on the sides for ritual washing before prayer, is inside the mosque rather than outside the entrance—an unusual feature. Avoid visiting at prayer times, when Ulu Cami draws huge crowds.

In the center of the old city is the Ulu Cami, one of the oldest mosques in Anatolia. Though the present form dates from 1091, its colonnades incorporate elements of the Byzantine Cathedral of St. Thomas that once stood here. Its design follows earlier Arab tradition and closely resembles the great Ummayid Mosque of Damascus. Note the Arabic-style flat roof and almost basilica-like rectangular plan, different from the square-shape and domed mosques common in Turkey.

Urfa's principal mosque was built in the 12th century by Nur al-Din after he captured the city from the Crusaders. It is a relatively simple long vaulted hall, on the southern end of a long grassy courtyard. The town's cathedral once stood here, and you can see the giant octagonal bell tower.

To fully appreciate why the city is called Green Bursa, visit lush Uludağ Milli Parkı. The 30-minute trip up the ultramodern teleferik (gondola)—one of the longest in the world—is worth it for the views alone. The first station, Sarıalan point (5,364 feet), is lively in summer, with restaurants and picnic areas. In winter, skiers and night-clubbers head to the mountain's 5,938-foot high Oteller Bölgesi (Hotels Zone), 7 km (4 miles) farther up. The teleferik departure station is a 15-minute ride from Heykel. Board a dolmuş (shared taxi) just behind the Bursa Kent Müzesi for 48 TL or hail a cab. There are also various paths up the mountain between Bursa and Uludağ; the hike takes about three hours each way. Take a sweater or jacket: as you climb, temperatures fall—even if it's warm downtown.

A fine, albeit small, collection of traditional costumes from the lands of the Ottoman Empire, some dating back centuries, is on display in this museum opposite the Muradiye Tombs. Mannequins dressed in the costumes revolve to afford a thorough study of the colorful textiles and embroidery. There are also gorgeous antique silver jewelry pieces and accessories, along with some folkloric items. The building is a medrese (theological school) built in 1475 by Şair Ahmet Paşa, whose tomb is in the garden.

Apart from the two prominent Roman Columns, Urfa's castle is a motley collection of upturned stones, at the top of a lot of stairs. It's impossible to detect any one architectural intent here, probably because the fortress has been razed and rebuilt at least a dozen times since the 2nd century BC. Climb to the summit for a fantastic view of the city. The stairs down are more fun, as they descend through a tunnel cut from the rock.

At the far south end of the Kuşçular valleys, pruned to perfection, the beautiful spaces of this vineyard and winery presage the quality and care in their winemaking. Wine tastings and vineyard tours are available by reservation. Above the reception areas lies the Two Rooms Hotel, where visitors can stay and drink in the peace and views. They are not too far from fine dining, as the one Michelin–star restaurant Teruaurla is in sight, just down the road. 

One of the oldest inhabited areas on the Asian Shore takes its name from the 7th-century-BC settlement of Scutari, though nothing now remains of that ancient town. Today, Üsküdar is a conservative residential district with a handful of noteworthy Ottoman mosques. Though still rather chaotic, the waterfront area has undergone substantial renovation to accommodate the Marmaray, a rail tunnel under the Bosphorus that transports passengers from Üsküdar to Sirkeci in just four minutes. The ferry landing is dominated by Sinan's pretty, if somewhat dark, Mihrimah Sultan Camii, also known as the İskele Camii (built 1548). The large Yeni Valide Camii from 1710 and another Sinan mosque, the small, beautifully situated Şemsi Paşa Camii, are a short walk southwest along the waterfront.

Winding 12 km (7.5 miles) south from Urla town, past the vineyards, is the beautiful valley where the UZBAŞ Arboretum fills 50 acres with cultivated palms, trees, and collections of tropical and sub-tropical smaller shrubs and plants. Of the palms alone, over 250,000 palms representing 52 species are grown for commercial distribution, with many more tree species grown in the carefully maintained open-air collections landscaped to the site, while the greenhouses are home to endemic and other species from all around the world. The gardens are a delight to see, always with a guide, either by a short guided walk or on the longer buggy tour through the vineyards and ornamental plant collections. Plants, ceramics, organic olive oils, and other local products are for sale in the shop and cafe. There is no public transport nearby, so a car is essential and plenty of parking is available.

As historic and lively as the city itself, Antakya’s Uzun Çarşı (Long Bazaar) is a feast for the senses, a maze of covered and open streets full of shops piled high with spices, handmade soaps, clothes, kitchenware, jewelry, and much more. Tucked among them are multiple small mosques, quiet little courtyards, lively eateries, snack vendors, and traditional wood-oven fırıns (bakeries). The restored Kurşunlu Han near the center of the bazaar houses cafés and more tourist-oriented stores selling local handicrafts. At its northern end, the bazaar spills out into Antakya’s open-air produce market.

A Roman city needed its aqueduct, and Constantinople, which seriously lacked drinking water, finally got one in 375 under Emperor Valens. The aqueduct, which was just one element of a well-engineered water distribution system that extended for miles, was restored in the 16th century by the Ottoman architect Sinan and continued to function well into the Ottoman era. The best and most dramatic surviving section is that near Şehzade Mosque, where Atatürk Bulvarı, a major urban thoroughfare, passes through the great arches of the aqueduct—still one of Istanbul's most significant landmarks.

Turkey's largest and most unusual lake consists of 3,738 square km (1,443 square miles) of startlingly blue water surrounded by mighty volcanic cones, at an elevation of 5,659 feet. The lake was formed when a volcano blew its top and blocked the course of a river, leaving the water with no natural outlet; as a result the lake is highly alkaline and full of sulfides and mineral salts, six times saltier than the ocean. Lake Van's only marine life is a small member of the carp family, the İnci kefalı, which has somehow adapted to the saline environment. Intermittent daily ferries ply the route between Van and Tatvan, taking around four hours and costing just 15 TL, but without fixed departure times. Recreational water sports are limited, and beaches along the rocky shores are few and far between. Swimming in the soft water is pleasant, but try not to swallow any—it tastes terrible. If you're in the mood for a dip, your best bet is to do so when visiting the nearby island of Akdamar, from the lake's south shore. Alternatively, if you head northeast from Van on the Doğubeyazit road, you can stop at the little holiday camp located on the lake's edge just past the farming village of Çolpan. Soft drinks, barbecued food, sunbeds, and basic rooms are all available.

Steps—considerably fewer than the 1,000 claimed in local tourist handouts—ascend to Van Kalesi, the sprawling Urartian fortress on the outskirts of town. A path branches right to Urartian tombs in the sheer south rock face; an impressive cuneiform inscription here honors King Xerxes, whose Persian troops occupied the fortress early in the 5th century BC (look for the red metal fence on the southeast side).You may need to pay a local a tip to show you these. The crumbling ramparts are still impressive (more so than the parts that have been heavily restored), but as is often true in these parts, it's the view—sweeping across the lake and mountains—that makes the steep climb worthwhile. A taxi from the new town should cost no more than 30 TL one way. Cheaper dolmuş (shared taxis) depart regularly from the north end of Cumhuriyet Caddesi and are marked "Kale."

A dominant feature of the Istanbul skyline, thanks to its prime spot on the Eminönü waterfront, the "new mosque" is known as much for its history as its architecture. Its location, rising out of the Golden Horn, presented formidable engineering challenges to the former apprentice to Sinan, who laid the waterlogged foundations in 1597. Due to sultans' deaths and complicated harem politics, the project wasn’t completed until 1663 by the queen mother at the time, Turhan Hatice. The entrance to the courtyard from the main square offers a marvelous view of the small domes and semidomes that appear to cascade down around the main dome, flanked by two minarets. Inside, almost every square inch of the interior is decorated—from the elaborate, multicolored İznik tiles to the intricately painted domes and gilded minbar—while numerous windows, including in the wall of the mihrab, fill the mosque with light.

The Green Tomb, built in 1421, is the final resting place of Mehmet I Çelebi. It's actually covered in blue tiles, added after an earthquake damaged the originals in the 1800s, but inside are incredible original İznik tiles, including those—many of which are green and turquoise—sheathing Mehmet's immense sarcophagus. The surrounding tombs belong to Mehmet's children.

A few dark blue and turquoise tiles still decorate the Yivli Minare (Fluted Minaret), a graceful, 13th-century cylinder erected by the Seljuk sultan Alaaddin Keykubat I; the imam once climbed its narrow steps five times daily to give the call to prayer. The adjoining mosque was converted from a Byzantine church, and the remains (displayed under glass) of an 800-year-old water channel can be seen if you step inside. Within the pretty complex are two türbes (tombs) and an 18th-century tekke (lodge), which once housed a community of whirling dervishes and is now a small free museum devoted to the traditions of their Mevlevi Order. The old medrese (theological school) adjacent to the minaret has been covered under an unattractive bus-station-style roof and is a tourist-oriented shopping center, selling standard Turkish knick-knacks (think cotton clothes, pottery, copper work, carpets, and tiles). At the time of visiting the minaret is fenced off while undergoing some restoration works.

East of Adana, across the Çukurova Plain, there are many ancient remains, including several castles, mostly dating back to Armenian rulers of the 12th to 14th century AD. The easiest to reach, Yılan Kalesi (Castle of the Snake), sits conspicuously beside the old highway, some 50 km (31 miles) east of town. There isn't a lot to see, but the walls are well preserved and the views of the fertile Çukurova Plain from the top are impressive. About 40 km (25 miles) farther east, just before Osmaniye and the turnoff to İskenderun, is a second Armenian castle, Toprakkale. Kozan, 60 km (37 miles) north of Yılan Kalesi, is another fine castle that was an important residence of the Armenian rulers of Cilicia.

The wooded slopes of Yıldız Parkı once formed part of the great forest that covered the European shore of the Bosphorus from the Golden Horn to the Black Sea. In the waning years of the Ottoman Empire, the park was the private garden of the nearby Çırağan and Yıldız palaces, and the women of the harem would occasionally be allowed to visit, secluded from prying eyes as they wandered among acacias, maples, and cypresses. Today the park is still beautiful, particularly in spring when the tulips and other flowers bloom, and in fall when the leaves of the deciduous trees change color.

At the top of the park (a 15- to 20-minute walk from the entrance) is the relatively modest (by Ottoman standards) Yıldız Şale (Yıldız Chalet), where the despotic Sultan Abdülhamid II (ruled 1876–1909) spent most of his time. It also served as a guesthouse for visiting heads of state, from Kaiser Wilhelm II to Charles de Gaulle and Margaret Thatcher.

The modest home of one of Turkey’s most famous and beloved singers, Zeki Müren, was turned into a museum after his death in 1996. There’s not much signage in English, but the period furniture and personal effects, performance photos, elaborate Liberace-style stage costumes, and Müren’s own paintings speak for themselves. His music plays throughout the building and there’s a vending machine of quirky souvenirs by the reception desk.

Although the prizes at Göreme are the fresco-decorated churches, the outdoor museum at Zelve provides a fascinating look at how people lived in fairy-chimney communities. Zelve was a center of Christian monastic life from the 9th through 13th centuries, and the town was inhabited until the early 1950s, when erosion and cracking caused slabs of rock to fall, forcing villagers to move out. The site is only about 380 meters (2,145 feet) long, but there's plenty to explore. The valley is made up of several uneven, naturally carved rows of fairy chimneys. These—and just about every spare rock face—shelter hundreds of dwellings that vary in size. Some are just simple cavelike openings, and others are multistory houses with rooms on several floors linked by stairs carved deep inside the rocks. There's also a rock-cut mosque and several small churches. Certain structures have collapsed, leaving giant pieces of carved ceiling upside down on the ground. You can probably see the whole place in a little over an hour but could easily linger longer.

Across the river from the citadel is another spot worth visiting, Zeynelbey Türbesi, a mausoleum built for a prince who died in battle in 1473. The stylized structure has an onion-dome top and is decorated with still-vivid turquoise-color tiles set in calligraphy-like geometric patterns, more reminiscent of Iran and Central Asia than Turkey.

Built in 1385 by Artukid Sultan İsa, this medrese (Islamic school) sits up just above the rest of the city, and its crenulated dome forms a Mardin landmark. The compound includes a courtyard (now a tea garden), a mosque, and a tomb intended for the sultan. Head up to the upper terrace for one of the best views of the city.

The Agora of Smyrna was the Roman city's administrative and commercial center; if it looks decidedly unimpressive from the entrance, that's because the best-preserved bit is underground—the basilica basement, separated into four galleries covered by dozens of stone arches. Alas, much of the rest of the site has been closed off for excavations, though there are still some other ruins to satisfy classical history buffs, and an interesting collection of Ottoman gravestones and Roman capitals near the entrance of the grassy, open site, surrounded by ancient columns and brick foundations. There is decent signage in English.

Just near the İzmir Port, the 140-year-old Alsancak Tekel Factory has been restored and transformed into a new culture and arts center, with the three buildings holding the two State Museums moved from elsewhere in İzmir, plus libraries and cultural spaces. The Atatürk Special Library, the Alsancak Public Library, and the Turkic World Music Special Library, as well as cultural and art workshop spaces, an open-air cinema, and exhibition areas occupy the smaller building and  the spacious gardens

The largest, two-story, building is home to the  Archaeology and Ethnography Museum displaying a rich archaeological collection on the ground and first floors. The former Ethnographic Museum's items collected from the İzmir region are held on the second floor. The interesting art collection covering the last two centuries of Turkish modern art held in the İzmir Painting and Sculpture Museum is housed in the second building.

The Museum of Iznik, opened in January 2023, displays archeological finds from the region, some dating back to 6500 BC. The museum is part archeological, part ethnographic, and contains stunning collections of, among other things, ancient earthenware, Greek sculpture, Roman sarcophagi, and Ottoman cultural artifacts, including, of course, Iznik tiles. Arranged chronologically, the museum gives you an excellent sense of the many civilizations who have called this piece of land home.

Founded in the 1990s to revive the art of tile-making, this establishment fashions large orders, often for overseas delivery. Even if you are not commissioning a job, you can see the beautiful craftsmanship, watch artisans producing tiles, and wander in the lavender-fresh gardens. An appointment is necessary to access the grounds.