334 Best Sights in Turkey

Beyond the ruins of Patara is a superb 18-km (11-mile) sweep of sand dunes, surely one of the finest beaches on the Turquoise Coast. Despite its popularity with Turkish families and tourists from Kalkan and Kaş, you don't have to walk far to find solitude here. Note there is no shade available—if you bring an umbrella, it should be planted within 20 yards of the sea only to prevent disturbing the nests of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); showers, toilets. Best for: walking; swimming.

The most dramatic of the remains of Pergamum are at the Acropolis. Take a smooth 15-minute ride on the teleferik, which includes sweeping views on its way up the hill, or follow signs pointing the way to the 6-km (4-mile) road to the top, where you can park. After entering through the Royal Gate, bear right and proceed counterclockwise around the site.

At the summit, the partially restored, 2nd-century-AD Temple of Trajan is the very picture of an ancient ruin, with burnished white-marble pillars high above the valley of the Bergama Çayı (Selinus River). Nearby are the ruins of the famous Library (Atheneum), built by Eumenes II (197 BC–159 BC) and containing 200,000 scrolls. On the terrace below, you can see the scant remains of the Temple of Athena.

Climb down through a stone tunnel to reach the Great Theater, carved into the steep slope west of the terrace that holds the Temple of Athena. On a nearby terrace, the Altar of Zeus was once among the grandest monuments in the Greek world. If you're prepared for a long and rather steep descent, there's more to see on the slope leading down toward the town.

Although Perge isn’t beautifully situated like Termessos or an A-list attraction like Aspendos, it is an ideal place to get an overall impression of a Roman city. It's also only a 25-minute drive from central Antalya, or, you can take a local dolmuş or the tram to nearby Aksu, from where it's a short walk. The first thing you'll see is the splendid restored theater, followed by a stadium that is one of the best preserved in the ancient world. The vaulted chambers under the stadium bleachers held shops (marble inscriptions record the proprietors' names and businesses).

The rest of the site is about 1 km (½ mile) north. After parking just outside the old city walls, you'll enter near sturdy 3rd-century BC garrison towers. Directly ahead is a fine, long-colonnaded avenue, unique for the water channel that ran down its center, starting at a fountain at the far end. This street was trodden by St. Paul as he passed by on his way to Pisidian Antioch in the mountains. Beside the entrance is the old agora; the slender, sun-bleached columns lining the street once supported a covered porch filled with shops. Opposite is the well-preserved bathhouse, similar to the hammams still popular in the region today. Follow the main street to the end, and then climb the hill for a literal overview of the site. The outskirts of Perge are rather overgrown, but the keen-eyed can hunt down several churches and a gymnasium. Come early in the day, or be prepared for a hot, sunny visit.

The ruins of Phaselis, the ancient port city with a majestic setting at the edge of three smalls bays, are as romantic as the reputation of its ancient inhabitants was appalling. Demosthenes the Greek described them as unsavory, and Roman statesman Cicero called them rapacious pirates. Since the first Greek colonists from Rhodes bought the land from a local shepherd in the 7th century BC for a load of dried fish, classical literature is replete with the expression "a present from the Phaselians," meaning a cheap gift. Still, the setting is beautiful, and Alexander the Great spent a whole winter here before marching on to conquer the east.

A broad main street is lined by some remarkably well-preserved buildings and cuts through the half-standing walls of the Roman agora. The street is also bookended by bays, each with translucent water that's ideal for swimming. A small theater with trees growing among the seats has a divine view of Mt. Olympos, and fine sarcophagi are scattered throughout a necropolis in the pine woods that surround the three bays. The ruins are poetic and impressive, ideal for a picnic or a day at the beach. Weekends or any day during peak season, however, the site can be crowded; it can be downright depressing when tour yachts from large tourist hubs arrive with speakers blaring.

Ancient Pınara was probably founded as early as the 5th century BC, and it eventually became one of Lycia's most important cities. Its mountain setting is still strikingly beautiful, but you need time and determination to explore the site, which is spread out, largely unexcavated, and thick with plane, fig, and olive trees. You can park in the village of Minare and make the 30 minute hike up the clearly marked trail or drive up the steep dirt track (wear sturdy hiking shoes). There are a few signs near the entry but no good maps.

The spectacular Greek theater at Pınara, which has overlooked these peaceful hills and fields for thousands of years, is one of the country's finest. It's perfectly proportioned, and, unlike that of most theaters in Turkey, its stage building is still standing. The site also contains groups of rock tombs with unusual reliefs (one shows a cityscape) and a cliff wall honeycombed with hundreds of crude rectangular "pigeonholes," which are believed to have been either tombs or food storage receptacles.

The name means "brilliant" or "diamond" and this beach outside Çiftlikköy certainly has seawater that's as clear as glass, gentle and shallow (you can sit in the water and read a book!). The waters are warmer here than at nearby beaches such as Altınkum, and mercifully free of seaweed or sea urchins. The pale, fine sand is usually clean, the beach peaceful but usually, and there are changing rooms. The beach is very popular for kitesurfing, so be aware of traffic. If you want shade, you'll have to rent a beach chair and umbrella from the snack shack. Though undeveloped, there are many motels and pensions near this area, as well as a campground. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets. Best for: kitesurfing; sunbathing; swimming; walking.

Scarcely a half dozen churches remain of the medieval Armenian capital of Ani, all in various states of disrepair, but even so the sprawling site is breathtaking—crumbling majesty amid stark, sweeping countryside, tiny Kurdish settlements, and fields of wildflowers. There is a haunted, yet strangely meditative, feeling here, as well as an open-air museum holding what are considered some of the finest examples of religious architecture of its period. You enter through the Aslan Kapısı (Lion's Gate), one of three principal portals. Highlights include the circular Church of the Redeemer, built 1035 but hit by lightning in the 1950s, slicing it neatly in half, leaving a surrealistic representation of an Armenian church with the rubble of its former half in the foreground. In the gorge is the striking Kusanatz (Convent of the Three Virgins), on a rocky outcrop. At the center of the site is the former cathedral, built in 1001 by the architect Trdat. Already staggering in size, it was once topped by a large dome that fell in an earthquake in 1319. A short distance away is the Menüçehir Camii, which clings to the heights overlooking the Arpaçay River. The walls offer sweeping views out over the rock-cut village which dates back thousands of years. You will then pass the foundations of the massive round Church of King Gagik, another of Trdat's designs. Finally, the over-restored Seljuk Palace is an imposing reminder of when the city was conquered by the Seljuks in 1064.

One of Istanbul's premier private museums has world-class exhibits and a stunning location in a historic villa overlooking the water in the leafy suburb of Emirgan, on the European shore of the Bosphorus. The permanent collection includes late-19th-century Orientalist and early Republican Turkish paintings, rare examples of Ottoman calligraphy, and antique furnishings such as exquisite Sèvres vases—all from the private collection of the industrialist Sabancı family. The biggest draws, though, are the world-class temporary installations, which range from retrospectives on major artists like Picasso and leading contemporary names such as Ai Weiwei to exhibits on Anatolian archaeology and masterpieces of Islamic art. The beautiful grounds, with 150-year-old monumental trees and a variety of rare plants from around the world, are perfect for a stroll after viewing the art.

Sedir (Cedar) Island, also known as Cleopatra Island, is about a 30-minute drive north of Marmaris, and then a boat ride into the Gulf of Gökova. Here you can explore the ruins of ancient walls and a Roman theater, but you can't walk or lounge on the island's beach, which is now fully protected. Local tour guides will tell you that its rare sand–made from tiny egg-shaped, luminously white pearls–was brought here by Marc Antony for Cleopatra. Enjoy views of it while swimming before the impressive escarpments of Mt. Kavak. Various Marmaris-based tour operators run day trips here; prices run around 140 TL a head. Alternatively, drive to Çamlı village and catch one of the "dolmuş boats" (80 TL return) that shuttle back and forth to the island.

Step through the impressive, pre-Justinianic marble portal (its huge blocks likely plundered from the nearby Temple of Artemis) to approach the basilica, which sits below the crenelated walls of the Fortress of Ayasuluk, likely covering the site of the most ancient settlement in Selçuk. In the 6th century AD, after earthquakes destroyed the modest church believed to mark the grave of St. John the Evangelist, Byzantine Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora commanded that a grand marble basilica be erected over the site on Ayasuluk Hill, its 11 domes grand enough to rival the imperial pair's other legendary building project, Aya Sofya. The basilica's barrel-vaulted roof collapsed after another long-ago earthquake, but the ruined church is still an incredibly evocative sight, with its labyrinth of halls and marble courtyards, and occasional mosaic fragments. Both the basilica and the fortress, the work of Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman builders, provide stunning views of the Plain of Ephesus and the İsa Bey Mosque. Come by in the early morning or late afternoon when there are rarely crowds; if arriving later in the day, be sure to visit the fortress first---it closes earlier than the basilica area.

The grave of Myra's famous 4th-century bishop—St. Nicholas (aka Santa Claus)—quickly became a pilgrimage site shortly after his death. A church was built around his tomb in the 6th century but later destroyed in an Arab raid. In 1043, St. Nicholas Basilica was rebuilt with the aid of the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX and the empress Zoë. It was, in turn, heavily restored in the 19th century courtesy of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia. (To this day, most visitors to the church—now operated as a museum—are Russian.)

It's difficult to distinguish between parts of the original church and the restorations, although the bell tower and upper story are clearly late additions. The colorful, evocative frescos are reminiscent of the early churches of Cappadocia. The reputed sarcophagus of St. Nicholas is in the southernmost aisle, though his remains were stolen in 1087 and taken to Bari, Italy, where the church of San Nicola di Bari was built to house them. A few bones remained, so the story goes, and these can be seen in the Antalya Museum.

A service is (theoretically, at least) held in the church every year on December 6, the feast day of St. Nicholas. Among his good deeds, the saint is said to have carried out nocturnal visits to the houses of local children to leave gifts, including gold coins as dowries for poor village girls; if a window was closed, said the storytellers, he would drop the gifts down the chimney.

Clinging to the side of a sheer cliff, the Sumela Monastery (also known as Meryemana, which is Mother Mary in Turkish, because it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary) is stunning to behold. Orthodox monks founded the retreat in the 5th century, living in clifftop caves surrounding a shrine that housed a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary painted by St. Luke. The labyrinth of courtyards, corridors, and chapels date from the time of Emperor Alexius III of Trebizond, who was crowned here in 1340—the monastery continued under the Sultans, remaining until the Greeks were expelled from Turkey in 1922. Although the icon and other treasures have been removed, extensive frescoes done between the 14th and 18th century remain. Though sections have been chipped away or scribbled over with graffiti, they are impressive nonetheless in their depictions of Old and New Testament images—look for an Arab-looking Jesus, an almost African Virgin, and a scene of Adam and Eve, expelled from Eden, taking up a plough.

The first, lower, parking lot is beside the river (and the Sumela Restaurant). From there a well-worn trail to the monastery is a rigorous 40-minute uphill hike. Farther on is a second, upper parking lot, at the level of the monastery, a 15-minute walk away on a level path. Most organized day excursions from Trabzon drop you at the upper lot and collect you from the lower one. An extensive restoration process was completed in 2021 and the monastery was reopened, but as of December 2021 it was again under restoration and closed to visitors. Though still visible from the outside, visitors should call in advance and inquire about the restoration status.

50 yards inside Hadrian's Gate, turn left to find this small museum, an oasis in a group of restored buildings with an unusual painted exterior that experts say reflects the way most Antalya houses looked in Ottoman times. The main display area has interesting pictures of old Antalya and a couple of rooms with costumed mannequins that re-create Ottoman wedding scenes and other traditions. In the garden is a restored church where there are rotating exhibitions about different aspects of local history. The museum is part of a privately funded research institute and has an excellent library (accessible with special permission), plus a shop that sells a good range of guidebooks and high quality souvenirs.

Over 1,000 meters (3,500 feet) above sea level, this compelling site is nestled inside the Mount Güllük-Termessos National Park, where golden eagles are sometimes spotted. The attractions start right by the parking area, with a monumental gate that's part of an ancient temple dedicated to the Emperor Hadrian. The steepness of the path that leads up to the craggy remains of the city walls makes it clear just why Alexander the Great declined to attack. On the way, you'll pass a gymnasium, a colonnaded street, a bath complex built of dark-gray stone, and then, up and around, a 5,000-seat theater with a truly spectacular setting on the edge of a sheer cliff. From this staggering height you can see the sea, the Pamphylian plain, Mt. Solymos (now called Mt. Güllük), and the occasional mountain goat or ibex.

Farther around is the well-preserved bouleuterion (where the city council met), the very overgrown agora (market), and some huge underground cisterns. Termessos has one more wonder: several vast necropolises, with nearly 1,000 tombs scattered willy-nilly on a rocky hill. A signposted alternate route back to the parking lot takes you past several rock-cut tombs; you can access another large collection of them via a path from the ticket office.

From the acropolis of Tlos, you can glimpse the Xanthos Valley to the west—a rich agricultural area both in ancient times and today. Mountains cradle Tlos's Roman theater, with an 18th-century Ottoman mansion at the summit, reached via a narrow path that goes past a cluster of rock tombs. Below the acropolis is a large flat stadium, with seats on one side from which spectators watched footraces. Just up the road are the remains of Tlos's agora, basilica, and Roman bath.

Written about in Homer's epic, the Iliad, and long thought to be a figment of the Greek poet's imagination, Troy was, nevertheless, found and subsequently excavated in the 1870s by Heinrich Schliemann. Although the wooden horse outside is a modern nod to Homer's epics, the city walls are truly ancient.

The richness of your experience at Troy will depend on your own knowledge (or imagination) or the knowledge and English-language skills of a guide. You might find the site highly evocative, with its remnants of massive, rough-hewn walls and its strategic views over the coastal plains—where the battles of the Trojan War were supposedly fought—to the sea. Or you might consider it an unimpressive row of trenches with piles of earth and stone.

A site plan shows the general layout of the city, which is surprisingly small, and marks the beginning of a signposted path leading to key features from several historical periods. The best-preserved features are from the Roman city, with its bouleuterion (council chamber), the site's most complete structure, and small theater.

Süleyman the Magnificent commissioned Sinan to build this grandiose stone palace overlooking the Hippodrome in about 1520 for his brother-in-law, the grand vizier Ibrahim Pasha, and it is one of the most important surviving examples of secular Ottoman architecture from its time. It now houses the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, which has an exceptional collection of Islamic art and artifacts dating from the 7th through 20th century, including lavishly illustrated Korans and other calligraphic manuscripts; intricate metalwork; wood and stone carvings; an astrolabe from the 1200s; colorful ceramics; religious relics and artifacts, including an elaborate hajj certificate and device for determining the direction of Mecca; and one of the world's most highly regarded troves of antique carpets.

Amongst its wines, this winery is very proud of producing red wine from the re-discovered and cultivated Foça Karası Grape, considered an ancestral stock for many modern wines. The names of the wines are inspired by Shakespeare's sonnets, with sections from these printed in the wine introduction booklet. Tastings consist of a choice of three to six wines served with a charcuterie board, with an explanation by the staff while you sit on the terrace overlooking the vineyard and valley. Service can also be in the large arched cool salon, furnished with comfortable tables and chairs or sofas around the fireplace.

The small village of Uzuncaburç, in the mountains north of Silifke, makes a nice day trip. It's dotted with the ruins of Diocaesaria Olba, a town run by the priests of Zeus Olbios. Along the ancient main street you'll see a theater, a curious columned structure that once marked the main crossroads, a fountain, a temple of Tyche, and another temple dedicated to Zeus. This temple is one of the earliest surviving Corinthian-style buildings, whose score of upright columns make for an evocative sight. North of the temples is the impressive North Gate, and to the northeast is a well-preserved five-story watchtower. The most straightforward road here is signposted from Silifke: after about 8 km (5 miles), you'll pass ancient Imbriogon (Demircili), where there are four temple tombs.

The highest fairy chimney in Cappadocia, Uçhisar Kalesi has the most spectacular views in the area, save those from a hot-air balloon. Called "Uçhisar Castle" in Turkish, the giant rock outcrop was used as a fortress in the late Byzantine and early Ottoman periods, and it was later inhabited by locals. The striking formation is riddled with rock-cut dwellings, giving it a Swiss-cheese look, but it was evacuated in the 1960s when erosion put everything in danger of collapse, and the structure was declared a disaster zone (residents were moved to safer homes in the surrounding area). The top of Uçhisar Kalesi—reached by a steep climb on recently installed steps with good traction—is a beautiful spot to watch the sunset. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Mt. Erciyes, 57 km (36 miles) away.

Start your exploration of this UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Roman-style theater, where inscriptions indicate that its restoration was funded by a wealthy Lycian named Opromoas of Rhodiapolis after the great earthquake of AD 141. Alongside the theater are two much-photographed pillar tombs. The more famous of the pair is called the Harpy Monument—not after what's inside, but because of the half-bird, half-woman figures carved onto the north and south sides. This tomb has been dated to 470 BC; the reliefs are plaster casts of originals in the British Museum. The other tomb consists of a sarcophagus atop a pillar—a rather unusual arrangement. The pillar section is probably as old as the Harpy Monument, while the sarcophagus was added later.

Opposite the agora is the Inscribed Pillar of Xanthos. Dating from about 400 BC, it is etched with 250 lines (written in both Greek and Lycian) that recount the heroic deeds of a champion wrestler and celebrated soldier named Kherei. Check out the large Byzantine basilica before following the path uphill, where you'll find several sarcophagi, a good collection of rock-cut house tombs, and a welcome spot of shade.

Juxtaposing simple form, inspired stone carving, and spectacular tile work, this mosque is among the finest in Turkey. Work on the building was completed in 1420, during the reign of Mehmet I Çelebi (ruled 1413–21). Its beauty begins in the marble entryway, where complex feathery patterns and calligraphy are carved into the stone; inside is a sea of blue and green İznik tiles. The central hall rests under two shallow domes; in the one near the entrance, an oculus sends down a beam of sunlight at midday, illuminating a fountain delicately carved from a single piece of marble. The mihrab (prayer niche) towers almost 50 feet and is covered with stunning tiles and intricate carvings. On a level above the main doorway is the sultan's loge, lavishly decorated and tiled.

What claims to be the largest mosaic museum in the world houses a stunning collection of Roman-era mosaics rescued from a nearby archaeological site called Zeugma, which was previously submerged under the waters of a man-made lake. The intricate mosaics—some portraying scenes from Roman mythology, others more artistic geometric designs—are dazzling to behold. The fragment of a mosaic depicting a young woman with an enigmatic gaze (called "The Gypsy Girl") is quickly earning Mona Lisa–like iconic status across Turkey. Many of the mosaics depict less common myths, such as that of Achilles, hidden by his mother before the Trojan War and disguised in women's clothing but tricked into showing interest in a sword, and Parthenope and Metiochus, the Romeo and Juliet of the ancient world. Destruction by illegal excavations is also highlighted, and several of the mosaics on display did time in private collections in the United States before being recovered.

Unspoiled İztuzu stretches for 5.4 km (3.4 miles), with the Mediterranean on one side and a freshwater delta on the other. Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles lay their eggs here in summer, which means that this is a conservation area and there are rules in place so you don't disturb them; there's even a turtle hospital you can visit at the far end of the beach (where the minibus from Dalyan stops). It gets crowded near the boat drop-off point, but walk a few hundred yards away, and you'll have the sand to yourself. Regular boats (dolmuş tekne) from Dalyan cost about 100 TL for the return trip, so skip expensive tours or private rentals, unless you're venturing farther afield. Be aware that although you can catch the boat to the beach starting around 9:30 am, the hourly return trips don't begin until the early afternoon. Amenities: food and drink; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

The hilltop Acropolis measures about five square city blocks. Founded about 1000 BC by Aeolian Greeks, the city was successively ruled by Lydians, Persians, Pergamenes, Romans, and Byzantines, until Sultan Orhan Gazi (ruled 1324–62) took it over for the Ottomans in 1330. Aristotle is said to have spent time here in the 4th century BC, and St. Paul stopped en route to Miletus in about AD 55.

You're best off leaving your car on one of the wider streets and making your way on foot up the steep, cobbled lanes to the top, where you'll be rewarded with sensational views of the coastline and, in the distance, the Greek island of Lesbos, whose citizens were the original settlers of Assos. At the summit is the site of the Temple of Athena (circa 530 BC), which has splendid sea views but has been somewhat clumsily restored. A more modern addition, right before the entrance to the ruins, is the Murad Hüdavendigâr Camii, a mosque built in the late 14th century.

The pretty, 16th-century Adana Ulu Camii (Adana Great Mosque) is more Arabic than Turkish in style, with beautiful patterned stonework that has been well restored over the years. Behind the mosque is a former madrassa, now a peaceful tea garden, and a small park. Beyond that is Adana's lively market area, where there are also several other old mosques, including the Yağ Camii (Oil Mosque) on Alimunif Caddesi, built in 1501 and incorporating a Byzantine church.

On the shore of Lake Van, the remains of the small town of Ahlat are an impressive open-air museum of what was an important cultural destination. The remains of Seljuk and Ottoman mosques and fortresses, and the medieval cemetery with its impressive collection of monumental türbe (tombs), are the main attractions. A small museum on the sprawling site contains a collection of Uratian metalwork and pottery.

Located in Balat, the city's historically Jewish district, Istanbul's oldest synagogue is believed to date from the 1430s, when it was founded by Jews from the town of Ohrid in what is today North Macedonia. The synagogue was extensively restored in 1992 to the Ottoman baroque style of its last major reconstruction in the 17th century. The most interesting feature of this Sephardic place of worship is the boat-shape wooden bimah (reading platform), whose form is thought to represent either Noah's Ark or the ships that brought the Jews from the Iberian Peninsula to the Ottoman Empire in 1492. To visit, you must apply by email (preferred) or fax at least four business days in advance to the Chief Rabbinate (follow the directions on the website).

It's worth dropping by the small Alanya Archaeological Museum just to see the petite but perfectly preserved Roman bronze statue of a gleaming, muscular Hercules from the 2nd century AD. There is also a lovely seafaring mosaic, artifacts from the area's ancient maritime culture, some interesting stone altars, a bronze Pegasus statue, and limestone ossuaries. Note the Ottoman Greek inscriptions by the entry in Karamanlı—Turkish written with the Greek alphabet.

With its majestic vaulted interior, Alara Han is one of the most romantic kervansarays (inns) in Turkey. Built on the banks of the icy Ulugüney stream in the early 13th century and now beautifully restored, it has a fountain, prayer room, unusual lamp stands carved into stone, and lions' heads at the bases of the arches. In summer, the inland countryside location also provides welcome relief from the sweltering coast. If you’re feeling energetic, an unusual hand-carved tunnel leads up to the Seljuk fortress (Alara Kalesi) built on the crags above the inn. A flashlight is essential to make the climb.