334 Best Sights in Turkey

Across the lake from Van is one of Turkey's loveliest natural wonders, the beautiful and rarely visited crater lakes of Mt. Nemrut (Nemrut Krater Gölü), which should not be confused with the more famous Mt. Nemrut farther west. From Tatvan, 146 km (91 miles) west of Van, a rutted road leads up the mountain to the 10,000-foot-high rim of what was once a mighty volcano. From the rim of the crater, you can see down to the two lakes below—a smaller swimmable one fed by hot springs and a larger, much colder one. A loose dirt road leads down to the lakes, where very simple tea stands are set up. The inside of the crater has an otherworldly feel to it, with its own ecosystem: stands of short, stunted trees and scrubby bushes, birds and turtles, and cool breezes. It's only open after the snow melts in May/June until the winter begins again in November. After this time, it's possible to visit a small ski resort located halfway up the mountainside, with a chairlift that takes visitors to the summit.

The complex around the Sultan Murat II Camii (built 1425–26) is probably the city's most serene resting place, with 12 tombs tucked amid a leafy park. Among those buried here are Murat (1404–51), the father of Mehmet the Conqueror, and Mustafa (1515–53), the eldest son of Süleyman the Magnificent, who was strangled in his father's tent. Murat's plain tomb was built in accordance with his will, with an open hole in the roof right above the tomb to let the rain in. The most decorated tombs are those of two grandsons of Murat, Çelebi Mehmet and Cem Sultan, which are kept locked most of the time—ask the caretaker to open them for you.

The stones of Myndos Gate and the visible 1.5 km (1 mile) stretch of the Halicarnassus City Wall stand as remnants of the era of King Mausolus who built Halicarnassus into a city from 337 BC. Thanks to recent excavations, visitors can walk alongside the wall and admire the views over Bodrum town, the bays, and the hills. It's best to walk very early in summer with your water bottle, or in cooler seasons, and take a hat to protect yourself from the direct sun exposure. Start from the top end, opposite the Salmakis Taxi stand, to end at the lowest point at the Myndos Gate.

The minaret of the 13th-century İnce Minare Medresesi, or "Seminary of the Slender Minaret," is bejeweled with glazed turquoise tiles. Unfortunately, due to a 1901 lightning strike, it is only half its original height. Also worth noting is the especially ornate Seljuk-style decoration of the beautiful stone entry portal. The building itself houses the small but well-done Museum of Stone and Woodwork, which displays a fine collection of tombstones and other inscribed stone fragments as well as elaborate wooden carvings dating from the 13th century. Highlights are the fascinating Persian-influenced Seljuk stone reliefs, which include double-headed eagles, winged angels, and strange creatures that are part human and part bird or beast.

Much of the the region's medical fame comes from the plethora of hot mineral springs, noted all the way back to Homer. One of the most popular and scenic is located in the village Nebiler, 16 km (10 miles) north of Dikili. Among the plane trees, domed hamams cover mineral rich springs reaching 54 degrees C (130 degrees F), while relaxation cabins sit nearby. Nebiler also draws hikers and naturalists to its famous waterfall and surrounding caves.

Remnants of ancient Antioch uncovered accidentally during construction of the Museum Hotel Antakya have been preserved in situ underneath the hotel as a museum, with walkways above impressively large and detailed Roman mosaics, the remains of a Roman bath, and sections of the old stone streets. A small display area contains a handful of the 30,000 artifacts found here, and video depictions of the history of the site, the excavation, and the construction of the museum and hotel.

This large cave dappled with stalactites and stalagmites is tucked away in the forested hills of Yıldız Adası (Star Island), which is linked by a causeway to the mainland south of Marmaris town. To reach the cave, follow the signs off the road to a rocky path and then up a set of wooden stairs. Most of the “island” is part of Marmaris National Park and can be explored via a variety of steep but scenic hiking and biking paths.

The small but nicely done Niğde Museum showcases a variety of finds from nearby archaeological sites dating mainly from the Early Bronze Age and Assyrian, Hittite, Greek, and Roman periods. On display are ceramics, metalwork, jewelry, stelae, and an extensive collection of coins. There are also five 10th- and 11th-century mummies—of an adult woman and four small children—that were found in a rock-cut church in the Ihlara Valley and elsewhere in Cappadocia.

Popular with both locals and visitors, this charming neighborhood is a lovely place to spend a summer afternoon or evening. Restaurants and cafés cluster around the small square on the European-side waterfront, which is dominated by the iconic silhouette of Ortaköy Camii, an elegant, 19th-century, Ottoman mosque designed by the same Armenian architects who built the Dolmabahçe Palace. The mosque overlooks the water, with the imposing Bosphorus Bridge (built 1973) behind it. On Sunday, the narrow, cobblestoned surrounding streets are lined with stalls selling jewelry, scarves, trinkets, and small antique items. Ortaköy is also considered the best place in Istanbul to try the street food called kumpir (basically giant baked potatoes with a choice of fillings): look for the row of about a dozen food stands—selling kumpir, waffles, and other snacks—all competing for customers' attention.

Just 10 km (6 miles) southeast of Mardin is the Syrian Orthodox Dayrul Zafran. Founded in the 5th century and partially restored in the 19th century, the monastery is still in use and sits like a golden (or saffron) jewel in the scrubby hills of a hidden side valley. Highlights of the guided tour include the main church and the burial chapel, which date from the 5th century and are filled with Roman detailing, and an underground chamber, said to be a former sun temple—the heavy stone ceiling is a miracle of Roman engineering. You may catch sight of one of the rahip (priests) who still speak and teach Aramaic, the language of Christ.

On the way to Knidos, a road heads south past many small villages and to the tiny Palamutbükü Beach, a nice place to stop and take a dip in the sparkling blue (but sometimes chilly) waters. Behind the beach are several restaurants, each serving their own zone of pebbled shorefront. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

At the very foot of the white travertines, this delightful park with grassy lawns entertains local families and visitors alike, with fantastically shaped pedal boats on the pond, ducks and geese to feed, private swimming pools, a cheery open-air café that stays open into the night, and ice cream stands. It's free to enter; the pools and boats cost extra. Nowhere in town has better views.

On a spectacular perch high above Bodrum, the little-visited ruins of the ancient city of Pedasa date back some 2,500 years, when members of the Leleg civilization built a temple to the goddess Athena here. The site, parts of which are still under excavation, has an acropolis and a necropolis in addition to the temple—and the sweeping views. The archaeological site is located along a new cross-peninsula trekking route, the Leleg Yolu (Leleges Way) that will eventually include 88 km (55 miles) of marked paths. A scenic hike of around 6 or 7 km (4 miles) leads from the side of the motorway in Torba, a short dolmuş ride from Bodrum city center, to Pedasa; the trailhead is a bit tricky to find, but the rest is well-marked. From Pedasa, it’s about 3 km (2 miles) down a paved road to the town of Konacık, which while overdeveloped and unlovely, offers two good reasons to stop by: a hearty and well-priced meal at the popular lunchtime spot Kısmet, and coffee afterwards in the lush gardens of Zai Bodrum, a beautifully designed and art-bedecked library and cultural center.

A small private museum housed in a grand 1893 building (the former Bristol Hotel), the Pera showcases diverse exhibits. It's best known, however, for its permanent collection of Orientalist paintings by both European and Ottoman artists from the 17th to 19th century and including panoramas of the city and court life; The Tortoise Trainer by Osman Hamdi Bey—a late-Ottoman painter who also founded the Istanbul Archaeological Museums—is particularly famous. One of the two smaller permanent exhibits focuses on Kütahya ceramics and tiles, the other on the history of Anatolian weights and measures from the Hittite period to the early 20th century. The upper three levels house well-conceived temporary exhibits featuring local and international artists. The museum also runs a regular film program, often featuring international and subtitled selections, in its basement screening room.

Spectacularly sited, the remains of Priene are on the top a steep hill above the flat valley of the Büyük Menderes Nehri. First excavated by British archaeologists in 1868–69, the site is smaller than Ephesus and far quieter and less grandiose. One of the most prominent ruins is the Temple of Athena, the work of Pytheos, architect of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) and the design was repeatedly copied at other sites in the Greek empire. Alexander apparently chipped in on construction costs. Between the columns, look on the marble floor for a small circle, crisscrossed with lines like a pizza—a secret symbol of Ionia's ancient Christians. Walk north and then east along the track that leads to the well-preserved little theater, sheltered on all sides by pine trees. Enter through the stage door into the orchestra section and note the five front-row VIP seats, carved thrones with lions' feet. If you scramble up a steep cliff known as Samsun Dağı (behind the theater and to your left as you face the seats), you will find the sparse remains of the Sanctuary of Demeter, goddess of the harvest; only a few remnants of the columns and walls remain, as well as a big hole through which blood of sacrificial victims was poured as a gift to the deities of the underworld. Since few people make it up here, it is an incredibly peaceful spot with a terrific view over Priene and the plains. Beyond are the remnants of a Hellenistic fortress. (Check safety conditions before you climb.)

Housed on the grounds of an Ottoman-era shipyard on the shore of the Golden Horn, and in an adjacent foundry where anchors were cast for the Ottoman fleet, this museum complex was founded by one of Turkey's leading industrialists. The wonderful, eclectic collection includes aircraft, boats, a submarine, a tank, trucks, trains, a horse-drawn tram, motorcycles, antique cars, medieval telescopes, and every type of engine imaginable. Along with the many vehicles and machines, interactive displays on science and technology, as well as recreations of a sawmill and a 1920s olive oil factory, are of special appeal to children. There are several on-site food and beverage venues, including Café du Levant, a Parisian-style bistro with Art Nouveau furnishings, and the waterfront Halat Restaurant. Take a Golden Horn ferry, a bus from Şişhane, or a taxi to get here.

These galleries, in an ornate marble building next door to the Ethnography Museum, display a vast number of works by late Ottoman and modern Turkish artists. With a few exceptions, most of the latter haven't earned international recognition, yet this collection provides an interesting glimpse into the way Turkey's artists have been influenced by Western trends over the last century and a half. Schools of art such as Impressionism and Abstract Expressionism are represented among the portraits, landscape paintings, sculptures, and other works on display.

You can't bathe at this 3rd-century complex just north of Ulus Square, but you can see how the Romans did. The large bath system featured a frigidarium, tepidarium, and caldarium (cold, warm, and hot rooms), as well as steam rooms that had raised floors. An illustration near the entrance shows the layout of the Roman city superimposed over a map of the modern area, indicating just how little of ancient Ancyra has been excavated. Also scattered around the open-air site are various stone fragments, some of which appear to be ancient gravestones, with Latin and Hebrew inscriptions.

The ancient city of Patara is slowly emerging from the sands near Patara Beach under an ongoing excavation by Antalya's Akdeniz University. The heavy stones that make up the front of the monumental bathhouse are impressive, and a triple arch built by a Roman governor in AD 100 seems a tenth of its age. Beyond is a theater, the assembly hall of the Lycian League, several churches, and an impressive section of a colonnaded street. Follow the path west and you'll see the Roman lighthouse, which is being reconstructed from stone blocks unearthed in 2000. Still waiting to be found is the Temple of Apollo; Herodotus wrote that its oracle worked only part-time, as Apollo spent summers away in Delos (probably to escape the heat).

Built on a hill on the European side of the city overlooking the water, Rumeli Hisarı is the best preserved of all the fortresses on the Bosphorus and well worth a visit. Constructed in just four months in 1452, this eccentric-looking complex was ordered by Mehmet the Conqueror to be situated directly across from Anadolu Hisarı, at the narrowest point of the strait. This allowed the Ottomans to take control of the waterway, and Mehmet and his troops conquered Constantinople the following year.

Lovely and evocative, this is one of the most ancient mosques in western Türkiye, dating from 1375. The jumble of architectural styles suggests a transition between Seljuk and Ottoman design: like later-day Ottoman mosques, this one has a large courtyard, though the interior is plain (in the 19th century, it doubled as a kervansaray). The structure is built out of spolia, or "borrowed" stone: marble blocks with Latin inscriptions, Corinthian columns, black-granite columns from the baths at Ephesus, and pieces from the altar of the Temple of Artemis. Don't miss it if you're visiting the St. John Basilica—it's a 3-minute walk downhill as you turn right out of the gate.

At some point, one of the city's Roman towers gained a clock and was dubbed the Saat Kulesi (Clock Tower). Several of the old town's cobbled lanes pass through the wall here. The area, also known as Kalekapısı (Castle Gate), serves as one of the interfaces between the old town and the new.

On the banks of the Seyhan River sits Adana's most prominent building, the Sabancı Merkez Camii. Very similar in style to the 16th-century Selimiye Mosque of Edirne, it was the largest mosque in Turkey when it was completed in 1998, but it has since been surpassed by the Çamlıca Camii in Istanbul (making it the second-largest). The large Merkez Parkı (Central Park) spreads north along the river from the mosque, with walking paths, fountains, and gazebos making for a pleasant green respite in the city center.

There are several reasons visitors flock to the thermal waters of the Sacred Pool at Hierapolis: the bathtub-warm water (a relatively constant 95 degrees Fahrenheit), the reputed therapeutic properties of the mineral-rich water (Cleopatra supposedly used it as toner), and the atmospheric marble columns and ancient stone carvings scattered about. The lushly landscaped complex has changing rooms, lock boxes to store your stuff, souvenir shops, and (overpriced) snack bars. Entry to the pools is expensive (you need to pay to get into Hierapolis as well) but floating over ancient ruins in hot, faintly effervescent mineral water is more fun than it sounds. If you don't want to spend the time and money, you can relax in one of the shaded seating areas with a beverage instead. The pool gets crowded in the summer months so plan your visit for early morning or after the tour buses depart. The pool closes earlier in winter months but it's also much less crowded during the day. Consider bringing your own towel. Locals line up to collect spring water from the on-site faucets, but unless you have a strong stomach, it's probably best to avoid joining them.

If you continue south from Tlos, you'll reach this spectacular gorge. It's a popular spot for picnicking and a wonderful place to cool off on a hot summer's day. The first section goes over a walkway above the torrent to a pleasant leafy tea garden, beyond which the adventurous can cross the glacial water and continue up the canyon. The first 30 minutes are straightforward; then the wading gets deeper and the rock scrambles more difficult, so know your limits—and expect to get wet. The road here heads south to Çavdır, which is just across the highway from Xanthos. If you don't have your own car, plenty of tour operators offer day trips. You need water shoes for this adventure; you can buy an inexpensive pair for around 200 TL in local clothes or convenience stores.

The Samandağ district of Hatay province, located between Antakya and the Mediterranean Coast, is rich in historic sites and natural beauty and makes for a worthwhile day trip with a guide or in your own car. On a windswept hill east of Route 420 sit the ruins of the Monastery of Symeon Stylites the Younger (free, about 20 km/12.5 miles southwest of Antakya, look for the modern windmills), an important pilgrimage center in early Christianity named for an ascetic monk who lived atop a pillar. On the other side of the highway, a winding road leads into the green foothills of Musa Dağı (Mt. Musa), home to Turkey’s last Armenian village, Vakıflı, a bucolic little spot with breakfast cafés; a small museum; and a shop selling local jams, spices, olives, and fruit liquors. The cafés in the shade of Musa Ağacı (Moses Tree), a giant plane tree said to be 3,000 years old, are another popular place to stop.

From Kapısuyu, the last village before the road heads down to the coast, there’s the scant remains of the ancient temple site Dor Mabedi and a panoramic viewpoint from which you can see where water running off the mountains once entered the Titus Tunnel. The tunnel itself, an eye-poppingly massive piece of Roman engineering, is part of the Çevlik Archaeological Site along with the rock tombs of Beşikli Cave (15 TL admission, about 6 km/4 miles north of Samandağ town). You can easily stop off in Harbiye on the drive back to Antakya.

One of the northernmost settlements on the European shore of the Bosphorus, Sarıyer, centered on a small harbor and backed by a row of seafood restaurants, still feels like a fishing village. As you stroll along the Bosphorus, you'll see majestic old yalıs—some of which are beautifully kept up, and others that have been abandoned and are in a sad state. Sarıyer is one of the stops on the full Bosphorus cruises that leave from Eminönü and is a nice place for a fish lunch.

The city's best achievement is a 10-km (6-mile) seafront promenade that stretches all the way from the easternmost marina known as Netsel, past the old castle, along the palm-lined main boulevard of town, out between the beach and the fancy hotels that line the coast, and then all the way west to the outlying resort of Içmeler. Along the way are cafés and bars at which to pause for refreshment or to take in fine views of sea and mountains. For 15 TL, you can ride back in one of the deniz taksi (shared water taxis) that run up and down the coast in season (usually April–October).

Remains found throughout the town of Silifke, in the vicinity of the castle, indicate that there was a settlement here as far back as the Bronze Age. Most of what can be seen today is from the Roman city known as Seleuceia Trachea, or Calycadnos Seleuceia, and include Corinthian columns from the 2nd-century AD Temple of Zeus, a stone bridge, and an ancient water cistern. A few kilometers out of the village, you'll find the remains of a basilica dedicated to St. Thecla, St. Paul's first convert, and the first female Christian martyr. Most interesting is the cave church below it where Thecla lived—the Patriarchate in Istanbul now organizes services here occasionally. There is a 6th-century cistern at the site as well.