Here is the 1st part of 50 Must-See Places in Turkey. We are sure that you will reconsider your travel plans for this year.
26-ASPENDOS: Archaic and beautiful
Aspendos is an old archaic city with its famous amphitheater. It locates in 49 kms west of Antalya. Theater, which has 15.000 audience capacity,
was built in A.C 2th century by Roman. It is known as the most well-preserved archaic structure in the world.
27- SANTA CLAUS CHURCH: Has an universal fame
Santa Claus Church in Derme attracts tourists from all nations. It contains archaic city of Myra. In Myra rocky graves that were caved to mountain expertly should definitely be seen. Santa Claus Church is 40 kms far from Kaş.
28-ORDU: Watch the city from Boztepe
Nature shows all its beauty liberally in Ordu. You can also find the cleanest sand and the longest coast line of Blacksea. When you look from the hill of Boztepe you will see peaceful coexistence of blue and green in Ordu.
29-SÖĞÜT: A historic journey
Söğüt is the first capital city of Ottoman Empire 700. It locates in 29 kms east of Bilecik. You should visit Söğüt to see tomb of Ertuğrul Gazi, Dursun Fakı and Şeyh Edebalı and listen the history of establishment of an empire that had lasted for 700 years in three continental.
30- KÜLTEPE: Universally well-known
The oldest written source of Anatolian civilization was found in Kültepe 8 kms east of Kayseri. Archaeological excavation is a project followed up in all over the world.
31-İZNİK: Spend a day in İznik
You should visit İznik if you arrive at Bursa. You can find fantastic traces of both the Seljuk and the Ottoman in this charming town. It takes one hour from Bursa by car. İznik tiles are world-famous. Do not forget to buy some of them for your friends and yourself as souvenir.
32- EĞİRDİR GÖLÜ : Lake with seven colors
Eğridir Lake in Isparta is fantastic in every season. Generally its color is very very light blue. However, some days and hours it changes its color so it is known as seven color lake among local people.
33- BALIKLIGÖL: Feed holy fishes
Balıklıgöl ( Aynzeliha and Halil-ür Rahman) is known as the lake where Hz. İbrahim is fell over when he was thrown into the fire. These two lakes are the most visited places in Urfa.
34-MARDİN: It is a pity not to see Mardin
In Mardin you will figure out importance of rocks in human life and how human labour shapes the rocks. You should definitely see this city to see how religions and cults compose a perfect blend and how they exist together in peace.
35- VAN GÖLÜ: sundown in Van Lake
Van can make motifs of Anatolia come alive with its cultural accumulation and scenic beauties. The biggest lake of Turkey, which harbour three islands, is in this city. Akdamar is the famous one between these islands. There is also a historic castle in this island.
36- AYDER YAYLASI: Natural coolness
It is far from 16 kms to Çamlıhemşin Plateau covered with forests of spruce and beech. Its rich flora, thermal spring and an excellent panorama make this place a famous holiday spot.
37- ASHAB-I KEYF MAĞARASI: Ashab-ı Keyf visitation
This cave appears in Koran in Kehf Sura as Seven Sleepings. It attracts a lot of visitors in every year. Its location is Tarsus as it called in many Koran translation.
38- DAMLATAŞ MAĞARASI: It makes asthma better
Alanya can easily be called as city of caves. The most important is Damlataş world-famous. Together with its natural beauty it is also known with its great atmosphere that makes people who have sick of asthma better. If you have such an illness you should definitely visit Damlataş Cave when you are in Alanya.
39- HARPUT: An outdoor museum
Harput 5 kms far away from Elazığ has a view of outdoor museum. You can find historical buildings here and there. It is a spectacular tourism centre with its museum, castle, mosque (Ulu Cami), the Virgin Mary church and Buzluk Cave.
40- YEDİGÖLLER: Pearls in neck of Bolu
Yedigöller ( Seven Lakes) are formed in the course of time in valleys that lies between mountains of Bolu. They are lined up side by side. This place can be called as wonderland for nature in interest.
41- GELİBOLU: History in Gelibolu Peninsula
Gelibolu Peninsula, where gives evidence of bloody conflicts of World War I, is in the form of a war museum. Here is a war cemetery that attracts a lot of tourists both native and foreign around the world. All of them want to see the land on that their ancestors fight and die. If you want to breathe this mystic atmosphere you should see Gelibolu in Çanakkale.
42- EPHESUS: A mysterious trip in archaic city
This archaic city is near the Selçuk town of İzmir. It has a history for 4000 years. It is the most attractive tourist place with its churches, bazaars, caves and founts and most of them stands as is. You should definitely visit this city to be witness of history and to feel it.
43- KARAİN MAĞARASI: From first civilization up to now
Karain cave is one of the biggest cave in Turkey and at the same time it is a natural cave that people lived in it.
44- ZEUGMA: City of mosaic
Zeugma is in Nizip a town of Gaziantep in Southeast of Turkey. Its mosaics that have stand from Roman times are world famous.
45- GÖLCÜK: A dream in nature’s lap
You can reach Gölcük by following a path that winds near to Bolu. It appears as a miniature lake in front of you. There is a bigger lake in Abant ideal for a cheerful walk, to pedal and to make a phaeton tour.
46- ANİ HARABELERİ: Mosque and church are together
Ani Harabeleri ( Ani Ruins) in Kars in northeast of Turkey is an attractive tourism centre. They symbolize different civilizations and cultures. This place is full of mosques, churches, caravansaries and monasteries belong to different civilizations. History fans love here so much…
47- ARTVİN: Every village of Artvin is a plateau
Plateaus compose fiftyone percent of Artvin. Each one has a different beauty and to make a decision on which ona is more beautiful is very hard. You can see Shara Plateau in Şavşat, Biliban Plateau in Ardanuç and Kafkasör Plateau in center of city. Valleys come behind these. You can also attend festival in Kafkasör in summer and see bull fights if you want to experience something different.
48- KAZDAĞLARI: History, oxygen and trekking!
Kazdağları lie down between Çanakkale and Balıkesir. It is a spectacular place with its very green nature, archaeological heritage, watercourses and falls.
49- SAFRANBOLU: Whole beautiful houses of Anatolia
It is a Blacksea town in Karabük. It is famous with its houses that represent Ottoman city architecture. It is one of the nine cultural assets that appears in world heritage list (UNESCO).
50- HASANKEYF: Junction point of cultures
Hasankeyf is located between Mardin and Batman and in consideration of its position it is an intercultural junction point. Even just because of this it should be visited.
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Adana is pure class.
Thank you for putting together the beautiful photos and descriptions.
But as a visitor, I am lost trying to put together the locations without a map showing where that all are. I hope to visit your beautiful country in the later part of 2011.
It really looks like the most beautiful country in the world, it has everything…And, yes, a map would help