Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Turkey

Packed to the brim with ancient monuments left over from a parade of empires, and endowed with showcase scenery that never fails to impress, Turkey is a dazzling destination that straddles Asia and Europe.

Its vibrant culture, famous food, and vast history wow all who venture here, while its glorious landscapes, from the sun-soaked Mediterranean to the mighty mountains and arid steppe, are tourist attractions in themselves.

Whether you want to lap up the Byzantine and Ottoman glories of Istanbul on a city break, laze on the beach, delve into history wandering through ruins such as Ephesus, or see some of the world's most surreal panoramas in Pamukkale and Cappadocia, this country offers visitors a wide range of things to do.

For ideas on the best places to visit read our list of the top tourist attractions in Turkey.

1. Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) Mosque

renowned as one of the maximum stunning buildings within the international, the spellbinding Byzantine glory of the Hagia Sophia Mosque (Aya Sofya) isn't always simplest one of the pinnacle activities in Istanbul, but also in Turkey.
constructed by means of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 537 CE, it is renowned because the Byzantine Empire's finest architectural fulfillment and has remained the arena's biggest church for 1,000 years.
The remarkable bulk of its outdoors is rimmed via the sensitive minarets brought after the Ottoman conquest, even as the sumptuous and cavernous frescoed indoors is a grand reminder of vintage Constantinople's would possibly and power.
This famed monument is a need to-do for every traveler touring the us of a.

2. Ephesus

now not to be overlooked, the mighty damage of Ephesus is a city of gigantic monuments and marble-columned roads.
one of the most whole, nonetheless-standing famed cities of antiquity inside the Mediterranean place, this is the place to revel in what existence ought to were like in the course of the golden age of the Roman Empire.
The city's records dates again to the tenth century BCE, however the most important monuments you see nowadays all date from its Roman era when it was a thriving business center.
specifically, the Library of Celsus, the complicated of frescoed terraced homes, and the extremely good Theater all point to the wealth and significance of Ephesus at some stage in the Roman duration.
A sightseeing journey right here will take at least half a day to cowl the important highlights and longer, if you actually need to discover, so ensure you plan your visit so that you don't feel rushed.

3. Cappadocia

Cliff ridges and hill crests are domestic to rippling panoramas of wave-like rock or wacky-shaped pinnacles which have been fashioned through millennia of wind and water movement. And if you do not experience like trekking for the perspectives, this is one of the international's top destinations to take a warm-air balloon journey. Nestled on this particular lunar-like panorama are the frescoed rock-cut church buildings and cave-cut structure of the Byzantine era, when this area become domestic to monastic Christian groups.

4. Topkapı Palace#

It changed into from here, at some point of the 15th and sixteenth centuries, that the sultans of the Ottoman generation carved out an empire that would increase up into Europe and down through the middle East and into Africa.
The interiors, with their decadently exuberant tiling and indulgent jeweled decor, are an unforgettable peek into the Ottoman's strength base.
in particular, do not omit the Imperial Council building, wherein the empire's business turned into performed by the Grand Vizier; the arms collection displayed inside the Imperial Treasury; the world-magnificence series of miniature paintings; and the awesome Harem rooms, which have been designed through the famed Ottoman architect Sinan.
the encircling public gardens have been as soon as the sole domain of the Royal court docket however are now open to the general public and provide a tranquil, green respite from the metropolis streets.

5. Pamukkale#

considered one of Turkey's most famous natural wonders, the natural white travertine terraces of Pamukkale ("Cotton castle" in English) cascade down the slope searching like an out-of-place snowfield amid the green landscape.
even though the travertines are themselves a highlight of a Turkey trip, the significant and rambling ruins of Greco-Roman Hierapolis, an historical spa town, lie scattered across the summit of this calcite hill.
After exploring the historic theater, with its views throughout the nation-state, and the remnants of the town's agora, gym, necropolis, and grand gates, you could swim inside the mineral-rich waters which made this historic spa city well-known, within the vintage

pool.
Afterwards, stroll down the travertine hill, wading thru the pools of water within the higher terraces, to the small current village of Pamukkale under.

6. Antalya#

This bustling Mediterranean hub has some thing for absolutely everyone. the 2 principal beaches out of doors of town are solar-sloth heaven in summer and entice holidaymakers from throughout Europe. while the antique town region, cushty right inside the center of city, with its cobblestone alleyways rimmed by way of creaky Ottoman-technology mansions, is a great region to explore. The Antalya Museum is renowned as one of the country's satisfactory, with an dazzling series of Hellenistic and Roman marble statuary, and there are baggage of attractions out of doors of metropolis for vacationers who need to apply Antalya as a base.

7. Cruising the Mediterranean#

Turkey's Mediterranean shoreline has ruins galore and many activities, but for lots human beings, it is all approximately soaking up the solar even as playing the fantastic coastal views. Cruising on a yacht is the primary pastime for traffic to Bodrum and Fethiye for suitable purpose. The steep woodland-clad slopes, hidden coves sporting tiny white-sand beaches, and masses of scattered islands are the suitable place for exploring by sea. Even diehard landlubbers can be impressed. one of the maximum famous trips is known as the Blue Cruise and travels from Fethiye south down the coast until disembarking close to Olympus, home to the famous herbal phenomenon of the Chimaera.