Best places to visit in Turkey

Turkey's Absolute Essentials

This collection explores Turkey’s architectural legacy, from the imperial heart of Istanbul to the prehistoric sites of Anatolia. It features the Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace, and the Blue Mosque, showcasing the height of Byzantine and Ottoman design. The list includes the subterranean Cistern of Philoxenos, the rock-cut dwellings of Cappadocia’s Zelve Open-Air Museum, and historic structures like the Column of Constantine. From the 19th-century Camondo Stairs to the Paleolithic Karain Cave near Antalya, these sites offer a timeline of human civilization spanning over 25,000 years.

Turkey's Absolute Essentials — Map

Myrabella / Public domain

A

Hagia Sophia

Historic architectural masterpiece that has served as a church, mosque, and museum, renowned for its Byzantine architecture and cultural significance.

travisreitter / CC BY-SA 2.0

B

The Blue Mosque

Historic Ottoman mosque known for its six minarets and intricate blue tile interior decoration. It is an active place of worship and a significant example of Ottoman architecture.

Gryffindor / Public domain

C

Topkapı Palace

Historic Ottoman palace and former royal residence featuring centuries-old architecture and extensive imperial collections, now functioning as a museum and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Gryffindor / Public domain

D

Sultan Ahmet Square

Historic square featuring notable monuments and remnants of an ancient sports and social center. It reflects both Byzantine and Ottoman architectural influences.

Sygic Travel User / CC-BY-SA

E

Cistern of Philoxenos

Byzantine underground cistern featuring 224 columns and notable Byzantine architecture. It serves as an archaeological site and museum showcasing ancient water storage engineering.

Jiri Parimucha / CC-BY

F

New Mosque

Completed in the 17th century, this large mosque features 66 domes, a nice courtyard and two minarets.

Bollweevil / CC BY-SA 3.0

G

Column of Constantine

There used to be a statue of Constantine the Great atop of this Roman column.

VikiPicture / CC BY-SA 3.0

H

Camondo Stairs

This famous stairway was built around 1880 by a wealthy man named Abraham Salomon Camondo. It mixes Neo-Baroque and early Art Nouveau styles.

Alexxx1979 / CC BY-SA 4.0

I

Hagia Irene

This former Eastern Orthodox church is part of the Topkapi Palace complex. The name Hagia Irene means "Divine Peace".

Rose28357 / CC BY-SA 3.0

J

Cağaloğlu Hamam

The Cağaloğlu Hamam is a historic hamam in Sultanahmet, in the heart of the historic centre of Istanbul, Turkey.

Gryffindor / Public domain

K

Haseki Hürrem Hammam

The Hagia Sophia Hurrem Sultan Bathhouse is a sixteenth-century Turkish bath in Istanbul, Turkey.

Serhinho / CC BY-SA 3.0

L

Sultan Ahmed III Fountain

The Fountain of Sultan Ahmed III is a fountain in the great square in front of the Imperial Gate of Topkapı Palace in Istanbul, Turkey.

Николай Максимович / CC BY 3.0

M

Dolmabahçe Palace Park

Dolmabahçe Palace located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the European coast of the Bosporus strait, served as the main…

N

Ortahisar Castle

This rock-cut castle was recently renovated and offers its visitors marvelous views of the town and fairy chimneys in the valley.

O

Zelve Open-Air Museum

This cave town is where Christians and Muslims once lived together. It was abandoned in the 1950s, when life in the caves became too…

Klaus-Peter Simon / CC BY 3.0

P

Karain cave

Karain Cave is a Paleolithic archaeological site located at Yağca Village 27 km northwest of Antalya city in the Mediterranean region of…

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