Touring Turkey

For a proper tour of Turkey, usually we begin our tours in Istanbul and then proceed to the seaside with mainly classical antiquities and to the inland plateau with predominantly medieval monuments.
Istanbul, Imperial city
If you are first-time visitor to Turkey, your tour must include Istanbul set on low hills overlooking three bodies of water-the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the sea of Marmara- and upon two continents being Europe and Asia. The deep and narrow strait Bosphorus separates Europe from Asia and connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara immediately south of Istanbul. Istanbul's history is at least 2,600 years old, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Though no longer capital, Istanbul is Turkey's business and industrial center and its largest city with a population of over 14 million. From the very beginning, Istanbul was destined to be both beautiful and important place. For 1,600 years Istanbul served as the capital of three successive great empires, the eastern Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire and Ottoman Empire, each of which challenged in adorning it with monuments of majesty and grace, which still dominate the skyline of Istanbul. The present inhabitants accept the glories of Istanbul, supremely confident that no city in the world is more beautiful. They commute by ferry between Europe and Asia, sipping black tea and reading newspapers. They shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar and modern shopping malls, dine at the seafood restaurants lining the shores of Bosphorus, drinking traditional drink "Raki", taste the pleasures of its nightlife, from Belly dancers to jazz to Pop music. It is not rare that the concerts take place in a sixth C church or in a 14th C tower which is quite natural and acceptable by the locals.
Istanbul's environs offer many attractions to the visitors, if you feel a little under pressure of the big city, you can take a ferry to the nearby Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara, where leisurely pace is enforced by a ban against motor vehicles and the fastest means of transportation is the horse carriage, a lovely thing to do in a cool breeze in the summer time.
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Istanbul's Environs
A taste of the countryside is possible on a day or overnight trip to Thrace, Turkey's only European province that borders Bulgaria and Greece. Thrace has Edirne close to the Bulgarian border. Edirne was the capital of the Ottoman Empire before the conquest of Istanbul. It is also the location of the great Ottoman architect Sinan's masterpiece, the Selimiye mosque with extraordinary beauty and majesty. Edirne hosts the famous annual wrestling festival of Kirkpinar, a tradition of over 700 years. To the southwestern corner of the Sea of Marmara are the Dardanelles or Hellespont, a narrow strait that separates Europe from Asia and connects the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean Sea. Along the western shores of the Dardanelles is the Gallipoli peninsula, the battlefield of the famous Gallipoli war fought off between Ottoman army and combining British and Anzac troops. It is well worth visit to the haunted memorials to the soldiers on both sides who fell in the bloody campaign waged there in 1915 and 1916. From Istanbul, many boats and car ferries cross the Sea of Marmara to the pleasant cities on its southern shores. Bursa is probably most popular destination among these. Bursa, being the 14th C Ottoman capital offers many samples of early Ottoman architecture and a nice small Jewish synagogue. Today, Bursa is famous for the production of silks and fluffy "Turkish" towels, that are sold in the Silk market known as "Koza Han" which is located in the town center. Iznik, ancient Nicaea is located on the shores of the Lake with the same name as town itself. This Nicaea was the place where in AD 325 a church council promulgated the Nicene Creed that rejected the teachings of the Arianism. This church of Hagia Sophia still stands at the town center. Iznik was also the capital of Byzantine Empire during the Latin invasion of Constantinople by the Crusaders in the 13th C Iznik, later became the major production center for the famous Iznik tiles that adorned the palaces and mosques in Istanbul.
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Along the Aegean Coast
Aegean region, after Istanbul, the most frequently visited area of Turkey. In summer, it is breezier and cooler than Mediterranean that makes it a perfect destination for those in search of sun and sandy beaches. While the scenery is lovely and the beaches sandy, the region's main attraction is exerted by its well preserved ancient cities. Most popular destination among the ancient sites is Troy, the legendary city of Homer, on the Asian mainland opposite Gallipoli peninsula. Homer, in his book "Iliad", gives us a clear account of the Trojan War fought inside and outside the city walls of Troy. The road south from Troy passes near Assos, home of Aristotle who was a tutor to Alexander the Great. At Assos, also stayed St. Paul on his journeys through Asia Minor. Bergama, the site of ancient Pergamum is set on a steep hilltop, the capital of Pergamum kingdom after the death of Alexander the Great was a cultural center having a large library rivaling that of Alexandria in Egypt. Pergamum today with its impressive setting on a 1,000 feet high hilltop, has many well preserved monuments of the Hellenistic period. Not from Pergamum, is the site of the famous ancient medical center, Asclepieum where patients were treated, also here served Galen who was a famous physician of the 2nd C AD. Driving on the road further south from Pergamum brings us to Izmir, the third largest city, with a major airport. Izmir is the site of ancient Smyrna where Homer was born in 8th C BC. Today, the remains of the ancient Smyrna are still visible in the town center, particularly the Agora, ancient market place, and the defense walls on the top of Acropolis. Smyrna has some churches and synagogues that are still active. An hour of drive inland from Izmir is Sardis, which was the capital of Lydian Empire. The Money was invented and introduced here, Sardis was a rich city from gold deposits in the stream flowing nearby. Therefore, Croesus became the wealthiest person in the world, hence we have the expression "as rich as Croesus". Returning to the seaside, about an hour from Izmir is Ephesus, probably the most impressive city in the ancient world. It was famous for having one of the "Seven Wonders of the World", the Artemis Temple, a beautiful structure made from entire marble, and home to the goddess Artemis or Roman Diana. Ephesus is one of the best preserved ancient sites today. Up on the hill to the south of Ephesus, is the home of Virgin Mary where she spent her last years. About an hour from Ephesus is Priene, another well kept ancient city; its ancient theater today is almost in its original shape. The Athena temple's white marble columns present a nice contrast standing against the hillside behind it. The view from Priene over the low plain and Meander River is really breathtaking. Not far from Priene is ancient Miletus, once a harbor city, today inland because of the silting process of the Meander river. Miletus was home to many ancient scientists and philosophers, among whom Thales was first to set the principles to understand the world. The size of the ancient city is impressive and tells us that it was an important commercial and cultural center. Continuing south from Miletus, we come to Didyma where the gigantic temple of Apollo stands. Didyma was famous for its powerful Oracle that gave advice to the kings and Emperors. In the same area is Heracleia under Latmus, with its beautiful setting on the lakeside. It is well worth a drive up the valley of the Meander river and visit ancient Aphrodisias, the city of Aphrodite, famous for its high quality marble sculpture produced here and exported to all over the Roman Empire. Aphrodisias has a small local museum with nice collection of Hellenistic and Roman sculpture. About two hours of drive on a winding road brings us to Pamukkale having awesome natural calcified rock formations. People still today take advantage of natural geothermal pools. Ancient Hierapolis, on the calcified rocks of Pamukkale, with impressive classical monuments was a sizable city and medical center from Hellenistic period on through Byzantine ages. Hierapolis has a vast necropolis, ancient cemetery, with samples of sarcophagus of all sizes and types. Sunset here is something you should not miss out. Also in the same area are Laodicea and Colossae, both Biblical places, as we remember, Laodicea was one of the seven churches of Revelations. Colossae is known from the letters of St. Paul.
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Along the Mediterranean Coast
Known as Turquoise coast, here in this area, pine-covered high mountains plunge into the blue sea with a color of the bluest of blues. Along this shore and within its mountains, are so many Carian, Lycian, Greek, Roman and Byzantine sites that several weeks would be needed to see them all. First town of arrival for most travelers is Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassus, where Herodotus was born. Bodrum is famous for having one of the seven wonders of the ancient World, Mausoleum, a monumental tomb built for the king Mausolus in the 4th C BC. A crusader castle, the castle of St. Peter still dominates the harbor and gives a very picturesque atmosphere to the town. The road south from Bodrum passes through mountains brings us to another lively town, Marmaris, is a paradise for shoppers and sailors. Marmaris has many hotels of all classes and a nice medieval castle that dominates the harbor area. Driving south from Marmaris is one of the best; the view over the mountains with breaks of the view of the Sea is spectacular. Stopping at Dalyan for a boat trip to ancient city of Caunus is something that you should not miss out. We will see amazing Lycian rock tombs built on the face of the cliff that come from 5th and 4th C BC. The next town after Dalyan is Fethiye famous for its Lycian tombs. Fethiye is another nice town with a harbor for small boats and a nice walking promenade with cafes and restaurants on the water. Driving south along the Lycian coast from Fethiye, we come to the sites of Xanthus and Letoon. One was the capital of Lycia region and the other one was a shrine to the goddess Leto and her children Apollo and Artemis. On the coast south is the site of ancient Patara half buried in the sand, birth place of Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus). Keeping the coastline, we come to nice picturesque port towns of Kalkan and Kas, site of the ancient Antiphellus, with charming old houses. East from these towns is the little town of Demre, the site of the ancient Myra where Saint Nicholas was a bishop in the 4th C. and a suitable spot to make a boat trip to the ancient sunken city of Kekova whose ruins can be seen under the water. Myra's Lycian type rock tombs on the cliffs and its Greek theater behind the town are well preserved and worth a visit. Continuing along the Mediterranean, we come to a fishing town called Finike from where we can visit the well preserved ancient city of Limyra with nice Lycian rock-cut tombs. Returning to the coast, and driving north we come to the ancient city of Olympus set on a high mountain. The eternal fire of Chimera, theme of many mythological tales has been burning there since the time immemorial. On the coast further north is Phaselis, ancient city where Alexander the Great over wintered in 333 BC. Phaselis has a nice view from its ancient theater over the Taurus Mountains and also a nice setting with its ancient harbors and buildings among the pine trees. Beyond Phaselis the road winds down out of the mountains to the city of Antalya, at the most western edge of the fertile plain of Pamphylia region. Antalya was built on the site of ancient city Attaleia, and has some ancient monuments in the town center. To the north of Anatolia, in the mountains, is the ancient city of Termessus, built on a lofty perch so daunting that even Alexander the Great was unable to besiege it. Driving east from Antalya, we can see the great sites of Pamphylia. Closest to Antalya is Perge, a sizable city of Hellenistic and Roman period, famous for its well built sculptures that are on exhibition in Antalya Museum. Aspendus is the next ancient city, with its Roman theater and water aqueducts standing almost complete. North of Aspendus is the mountain town of ancient Selge which is still reached by ancient Roman Bridge. Side has very well preserved ancient monuments and a nice small museum with fine samples of ancient sculptures. About 40 miles further east is Alanya, a popular tourist destination and famous for having impressive Seljuk fortifications. Pass Alanya, the mountains again come down to meet the Mediterranean, the coastal highway presenting spectacular views on its way to the late Antique ruins of Anamur, the medieval Mamure castle and Silifke, near which Holy Roman emperor Frederic Barbarossa drowned, bringing an abrupt end to the third Crusade. Further east along the coast is Tarsus, where Saint Paul was born, Cicero was a governor and Cleopatra met Antony. Wealthy city of Adana lies in the fertile valley of Cukurova and has ancient sites in the surrounding area. Turning south after Adana is the broad Plain of Issus, where in 333 BC, Alexander the Great defeated the Persian army under Darius. To commemorate his victory, he founded the city of Alexandria ad Issum, today's Iskenderun. Immediately to the south, the formidable Amanus Mountains bisect Hatay. The fertile Plain of Amuk dotted with hundreds of ancient mounds. In the center of Amuk Plain is Antakya, ancient Antioch on the Orontes, fourth largest city of the Roman Empire, after Rome, Ephesus and Alexandria. Here was the first time that Christians came to be called by this name. Antakya's museum houses a rich collection of mosaics mainly of Roman and is unrivalled. In summer the residents of Antakya abandon the city for the laurel grooves and tumbling streams of Harbiye, ancient Daphne, in the hills to the south.
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Central Anatolia
The vast central Anatolian plateau was home to very early civilizations such as Hittites, Phrygians, Lydians, as well as the later Roman and medieval civilizations. Central Anatolia region of Turkey compared to coastal area is less developed and its monuments are mostly from very Prehistoric to Medieval with only a few classical. Ankara, the capital of Turkey since 1923, has its old quarter up on the citadel where narrow streets are lined with old traditional houses and tiny shops that sell pistachios, saffron, henna, cinnamon, nuts. Two of the main reasons to visit Ankara, are the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, which was restored from an old Ottoman building that houses superb collection of artifacts and statues produced by the People of Anatolia over the millenniums and Ataturk's Mausoleum, the last resting place of Ataturk the founder of modern Turkey. The road west of Ankara to Eskisehir and Phrygian and Roman sites passes through Gordion, where King Midas rued his golden touch and Alexander the Great cut through the Gordios knot. To the north are Bogazkoy, ancient Hattusas, the capital of mighty Hittite Empire, and the Ottoman towns of Amasya and Tokat, notable for their ancient appearance as well as Ottoman and Islamic monuments. Southeast is unreal Cappadocia, a landscape of soft, volcanic tufa out of which the early Christians hollowed their churches and monasteries and even their entire cities. Konya, ancient Iconium, 12th C Seljuk capital, was home of the Whirling Dervishes which was instituted by famous philosopher Mevlana. Not far from Konya, to the southeast is the site of Catalhoyuk, the earliest city discovered so far. To the east are Sivas and Divrigi, each with splendid early Turkish and Seljuk monuments.
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Black Sea Coast
The Black Sea coast of Turkey is less frequently visited area. Particularly western part of the coast, with few antiquities and monuments, is almost totally out of tourist route. However, the nature was very generous to this area, most of the coastal towns enjoy abundance of water both from the Black Sea and streams, and ever-green forests up on the mountains. The scenery is indeed romantic. The coastal road winds its way between sea and mountain to Trabzon, passing through the small port city of Giresun, where the Roman general Lucullus discovered the cherry. Trabzon, ancient Trebizond, the capital of Pontus Kingdom, has interesting narrow twisting streets and a nice market place where vendors sell various products from textiles to jewelry. Trabzon has a nice Byzantine church, St. Sophia, with paintings on the walls, overlooking the sea. To the south of Trabzon, some 20 miles, is the Byzantine monastery of Sumela, clinging to the side of a mountain. From Trabzon the road goes on east along the coast through Rize and Hopa to the border town of Sarp through where you can pass into the country Georgia. One of the things to do, besides visiting Islamic monuments, is to visit one of the Russian open air bazaars that have sprung up in many of the Black Sea towns. Backed by Georgian and Russian capitalists, they sell an unusual selection of merchandise from car parts, plastic toys, grandma's china to Russian electric shavers and all kind of hardware and electronics. One of the main attractions of the region are the natives themselves, with distinctive folk music and dance, best appreciated in upland towns of Camlihemsin and Uzungol, both towns along with the other ones offer spectacular views. Further east of this area is the mighty Kackar mountain chain which has, here or there, some fine medieval Georgian churches hidden in the valleys.
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Eastern Turkey
Both the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers rise from and flows through eastern Turkey, a land of wild and natural beauty, populated by villagers still keeping the traditional way of life. Scattered around this area are wonderful but less-known ancient and medieval monuments that draw only few tourists. Driving south from Trabzon through picturesque Zigana pass brings one to the gold-rush town of Gumushane. Keeping on the same road southeast will lead the way to Erzurum, with many early Turkish and Islamic monuments. Erzurum famous for its Oltu-stone (kind of jet stone) beads and jewelry is getting popular for skiers. Erzurum's bazaar is a nice one to wander around to look for interesting items. The road from Erzurum radiates in different directions, taking the one to Artvin might be a nice choice to visit Georgian churches and castles hidden safely away in isolated mountain valleys. Southeast from Artvin stands Kars, a point of long conflict between the Czars of Russia and Ottoman Sultans. Kars owns also some medieval churches and a fortified citadel. To the east of Kars, on the Armenian border, is the ghost city of Ani, the capital of ancient Armenian Kingdom, once rivaling the great metropolitan centers of the west. Ani has, within its medieval city walls, many Armenian churches along with a great Cathedral. Continuing along the Armenian border to the south will bring the impressive view of the Mt. Ararat, according to Genesis of Old Testament, the resting place of Noah's ark, after the great flood. The border town of Dogubeyazit is busy with merchants and is the site of dreamlike Palace of Ishak Pasha who was a Kurdish warlord in the 18th C. The palace has a superb setting on a steep hill side overlooking the large plain below. The road south passes near Manzikert, where in 1071, after a decisive battle, Seljuk Turks opened the way into Anatolia. The road continuing south passes through traditional villages and comes to the shores of Lake Van, the largest lake of Turkey. The city of Van is the site of Ancient Tushpa, the capital of Urartian Kingdom which replaced Hittites in Anatolia as main power. The rulers of the Kingdom of Urartu who built fortresses, dams and irrigation canals that are still in use today, were rivals of the mighty Assyrian and ancient Mesopotamian Kings. The fortified massive citadel of Tushpa is well seen on the lake shore. Van is proud possessor of a special breed of cat which is called by he same name as town itself. At a short distance from Van are the Urartian citadels at Toprakkale and Cavustepe, further southeast on the road to Iranian border is Hosap castle built by a local Kurdish lord. However, the main attraction in Van area is the 10th C. Armenian church on the tiny island of Akdamar in the lake which can be reached by a boat. This is one of the most picturesque sites in Turkey. To the north of the lake Van is the Ahlat Cemetery, an open air museum of stone carving from the 11th to the 16th centuries. For acres and acres you see nothing but tombstones, cenotaphs and tower-tombs. On many of these monuments, every inch of surface is covered with vegetal, geometrical and calligraphic decoration. The road west from Van passes over high mountains and through deep valleys with waterfalls, large streams and rivers with ancient bridges on them, and offers nice views of landscapes. There are number of Caravanserais along the road as the modern road, most part, follows the ancient road. Next town on the way is Bitlis built on a steep hilltop overlooking the valley below. Bitlis has a nice mosque Ulu Cami and it is famous for its fine quality tobacco. Further west, we leave the mountains behind and find ourselves in a large dry plain.
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Southeastern Turkey
Driving west from Bitlis along the valleys, we come to a junction with a signpost to the left, this road leads to the city of Siirt, famous for its pistachios and fine woolen blankets. Returning the same back way to the main road and continuing west, a signpost points to the towns Batman and Mardin. There is not much to see in Batman, so we drive on, after a few miles we come to the river Tigris which mark the eastern border of ancient Mesopotamia area. On the bank of the river is the magnificent view of the village Hasankeyf, ancient Cepha, a buffer city between Persian and Byzantine Empires, later the seat of Artukid Turkish state. It was destined, in the future to be covered by the waters of a dam. Continuing south from Tigris, first we drive through the town Midyat which was the old center of Syrian Orthodox Christianity. There are number of old eastern Orthodox churches around Midyat area, particularly in Tur Abdin plateau. The road from Midyat turns east and goes to Mardin, the main city of this area. Mardin is known for its interesting architecture, a combination of Turkish and Arabic. Diyarbakir considered the metropolis of this area is located northwest of Mardin and on the banks of the river Tigris. Besides its Islamic monuments, Diyarbakir has impressive late Roman city walls all around it. The road from Diyarbakir continues in the southwest direction and through a barren dry plain, but after some distance the picture changes with the view of the mighty river of Euphrates. To the northwest is the city Adiyaman and the high Mt. Nemrut, the mountaintop burial site of the king Antiochus of Commagene Kingdom. His mound on the top is ringed by the massive colossal statues of the Gods and King himself. Southeast of Adiyaman, the road passes through low hills filled up with Pistachio trees and crosses Euphrates to Urfa, ancient Edessa, home of the biblical patriarch Abraham before his journey to Canaan. Urfa has numerous Islamic monuments, religious shrines and very truly oriental bazaar where crafts are sold by locals. South from Urfa road continues to the Syrian border, before the border a signpost to the left marks the site of Harran, an interesting town for its beehive-like houses and a fort built by the crusader army. Returning to Urfa and driving west from crosses the Euphrates river again and passes through Gaziantep a town famous for its special Kebab called by the town name. Gaziantep's surrounding area has many ancient Hittite sites