Turkey is a country located on the Mediterranean region of Eurasia, in spite of the fact that it is often associated as part of Western Asia, respectively, due to the social and religious affiliation, even though it is culturally sometimes considered European, with a small section in South-eastern Europe separated by the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, and Dardanelles). With the Black Sea to the north and the Aegean Sea in the west and Mediterranean Sea to the southwest, Turkey is surrounded by Bulgaria and Greece to the west, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to the northeast, Syria, Iraq and Iran to the southeast.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 highlights in themselves. This country has attractions galore. For more ideas on things to see and do, read our list of the top tourist attractions in Turkey.
- Istanbul
The city of the past, the present and the future, Istanbul is Turkey’s largest city and the country’s undisputed cultural and financial centre. Istanbul offers a great deal in the way of history, culture, food and entertainment, in fact great destination to take a long city trip. The city was the third capital city of the Ottoman Empire.
- Cappadocia
Cappadocia, a semi-arid region in central Turkey, is known for its distinctive “fairy chimneys,” tall, cone-shaped rock formations clustered in Monks Valley, Göreme and elsewhere. The surreal, swooping rock valleys of Cappadocia are every photographer’s dream.
- Topkapi Palace
The Topkapı Palace, or the Seraglio, is a large museum in the east of the Fatih district of Istanbul in Turkey. Sumptuous beyond belief, the Topkapi Palace takes you into the fantastical, opulent world of the sultans. It was from here that the sultans of the Ottoman Era carved out an empire that would extend up into Europe and down through the Middle East and into Africa.
- Pamukkale
Pamukkale is a town in western Turkey known for the mineral-rich thermal waters flowing down white travertine terraces on a nearby hillside. One of Turkey’s most famous natural wonders, the pure white travertine terraces of Pamukkale (“Cotton Castle” in English) cascade down the slope looking like an out-of-place snowfield amid the green landscape.
- Antalya
Antalya is a Turkish resort city with a yacht-filled Old Harbor and beaches flanked by large hotels. This bustling Mediterranean hub has something for everyone. The two beaches outside of town are sun-sloth heaven in summer and attract holidaymakers from across Europe.
- Safranbolu
Safranbolu is a town in the Black Sea region of northern Turkey, once a stop on the trade route between Europe and the Orient. Turkey’s best-preserved Ottoman town is a fabulously photogenic place of skinny winding alleys crammed with finely restored wooden mansions which were once the home of wealthy merchants and now have been transformed into boutique hotels and restaurants.
- Ölüdeniz
Ölüdeniz is a resort village on the southwest coast of Turkey. Impossibly turquoise-blue water. Lush green forest tumbling down a cliff to a white-sand beach. The sheltered inlet of Ölüdeniz, just a short journey from Fethiye, is Turkey’s most famous beach, and with scenery that might as well have fallen off a perfect postcard, it’s easy to see why its popularity hasn’t waned.
- Izmir
Izmir is a city on Turkey’s Aegean coast. Izmir is Turkey’s third largest city and second most important port on the Aegean coast. Izmir, with its 8,500 years of history, is gloriously situated on the western edge of Turkey, the bountiful, the fruitful and the beautiful. Luxury hotels, nightlife, shopping and business meetings give the city a cosmopolitan and lively atmosphere all year round.
- Bursa
Bursa is a large city in northwest Turkey, lying in the foothills of roughly 2,500m-high Mount Uludağ near the Sea of Marmara. Bursa, which is like an open air museum, was one of the capital cities of the Ottoman Empire.
- Princes’ Islands
The Princes’ Islands are a cluster of 9 islands southeast of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara. During the summer months, the Princes’ Islands are popular destinations for day trips from Istanbul.