Invaded and settled from every direction since the start of recorded history, Turkey combines influences from the Middle East and the Mediterranean, the Balkans and Central Asia. Find out more in our feature on facts about Turkey Dropdown content. In the meantime, enjoy these highlights of things not to miss in Turkey.
A lighter-than-air float gives an unrivalled perspective on the “fairy chimneys” and other features of the landscape.
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Strategically set astride the Silk Route, this architecturally eclectic seventeenth-century palace is one of eastern Turkey’s most emblematic sites.
© YoncaEvren/Shutterstock
Dramatically built into the side of the Pontic mountains, this Byzantine monastery is adorned with beautiful frescoes.
© MehmetO/Shutterstock
Members of a sect founded by the Konya-based Sufi mystic Celaleddin Rumi conduct “turning” ceremonies to effect union with God.
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This ancient city, addressed by Saint Paul in one of his epistles, is the best preserved of its kind in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Celsus Library in Ephesus, Turkey © muratart/Shutterstock
Extraordinary mountain-top temple-tomb complex that’s the outlandish legacy of an obscure, ancient kingdom.
Nemrut Dagi in Turkey © Waj/Shutterstock
You may not get a bargain, but you can’t beat the banter, especially at
Grand Bazaar, Istanbul © Berke/Shutterstock
Anatolia’s largest and best preserved Classical theatre hosts an opera and ballet festival in summer.
Ancient amphitheater Aspendos in Antalya, Turkey © Ryzhkov Oleksandr/Shutterstock
Medieval houses, historic mosques and churches, and boutique hotels mingle in this hilltop eyrie, high above the Mesopotamian plain.
© akimov konstantin/Shutterstock
The seemingly unsupported dome of Haghia Sophia is one of the architectural marvels of the world.
Haghia Sophia interior at Istanbul Turkey © Tatiana Popova/Shutterstock
The ancient capital of the Hittites still impresses, with its extensive perimeter walls.
© Nejdet Duzen/Shutterstock
This sixteenth-century mosque is the masterpiece of the greatest Ottoman architect,
© MDOGAN/Shutterstock
Lying just inland from the Black Sea, this glacially sculpted granite mountain range, spangled with dozens of lakes, is Turkey’s premier trekking venue.
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A fabulous collection of mosaics from ancient Zeugma, a Hellenistic/Roman frontier city now under the waters of a reservoir on the nearby
Roman Floor Mosaic from Zeugma, Turkey © bumihills/Shutterstock
One of the traditional sensual comforts of Turkey, hamams (Turkish baths) make a wonderfully relaxing (and cleansing) way to round off a day’s sightseeing.
Interior of Turkish sauna, classic Turkish hammam © Mr. Tempter/Shutterstock
This unspoiled beach, one of the longest in the Mediterranean, is the perfect coda to a visit of the nearby, eponymous ancient city.
Aerial view of an untouched Patara Beach in Antalya, Turkey © proslgn/Shutterstock
The finest collection of Byzantine mosaics and frescoes in Turkey, adorning an attractive church near the city’s land walls.
© Teo Stuivenberg/Shutterstock
The favourite dessert of the sweet-toothed Turks, rich, buttery baklava, in which thin layers of filo pastry are stuffed with pistachio or walnuts, is best enjoyed with a strong, black Turkish coffee.
Baklava © korkut kazcin/Shutterstock
Moving and unexpectedly beautiful legacy of one of the fiercest campaigns of World War I.
© Sadik Gulec/Shutterstock
The deeply indented coastline between
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Pergamon was one of the chief Roman cities of Anatolia, and extensive ruins remain; shown here is the sanctuary of the restored Trajan temple.
Temple of Trajan at Acropolis of Pergamon or Pergamum in Turkey © OPIS Zagreb/Shutterstock
This well-marked path, suited to all abilities, follows some of the most scenic portions of the
© Quinn Martin/Shutterstock
Cappadocia's many rock-hewn churches contain superb early Christian frescoes.
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Home to finds of native cultures from the Stone Age onwards, this superb museum is the capital’s one must-see attraction.
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Medieval Armenian capital in a superb setting at the Turkish border, scattered with fine churches.
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The medieval churches northeast of
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The cobalt-blue expanse of Turkey's largest lake is at its most scenic in late spring or early summer.
Last light at The Armenian Church, Van, Turkey © B Studio/Shutterstock