Top Ten Touristic Places in Turkey

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Top Ten Touristic Places in Turkey
July 1, 2024

"Cappadocia"

 

Top Ten Touristic Places in Turkey

 

Turkey is one of the most visited countries in the world. Every year, almost fifty million people visit Turkey to see its natural and historical beauties as well as to taste its incredible cuisine. Some of the places in turkey has got both history and natural beauty at the same time. Here are the Top Ten Touristic Places in Turkey that most visited tourist spots in Turkey.



1. Hagia Sophia Mosque

 

Hagia Sophia

"Hagia Sophia"

 

Hagia Sophia is one of the oldest standing buildings of the medieval world. It's a symbol of civilization and one of the top tourist attractions, not only in Turkey but in the whole World. The building is one and a half millennium old and has seen two of the world's most powerful and large empires rise and fall. The building was first constructed in its current form in the year between 532 and 537 by emperor Justinian-I as the central cathedral of the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. This building was later converted into a mosque after the fall of Constantinople in 1457. All the most important events including the coronation of the Byzantine Emperors took place in this building. Today, millions of tourists flock to this place to be amazed by the architectural skills and amazing taste of people almost one and a half thousand years ago.



2. Ephesus


Ephesus Theatre

"Ephesus Theatre"

 

Ephesus is an ancient Roman city situated in modern-day Izmir of turkey. It was a popular city with sophisticated aqueduct systems, churches, and everything else a city needed. The city was built during the 10th century BC and was populated by the Romans. The city includes two Epitheatres, the third largest library of the ancient Roman world, and the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The city is enlisted as a UNESCO world heritage site. This place has become a nice place and an all-in-one package for history lovers around the world and for the same reason, a lot of people have been visiting Ephesus lately.



3. Antalya


antalya sea beach

"Antalya Sea Beach"

 

Antalya is one of the most famous summer destinations in the whole world. It is situated in the southern part of Turkey on the bank of the Mediterranean sea. Antalya is known as the Turquoise Coast because of its crystal clear water. Antalya has many facilities for tourists. Its coasts are always watched over by lifeguards. The streets of Antalya are full of restaurants with cuisines from all over the world. The blue lagoon beaches of Antalya are a dream summer destination for many. Not only beaches and restaurants, but Antalya also consists of many historical places. Kaleiçi, Olympus Antic City, and Yivli Minaret Grand Mosque are some of the historic places tourists can visit during their stay in Antalya. Kaleiçi is the older form of Antalya City which was fully enclosed by the walls of the castle. Olympus Antic City is an ancient Greek city named after the Mountain of Olympus. And Yivli Minaret Grand Mosque was constructed by the Selçuk sultan Alauddin Kayqubad. It was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2016 and has been attracting a lot of tourists ever since.

 

4. Kız Kulesi or Maidens Tower 

Kiz kulesi

"The Maiden's Tower"

 

Kız Kulesi, which is also known as Maidens Tower is a symbol of love and mystery. The stories related to Kiz Kulesi are popular around the world. Its influence on popular culture is immense. Several tv series, children's stories, and movies including James bond movies featured this ancient structure standing on a piece of a stone islet in the middle of the Bosphorus. It was first built as a watchtower and was later repurposes as a light-house. During the siege of Constantinople in the year 1457, Byzantine troops were placed on top of the islet. Among many legends and myths surrounding Kiz Kulesi, the most popular one is about a king and his daughter who received a prophecy that she would die on her eighteenth birthday. To save the daughter from all the bad things, the king placed her in the tower in solitary confinement. When she reached eighteen, the king thought he avoided the prophecy and went to see his daughter with a lot of gifts and a basket full of fruits. But in the basket was a snake which but the princess when she reached for the fruits. The princess died in her father's lap fulfilling the prophecy. Hence the name Kız Kulesi or Maidens Tower. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Istanbul.

 

5. Topkapı Sarayı or Topkapi Grand Palace 

topkapi palace32

"Topkapi Grand Palace"

 

Topkapı Palace was the place where the Ottoman Sultan lived and ruled one-third of the world. This palace was not only home to the Ottoman sultan, but home to a lot of diplomats and policymakers, artists, religious teachers, princes and princesses, and imperial servants. The palace consists of a lot of different ornate chambers serving different purposes. Right now, the palace serves as a museum and holds many historical artifacts from the ottoman age. One chamber is dedicated to the weaponry used by different sultans while another holds old ornate clocks and pocket watches.  Other than those, the imperial kitchen and the imperial harem also attract a lot of tourists every year.

 

6. Rüstem Pasha Mosque

Rustem Pasha6 

"Rustem Pasha Mosque"

 

Rüstem Pasha Mosque is bad renowned for its colorful Iznik tiles that feature in the interior of the mosque. Built by the imperial architect of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, Mimar Sinan, this mosque was named after the grand Vezir Rüstem Paşa, who was also the husband of Mihrimah Sultan. The very interesting fact about this mosque is that instead of welcoming tourists through a grand gate, this mosque welcomes tourists through a narrow staircase that leads to a courtyard. The exterior is clad with white marble and the interior is clad with blue Iznik tiles. This is Mimar Sinans one of the first eight pillared designs. Rüstem Pasha Mosque holds some of the finest examples of ottoman tile arts and calligraphy. This mosque is also visited by a huge number of people from all over the world every year.

 

7. Galata Kulesi or The Galata Tower 

Galata tower21

"Galata Tower"

 

Galata Kulesi is one of the very few surviving medieval towers. It played a huge role in the conquest of Constantinople when the Sultan bypassed his ships inland around the walls of Galata Kulesi' without the Byzantine Knowing. This tower however was far older and has seen a lot of history and changes over time. It was held by the Genoese colony and after the Ottomans captured Istanbul, it was used to locate forest fires. This tower is situated on the bank of the golden horn. This tower can be seen from any point of the harbor and is a pleasant sight to see. The tower itself is repurposed as a museum now and tourists can climb upstairs by buying a ticket. Because of its rich history and popularity, and its convenient location near Taksim square, this tower is visited by a lot of tourists every year.

 

8. Cappadocia 

Cappadocia 8

"Cappadocia"

 

Cappadocia is a place where history meets natural beauty. It's the favorite tourist spot for people who want to have some outdoor activities on their tour amongst visiting historical sites. Ancient underground cities and ancient castles carved from soft stones are examples of some of the historical artifacts found in Cappadocia. Also, outdoor activities like horse riding, dirt bike riding, quad bike riding, or Land Rover safari in the Rose Valley famous for its natural beauty and interesting stone formations are among the favorites of the tourists who visit Cappadocia. But the most famous tourist attraction of Cappadocia is its balloon rides. But you have to be lucky to find the perfect weather for balloon riding here. The hotels in Cappadocia are nice and cheap. Overall, Cappadocia is a must-visit place for people who come to tour Turkey.

 

9. Pamukkale 

Pamukkale9

"Pamukkale"

 

Pamukkale, translating to 'the castle of wool' is situated in Denizli, Turkey. It is an incredibly beautiful landscape created by natural hot springs. The white structure is not snow, but salt. The crystal clear blue salty water of Pamukkale spring is believed to have healing powers. Pamukkale has natural hot springs that form pools. These pools were utilized by the Greeks to make public baths. Only the elite of the elite had the privilege to bathe in the hot springs of Pamukkale. Historians suggest that it was the summer destination of queen Cleopatra. The pool where Cleopatra used to bathe exists to date and is open to tourists for taking a dip.

 

10. Bursa

bursa10

"Bursa Cable Car"

 

Bursa is the most famous winter destination in turkey. The ski resorts of Bursa are the best in class and have the best ski facilities in all of the turkey. If you are an adrenaline junkie and have daredevil blood coursing through your veins, then burs are the place for you. The Bursa teliferic is also very popular among tourists. The sightseeing trip to and from the top of the mountain to the valley down below will give you an amazing view to look at. Among historical places, Bursa is home to the famous Ulu Camı which has architectural similarities with the famous Shat Gombuj Mosque of Bangladesh. A trip to Bursa from İstanbul via boat would be the perfect boat journey for your vacation. Because of its geographic location near Istanbul, it's a very popular destination among tourists visiting Istanbul.

 

Here you have your top ten most popular places to visit in Turkey. Ottoman Tours and Travels will show you around all these places with amazing accommodations and transportation options. To book your trip, contact