Tourist Attractions & Monuments Turkey

Located in the center of Gaziantep, this huge park offers you the opportunity to take a breath of fresh air. With games designed for children, it is a paradise for parents to lounge on the terrace or lawns and is very popular with sportsmen. The morning walks are a delight. If you are traveling with children, you can visit the city's zoo or treat yourself to a day at the amusement park, which is the first of its kind in Turkey.

The beach is located in the village itself, which is quite convenient when you have small children and don't want to go for a swim. There are also many beautiful coves in the area, which are best visited by boat. In addition, you will have the opportunity to see seals, especially in autumn. Indeed, the waters off the coast are reputed to be home to the last Mediterranean monk seals. An essential stop: Orak, an island famous in Greek mythology for its mermaid songs.

Kara Ada ("Black Island") has healing hot springs that spring from a cave. The resulting orange mud is renowned for its benefits to the skin. So you will see many travelers rush to cover their bodies with it. Legend has it that Queen Cleopatra used this mud to preserve her beauty and fight skin diseases. There are also some great hikes to be had on the island. Many travel agencies offer day trips, Kara Ada is one of the must-see stops.

The legendary Mount Ararat, the highest peak in Anatolia, is a volcano reaching 5,165 m. Its last eruption dates back to 1840. It has two beautiful peaks: the Great Ararat which rises to 5 137 meters and the Little Ararat at 3 896 meters. Experienced climber, you want to try the ascent? Make sure you are prepared (equipment, physical condition, guide), and make sure you plan ahead. The border area with Armenia is controlled by the army and it takes weeks to obtain a permit. The best time to climb is between June and September.

Abraham would have been born in this cave located south of Akarbaşı and would have resided there for the first ten years of his life, hiding from the pagan king Nimrod who had ferociously ordered the execution of all newborns. Today, the birth cave of the Prophet Abraham has become a Muslim place of pilgrimage. Modified over the centuries, it has two separate entrances: one is for men, the other is for women.

85 m deep, one can see the rooms of an entire city recreated underground in order to entrench oneself in case of threats: barn, canteen, food and drink stores, wells, churches, ventilation tunnel... It is the deepest and the largest known underground city. It could accommodate 10,000 people. The rooms are wide and the corridors easy to access. The most astonishing thing is to learn that the visible part would constitute only one tenth of its real size.

The village of Kaymaklı dates back to ancient times, when houses were built above and around the underground city, which provided a permanent link. Consisting of 10 levels, we discover in particular the following rooms: food depository, kitchens, barn, church, ventilation tunnel... Its visit is more difficult than Derinkuyu which has larger rooms but it provides stronger sensations when we cross the narrow galleries.

The interest of Ürgüp does not lie in its museum but rather in the charm of the old town's alleys: the walk there is very pleasant. The archaeological museum presents a small collection of objects as well as superb historical artifacts (figurines, pottery and some statues) discovered in the region. Most impressive are the tusks of an ancestor of the elephant family, more than 10 million years old, discovered in Mustafapaşa.

If Sarıyer is appreciated, purists prefer Rumeli Kavağı, charming, despite the disorder around the square. The Yenimahalle Caddesi, which leaves Sarıyer to the north, becomes the Karakütük Caddesi, then the Liman Caddesi, where is, on the side, opposite a great restaurant, the Telli Baba Türbesi (tomb of Baba Telli), a tomb where a saint, who is actually a saint, lies! In Islam, there are more saints than saints. Near the eponymous bus stop, it is the favourite address of young ladies waiting to convolve to the well-behaved world of marriage. Indeed, the young Turks have solved the problem of the perfect man! So, if you want an elegant, brilliant, loyal, respectful, devoted, kind, attentive husband... all you need to do is pray a little prayer and put a strand of hair or a piece of cloth on it. If you spend Friday (Holy Day) or weekend there, you will see people there! The origin of this popular belief is very touching: an employee of the small port notices a boat and its two young passengers, a boy and a girl, on a stormy day; the boat capsizes. Without hesitation, she dived and managed to save the girl from the raging waves. The boy, on the other hand, disappears. As the years go by, the miraculous woman becomes a woman ready to marry. She returned to the scene of the disaster to express her gratitude to her benefactor, but she is dead. She finds her tomb to meditate and lay a piece of her wedding dress on it...

Caddebostan is a district, but it is also a part of the green flow that runs along the Marmara Sea on the Asian shore. Very famous among Istanbul's youth, but also among families, many are those who rush to this large expanse of grass at the slightest ray of sunshine. Each one is equipped and organized: barbecue, picnic, camping chairs, tables... A real institution! The young people come to meet there to drink a few beers in front of the Bosporus. At nightfall, the bars in the streets of the district come alive in turn.

Less touristy and smaller than the other underground cities, Özkonak was discovered by chance in 1972 by the owner of the land who is also the imam of the village. Two levels are currently visible and open to the public. There are some differences with the most visited underground cities, such as the strange "telephone system" or the more spacious rooms. Nestled on the slopes of the Idiş Mountain, the charming village of Özkonak is worth a visit.

With its churches and rock shelters, the valley is known as Şeytan Deresi ("Devil's River"). The walk is done following the river and, at times, fairy chimneys. In addition to enjoying the beauty of the valley, you will find several churches in Alakara, Cambazlı, Tavşanlı, Balkan Deresi. The most important, despite its condition, is Aziz Basil (Saint Basil), flanked by two apses. Note the frescoes of the Holy Bishop of Caesarea and St. Gregory of Nazianzus.

It is the birthplace of saint Hacı Bektaş Veli, a thinker who influenced Islam and founder of the dervish order Bektaşi. You can get an idea of their daily life in the monastery (tekke). At the Meydan Evi, where the novices entered the orders, costumes and musical instruments are now on display. The tekke consists of three courtyards with the beautiful lion fountain in the second one. The saint's türbe is erected in the third courtyard. It is a place of pilgrimage. In August, a festival is held there with a poetry and singing competition.

The underground city of Özlüce has a slightly different architecture from the other discovered cities as it tends to spread out more evenly in depth, as evidenced by the lack of successive layers. This visit can be a very good idea if the queues in the other underground cities are too long or perhaps it is its tranquility that will seduce you. For a bakshish, the guard will give you a tour. Negotiate the price!

Those who prefer to discover the small traditional buildings, can visit this charming mosque. It was built in 1778, in memory of Abdülhamid I's mother (1774-1789), Sultan Rabia. Mehmet Tahir Ağa, the first architect of Sultan Mustafa III (1757-1773), was the designer. We find his particular touch, the baroque, a style adopted at the beginning of the century. With its 55 windows and unique dome, it contains Turkish and European earthenware.

It's hard not to find a museum or a souvenir of Atatürk in a province... So Kayseri has its own museum dedicated to the great man of the nation. During his visit to the city in August 1919, Atatürk stayed in a wealthy 19th century Ottoman house, which today bears his name. The place is worth a visit, if only for its architecture: it is a two-storey house, with a very small mezzanine and typical Ottoman-style decoration. The historical building is located near the square.

If you have the courage, this is an idea for a nice walk from the agora. This is where the ancient acropolis of Smyrna was located, built by Lysimachus during the reign of Alexander. However, the current walls of the citadel come from the Byzantine period. The view from the fortress, on the gulf, is magnificent. The enclosure would however need a restoration by places. Small restaurant on the spot, with the splendid panorama.

How about a breathtaking experience where you can see Istanbul's historical, cultural and natural beauty from a helicopter? You will have a breathtaking view of the Bosphorus. It is possible to book a place in an organized tour (which you will share with 5 other people), only on Sundays. Possibility of cancellation at the last minute if the weather conditions do not allow flying or the helicopter has not filled up.

In a valley planted with poplar, it is a cave called palace opened by the local population. It comprises fées, tombs of the Roman era, houses and rock churches (th and th centuries).

It is the largest building in ancient Smyrna, and the residence of the governor. Located on the waterfront, and in front of the Belediye, stands Saat Kulesi, the Clock Tower, which dates from 1901. 25 meters high and with its elaborate decoration, it has become the emblem of Izmir. The clock was originally a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm II. It was designed according to the architectural plans of a French foreman. The tower faces the former location of the customs house.

After the museum, on the road to Ephesus, stands the only column that testifies to the existence of one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. On this site, from the end of the VIIth century, three temples dedicated to Cybele, Phrygian goddess of the fertility, follow one another. Crésus builds then, in the VIth century, an imposing Artemision supported on 127 columns. But, the same night that Alexander the Great was born, in 356 BC, the monument was burned by Erostrate who wanted to immortalize his name by destroying the temple! The Hellenistic Artemisia, built on the ruins of the previous one, is even bigger, and decorated by famous sculptors like Praxiteles. This sacred place of the cult of Artemis is then considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. With the advent of Christianity, it gradually lost its splendor and, from the fourth century, it was used as a quarry for the construction of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

In Greece, the goddess Artemis combines the attributes of several older deities symbolizing fertility, nature and the moon. For the Romans, she became Diana, goddess of the hunt, but at the same time protector of animals, trees, lakes and rivers and pregnant women, even if she is a virgin. Finally, she is androgynous since her statues are decorated at chest height with a series of small breasts which, according to the most recent theories, represent bulls' testicles. Her attributes are the bow, the half-moon and the stag. Her priestesses were supposed to be virgins and her priests eunuchs, but in her temple a feast is celebrated in honor of Dionysus where the men become satyrs and the women bacchantes.

To make sure that the priestesses are really virgins, they are made to enter a cave behind the temple. If they succumbed to the pleasures of the flesh, the opening of the cave closed for three days and when it opened again, the sinner disappeared. On the pedestal of the great statue of Artemis are engraved letters forming incomprehensible words, considered magical. These letters of Ephesus are engraved on pieces of wood or leather and worn in medallions to protect against evil spells. According to Plutarch, the soothsayers advised the victims of bewitchments to pronounce these magic words in a low voice. It is however difficult to imagine by contemplating the ruins of the site its splendor of formerly...

The cobbled streets behind the waterfront, facing the docks, are delightful. The atmosphere is friendly, everyone seems to know each other. Numerous pensions, small shops and the welcoming terraces of restaurants with colorful shopfronts await you. It is very cute. Dalkıran Mehmetağa and Fevzi Çakmak avenues are worth seeing. You can also head to the end of the docks at the place called Çamlık (the sea being on the right). A market is held every Thursday and gives you a good insight into the life of the locals.

Built in 1870, it was designed as a private residence, and Sultan Abdülaziz even had an apartment there. Today, it is emblematic of Istanbul's "alternative life" and hosts many shops mainly for young people. There are thrift stores, some baroque souvenir shops and second-hand clothes. There is the Atlas cinema, the Sadri theatre Alışık Tiyatrosu Küçük Sahne, a tattoo artist and bars.

You can only be struck by the grace and elegance of this mosque, which is unlike any other. Combining baroque and neoclassical styles, it has the particularity of having the finest minarets in the world! On the side, the clock of the Dolmabahçe Palace perfectly complements the softness of the landscape. Another marriage between the West and the East, its architect is Garabed Balyan, appointed by Sultana Mother Bezmi Alem, who built the building in the mid-19th century.

You will soon discover that Istanbul is a noisy and crowded city, and even for a short stay, a good breath of fresh air and greenery is sometimes welcome. The Belgrade forest is very popular with Istanbul residents, especially on weekends. As soon as the beautiful days arrive, families with their picnic baskets crowd into this green setting. The forest takes its name from an ancient community of Serbian loggers, once living in a village in the heart of the trees.

Literally "Underground Mosque", this unique building bears its name well: it has occupied the old cellars of Galata Castle since the mid-18th century and is therefore... underground! With its 54 pillars and labyrinthine corridors, it exudes a unique mysticism. At its location was a Byzantine fortress that was part of Constantinople's defence system. The famous chain that blocked the entrance to the Golden Horn started from this point.

From Konak, the ferry glides in twenty minutes to Karşıyaka, a peaceful residential area where you will find several cafes and restaurants. Before 1922, this suburb was called Kordelio, a name inspired by Richard the Lionheart who passed through here during the Third Crusade. The beautiful residences in the area were mostly inhabited by Greeks. You will see them as you walk around; they are characteristic, with the roof topped with a finely carved wooden fringe, the indispensable loggia and a facade decorated with bricks. Lively market on Sundays.

Built in 1223 during the reign of Keyqubad I of the Sultanate of Rum. With its finely carved doors, the historic Alaeddin Camii Mosque is located inside Niğde Castle, the most sheltered place in the city. It is a beautiful yellow ochre building, very nice example of Seljuk architecture. It is said that between 10:00 and 11:00 (depending on the season), you should go to the gate on the east side. At that time of the day, the light effects caused by the sun's rays would allow to discern the shape of a crowned woman's head.

Discovered in 1963, the Eski Monastery Gümüşler contains beautifully preserved wall paintings (7th-11th century) depicting the Virgin, a beautiful Christ Pantocrator, Saint Michael and the Apostles. The monastery seems to be hidden behind a rock face. The inner courtyard and the church can be reached through a corridor dug between two rocks. You can visit the kitchen, the bedrooms, the baths, the cellars. The church is in the shape of a cross with a dome.

Founded by the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad at the beginning of the 13th century, the citadel underwent two major restorations, one in 1470 by Ishak Paşa the Ottoman, the second much more recent, in 1955. It is probably built on the site of an earlier building, perhaps dating back to the Hittite era. The octagonal bell tower serves as a landmark. The enclosure houses a mosque, tombs and a green garden with a beautiful view of the old town. The building is easily accessible and well restored.

The underground city of Mazikoy, which in reality is only partially underground, is located on the western side of the valley. Six levels have been dug. This underground refuge resembles a bit the anthill of Özlüce. So far, four entrances have been uncovered. Its greatest particularity comes from the more numerous spaces reserved for the animals. The visit will not be crowded because it is the guard who accompanies you. Be sure to negotiate the price in advance.

It dominates the entrance to the Black Sea, which is constantly used by large tonnages. A tradition links this 14th century fortress to the Genoese, but it is Byzantine. It was disputed many times and eventually became an Ottoman at the end of the same century, under Yıldırım Beyazıt (1389-1402). With a length of 500 m and a width of 30 m to 60 m, it will be restored and equipped with a small mosque as part of a large programme undertaken by the Sultan Bayazıt II (1481-1512). During his trip to Egypt in the second half of the 16th century, the German traveller Michael Heberer Von Bretten described it in his book as being in very good condition; he took the opportunity to make an engraving. It was not abandoned until the 19th century. Note that you can also go there by several other points than Anadolu Kavağı, all along the coastal road (more deserted) or by the center of Beykoz from where the journey is a little longer and more complicated (1 hour). It is the Umurbey Yolu road that leads to it. To take it, you have to leave Beykoz along the sea: Fevzi Paşa Caddesi, then Ahmet Paşa Caddesi, junction, Yalıköy Çayırı Caddesi (left), well after school take a left (Deri ve Kundura Fabrikası Caddesi, bridge, not very beautiful), it is the Umurbey Yolu, which zigzags to the goal. A saint would rest in the mausoleum. No source proves it, but the believers do not agree with it, so they regularly visit it (huge tomb!).

These ancient Byzantine churches have been transformed into a mosque and a museum. Murad III converted the building into a mosque in 1591 under the name of Fethiye Camii (Conquest Mosque). The central part of the building is still a place of Islamic worship. The former chapel is a museum attached to Sainte-Sophie (visit on authorization). Its walls are covered with 14th century mosaics. We can see the famous bust of Christ Pantocrator surrounded by his twelve disciples.

Built in 1427 by Jews from Macedonia, this synagogue is the oldest, but also one of the largest in Istanbul. Still in use, it is the only synagogue founded during the Byzantine period. It takes its name from the city of Ohri in Macedonia, where this Jewish community came from in Byzantine times. The synagogue is known for its boat-shaped reading platform, called Tevah. She only admires herself from the outside.

She Tours offers everything you can imagine in a large radius around Istanbul. At your service, a team of more than 50 experienced multilingual guides, including French of course. Half-day or full-day city tours are well established. Strong point: the agency undertakes to carry out almost all the excursions even if you are the only one. Weakness: the quality of the tours varies greatly, depending on the tour and the guide. Be firm, when booking, about the itinerary and sites you want to visit.

The "yellow square" district, if we translate it, is known for its fishermen, its market and its fish restaurants. Sarı (yellow) is an allusion to the natural water sources and gold and copper ores once extracted here. You can admire superb wooden houses. Along the harbour, fish restaurants offer fresh produce. The district is also known for its börek (puff pastry) with meat or cheese. From Sariyer, there are dolmuş to reach Kilyos, a sandy beach on the Black Sea, in 20 minutes.

The visit is not to be missed. The city museum includes an archaeology department and an ethnography department and a fine selection of objects discovered in the Assyrian city of Acemhöyük, near Aksaray. Approximately 10,000 pieces are on display dating back to the^5th millennium BC. The mummy of a woman, a nun with blond hair, found in the valley of Ihlara in the 1960s, remains one of the highlights of the visit.

The building of the Izmir Archaeological Museum is built on three levels. In the basement and on the ground floor, you will discover some sarcophagi, bas-reliefs and beautiful statues. Also some Roman busts and marble statues from Ephesus. On the first floor are exposed the terracotta objects of the archaic period, jewels, seals and glassware. For lovers of antique remains, this museum can be worth a visit, it concentrates architectural elements of the ancient sites of the Aegean coast, such as the famous Ephesus, Pergamon or Millet.

At the entrance, the ladies will offer you dolls and other souvenirs (woolen socks and slippers for the winter, extra!) They are adorable and we are far from the solicitations in the ultra tourist places. The children of the village will not fail to offer their assistance, but here the route is simple and the churches well indicated.

Visit Soğanlı, it is splendid! And the landscape changes a bit from the center of Cappadocia. The tour goes along the banks. You start from the right bank up to the snake church where you cross over to go down the other side and back to the village. The most remarkable churches are, following the direction of the visit: Karabaş Kilise ("Church of the Black Head") from the ^11th century, part of a monastery with some frescoes; Yılanlı Kilise ("Church with the Snake") name given because of one of the frescoes of St. George slaying a dragon, many outbuildings and nooks and crannies all over. As you change banks, you come across Kubbeli Kilise ("the church with the dome"): dating from the ^10th century, it is very remarkable for the architecture of its dome carved directly into the cone. Right next to it stands Saklı Kilise ("the hidden church"), which has no frescoes but a vast basilica and many tunnels. Then comes Tahtalı Kilise ("Church of St. Barbara") to the west of the village, with its well-preserved frescoes and Geyikli Kilise ("Deer Church") particular for its iconostasis. They date from the ^11th and ^13th centuries.

This red colored church, one of the oldest in Cappadocia, is the place where Saint Gregory of Nazianzus is buried. Unlike the majority of the churches of Cappadocia, it is not dug in the rock but built in the middle of the fields, It contains some remains of frescos. Thanks to the association of the Friends of Cappadocia, a restoration program has been launched. The building stands out from the dreary environment and the sad land, you can see it from far.

The medersa dates from the time of the Karamanids (14th), a Seljuk branch. It was used until the beginning of the 20th century. Closed for a while, it became a prison in the 1940s and finally a museum in 1969. Stemming from different cultures, several settlements radiate at one time in the arid steppes of central Anatolia: Aşıklı Höyük (25 km to the southeast, near Kızılkaya), Musular (close to the first one), Güvercinkayası (1 km away near the villages Çatalsu and Apsarı Köyü), Acemhöyük (13 km to the northwest).

Located 1 km from the village, the church, made up of three floors, dates from the 12th century. It is suspended on the edge of a ravine. The interior is endowed with frescoes (which are not of great interest) restored by the Greeks in the 19th century. To visit the monument, if the church is not open, someone on site should give you the key. If not, the key should be picked up at the tourist office or you can go to the town hall for information.

It is composed of a mosque, a medersa, an elementary school, a hammam, a mausoleum and shops. A real masterpiece! Once again, Sinan surpassed himself by building this complex (1560-1565) for Soliman's daughter, Princess Mihrimah, who died in 1558 and was buried in Süleymaniye. Mihrimah is an aerial building of exemplary simplicity. Considered as Sinan's "original experimentation", the central space of the mosque has been enlarged here and the half-dome, which usually supported the large dome with its north wing, has been removed, which rests, through pendants, on four pillars of blue and pink granite. If, seen from the outside, the mosque looks like a cube topped by a dome that no visible counter-butt comes to consolidate, the interior reserves the most beautiful surprises. Exceptionally bright, the mosque evokes the most beautiful cathedrals in the West. Four practically translucent eardrums, each pierced with 15 windows and 4 ox's eyes, light flows into an almost transparent space. The fountain of ablutions with sixteen columns and square and massive capitals is characteristic of the 16th century. The minaret was replaced in the 19th century by a baroque one. The double hammam, built on a cruciform plane, has canopies and angular cells. The large dome in the middle is supported by half domes. A fountain was added to the complex in 1778.

Dating from the 19th century, it was transformed into a mosque after the population exchange of 1923. You can still see some past Byzantine frescoes. But the restoration of the building is almost non-existent, to the detriment of the local heritage. The church is located in the garden of a house of the village which is a former school. You can ask for access to it. The owner is also a winegrower. Inside, the atmosphere is meditative, with a mixture of choral music and the sound of tourists' voices outside.

It is the first Seljuk külliye (religious complex) in Anatolia, built in the 13th century by Sultan Alaadin Keykubat. Near the citadel stands the mosque of Hünat Hatun (1228). Next to it is the türbe (Muslim funeral building) of Princess Mahperi, wife of Sultan Keykubad, a double hammam (still in use) and a 13th century medersa, which today houses a café in its shaded courtyard, a perfect example of Seljuk architecture.

Located in Mimar Sinan Park, the complex consists of two buildings: a hospital built in 1206 and a medersa (medical school) built in 1219, one of the first medical schools in the world. The complex was built at the request of Sultan Keyhüsrev and his sister Gevser Nesibe Sultan. Today, the complex has been transformed into a museum that exhibits different sections on Seljuk civilization, history, art and culture. Interesting.

To the northwest, the Myndos Gate was part of the city walls, 7 km long at the time of Mausoleus, who ordered its construction in the 4th century B.C. It is the only remaining gate. You can also see the remains of a moat, as well as several ruins, a little further on. Also, some tombs and mosaics. The date of 334 B.C. remains famous because many soldiers of Alexander the Great died in the moat by drowning.

The history of this building, built in 1826 on the Golden Horn, is very unique. After the dissolution of the Janissary Corps by Sultan Mahmud II, the army was reorganized and the soldiers needed uniforms... The factory starts up and the fes, this red felt hat, symbolizes progress in clothing. Nowadays, this factory has been restored and is a centre used to organise events and congresses (Halıç Kongre Merkesi). There is a theatre, a museum...

A favourite neighbourhood for artists and bohemians, it has long been known for its cosmopolitan character. Foreigners working in Istanbul appreciate it, especially the French community. The chic trend coexists with the picturesque, which inevitably attracts young people from all walks of life. With a rebellious but irreverent soul, the district is open to all. The street on the right opposite the mosque, Akarsu Caddesi, is the beating heart of Cihangir.

Built from 1906 to 1912, the church was built according to the plans of the architect Guilio Mongeri. A place of worship of the largest Catholic community, it is one of the largest churches in the city. Made of red bricks, it is typical of Italian neo-Gothic architecture. The offices are in several languages. The apartments that are part of the complex are also the work of the same architect and house members of the Catholic community.