0 Top Tourist Attractions in Turkey
10Aspendos Theatre
Aspendos boasts one of the best preserved ancient theatres of
antiquity. The theatre of Aspendos was build in 155 AD during the rule
of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and could seat between 15,000 and
20,000 spectators. Because the stage area was later used as a
caravanserai (a roadside inn) in Seljuk times, it was continuously
repaired and maintained. Thus, the Aspendos Theatre has been able to
survive to this days without losing almost any of its original
qualities.
9Patara Beach
At 14 kilometers (9 miles), Patara
is one of the longest stretches of sandy beach found anywhere in the
Mediterranean. The beach is backed only by ancient Lycian and Roman
ruins and swooping dunes with no buildings visible except of a small
café. Patara Beach is also the breeding ground of the endangered
Loggerhead turtle. The nearby village of Patara was the birthplace of St
Nicholas, the 4th-century Byzantine bishop who later passed into legend
as Santa Claus.
8Pamukkale
Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle” in Turkish, is an unreal landscape
in western Turkey, famous for its white terraces. The terraces are made
of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by water with a very high
mineral content from the hot springs. People have bathed in its pools
for thousands of years. The ancient Greek city of Hierapolis was built
on top of the hot springs by the kings of Pergamon. The ruins of the
baths, temples and other Greek monuments can be seen at the site.
7Bodrum
With its sandy beaches, shop-lined streets and sophisticated restaurants, the city of Bodrum
has long been the favorite seaside retreat in Turkey. The city was
called Halicarnassus in ancient times and was home to the Mausoleum of
Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Unfortunately a
series of earthquakes destroyed the monument but other historical
attractions such as Bodrum Castle, built by the Crusaders in the 15th
century, can still be found here. The castle overlooks the internal
marina of Bodrum filled with millions of dollars worth of sailing
crafts.
6Mount Nemrut
Nemrut is a 2,134 meter (7,001 ft) high mountain in southeastern
Turkey, near the city of Adiyaman. In 62 BC, King Antiochus I Theos of
Commagene built a tomb-sanctuary flanked by huge statues of himself, two
lions, two eagles and various Greek, and Persian gods on the mountain
top. Since their construction, the heads have toppled from the bodies
and lay scattered throughout the site. The summit of Mount Nemrut
provides a great view of the surrounding mountains. The main attraction
is to watch the sunrise from the eastern terrace which give the bodyless
heads a beautiful orange hue and adds to the sense of mystery of the
place.
5Olüdeniz
Ölüdeniz is
a small village located on the south west coast on the Aegean Sea. It
has a secluded sandy bay at the mouth of Ölüdeniz, on a blue lagoon.
This beach is famous for its shades of turquoise and remains one of the
most photographed beaches on the Mediterranean. Ölüdeniz is also
regarded as one of the best places in the world to paraglide due to its
unique panoramic views.
4Blue Mosque
With its six minarets and sweeping architecture the Sultan Ahmed or Blue Mosque in Istanbul
impresses from the outside. While still used as a mosque, the Blue
Mosque has also become one of the most popular tourist attractions in
Istanbul. It was built between 1609 and 1616 and like many other mosques
contains the tomb of the founder. Inside the mosque, the high ceiling
is lined with the 20,000 blue tiles with different patterns that give
the mosque its popular name.
3Library of Celsus
The ruins of Ephesus are a popular tourist attraction on the west
coast. The city of Ephesus was once famed for the Temple of Artemis, one
of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which was destroyed by a mob
led by the archbishop of Constantinople in 401 AD. Some of the
structures can still be seen however including the Great Theater and the
Library of Celsus. The library was built around 125 AD to store 12,000
scrolls and to serve as a monumental tomb for Celsus, the governor of
Asia. The façade was carefully reconstructed in the 1970s to its present
splendid state from the original pieces.
2Göreme Fairy Chimneys
Cappadocia is famous for its weird and wonderful natural rock
formations and unique historical heritage. One of the best places to see
these strange formations is the town of Göreme, which is located among a
large number of tuff cones, termed fairy chimneys. The fairy chimneys
have been formed as the result of wind and water erosion of two
different volcanic layers: A thick layer of tuff (consolidated volcanic
ash) covered by a thin layer of basalt that is more resistant to
erosion. Due to the ease of carving into the tuff, many of the fairy
chimneys at Cappadocia have been hollowed out over the centuries to
create houses, churches and storage facilities.
1Hagia Sophia
Located in Istanbul,
the Hagia Sophia was originally a basilica constructed for the Eastern
Roman Emperor Justinian I in the sixth century. A masterwork of Roman
engineering, the massive dome (31 meters or 102 feet in diameter) covers
what was for over 1000 years the largest enclosed space in the world.
The church was looted by the fourth Crusaders in 1204, and became a
mosque in the 15th century when The Ottomans conquered the city. The Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum in 1935 and is now one of the top attractions in Turkey.
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