With cities steeped in history, beaches, and beautiful countryside, a visit to Turkey promises an enchanted vacation.Istanbul, which was once the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, has been featured prominently in most the travel plans but there are many more great destinations that can be looked upon very easily due to lack of propre documentation of these placese . Diverse offerings such as the ancient ruins of Ephesus to the luxury beach resorts along the Aegean Sea will enthrall and captivate even the most jaded traveler. An overview of the best places to visit in Turkey.
1 From Once Being the capital of the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires, Istanbul today has become the largest city in Turkey and one of the largest in the world. Istanbul streching across Asia and Europe is the only city in the world spanning two continents. Impressive architecture, historic sites, dining, shopping, nightlife and exotic atmosphere all make Istanbul one of the best places to Visit in Turkey. The Old City is where most of the city’s best historic sites are found, which include the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace.
2 Cappadocia is best known for its fairytale landscape of unusual formations resembling chimneys, cones and pinnacles. Natural processes such as ancient volcanic eruptions and erosion have all sculpted these odd formations over the ages. For Thousands of years, mankind has added remarkable touches to the landscape by carving out houses, churches and underground cities from the soft rock. The Hittites were the first to chisel out underground tunnel complexes, seeking safety from invading Persians and Greeks. Much later Christians sought refuge in Cappadocia’s tunnels and caves. Today, some of the caves in the region are actually hotels and cater to tourists.
3 Pamukkale is a town in western Turkey known for the mineral-rich thermal waters flowing down white travertine terraces on a nearby hillside, this area has been drawing the weary to its thermal springs since the time of Classical antiquity. It neighbors Hierapolis, an ancient Roman spa city founded around 190 B.C. Ruins there include a well-preserved theater and a necropolis with sarcophagi that stretch for 2km. The Antique Pool is famous for its submerged Roman columns, the result of an earthquake.
4 Ephesus, once, the trade centre of the ancient world, a religious centre of the early Christianity and today, Ephesus is an important tourism centre in Turkey.The ancient city Ephesus is located in Selcuk, a small town 30km away from Kusadasi. Ephesus which was established as a port, was used to be the most important commercial centre. It played a great role in the ancient times with its strategic location.
5 One of the oldest cities in the world and best known for its remarkable Seljuk architecture and Whirling Dervishes, Konya is a large city in Turkey’s Central Anatolia Region. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Konya prospered as a capital city under the rule of the Seljuk Dynasty. Today, buildings from that era can still be admired such as the Alaeddin Mosque and the ruins of the Seljuk Palace. Konya was also the home of the Persian theologian and Sufi mystic, Rumi. His mausoleum is a must-see site in Konya. Rumi’s followers founded the Mevlevi Order, better known as the Whirling Dervishes due to their religious ceremonies in which they spin around and around on the left foot while wearing white, billowing gowns.
