Top Places To See In Turkey

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In this post I would like to introduce you to places to see in Turkey. It will mainly focus on Istanbul, Ephesus and Cappadocia. Because these three tourist destinations are considered as the golden triangle of Turkey. But since most bloggers have already mentioned these regions, I will start by introducing some different places that will inspire. Turkey’s most popular tourist attractions located on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. However, there is a much larger cultural heritage. I will try to sum them up in a few paragraphs as an introduction.

Traces of Ancient Kingdoms in Turkey

Turkey, is situated in Anatolia where many ancient civilizations lived. You can see the traces of Greco-Roman heritage on the West coasts. Traces of the heritage left by the Phrygians and the Hittites can be seen in the museums and ruins of Central Anatolia.

In the East, there are the ruins of the Kingdom of Cappadocia, the Armenian Kingdom, and the Empire of Trebizond. This is the historical heritage we can count at first glance. But as you go into detail, you will see more. The trace left by the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires in the region during or after all these ancient kingdoms is also huge.

Mount Nemrut

Inherited from the Commagene Kingdom, Mount Nemrut is one of the most beautiful sights to see. Mythological god, human and animal sculptures in Nemrut are fascinating. Blending the ancient religions, Greek Mythological religion and Zoroastrianism, the Commagene king built a monumental tomb on the top of the mountain. It has an almost epic look today.

Gobeklitepe

In recent excavations, a place believed to be the oldest temple in the world was found. The place known as Gobeklitepe Archaeological Site is now open to visitors. We are talking about a temple that people built while they were still hunter-gatherers.

According to the information obtained so far, the temple in Göbeklitepe dates back to 3000 BC. This means rewriting the known history. Because it was not known that people built a temple when they were hunter gatherers.

In the Turkish TV show named “The Gift”, which was recently released on Netflix, these topics were covered. Most of the movie takes place in Gobeklitepe, the oldest temple ever built by humanity. There are also scenes shot on Mount Nemrut and offer a legendary view of the sculptures with the help of the drone.

Top 3 Places to See in Turkey

1. Cappadocia

Cappadocia basically has two important features. First, Cappadocia is a unique geography formed in thousands of years as a result of volcanic formations. Wind and rivers that erode volcanic rocks have formed magnificent valleys and fairy chimneys.

Secondly, this favorable geography of Cappadocia had been a refuge for early Christians. Christians who fled the persecution of the Roman Empire lived in the valleys and underground cities of Cappadocia.

The most popular activity for visitors to Cappadocia today is a hot air balloon tour. It is very enjoyable to watch the epic landscape created by volcanic formations from the balloon. Cappadocia, in this sense, is where you can take the best instagram photos in Turkey.

If you look at the photos taken by bloggers traveling the region on Google, you can see how inspiring the geography is. If you need to plan a trip to Cappadocia, Cappadocia Travel Blog can provide you with the necessary information.

2. Ephesus

Ephesus ruins are located on the Aegean coast of Turkey. The closest cruise port to Ephesus, Kusadasi welcomes thousands of tourists every year. I mentioned about Ephesus and its surroundings in places to visit on the west coast of Turkey blog post.

If you go to Ephesus, don’t forget to visit the surrounding areas. Visiting Ephesus Ruins is an invaluable experience for anyone interested in Greco-Roman history. However, it should be noted that ancient cities such as Aphrodisias and Pergamon are also located very close to Ephesus.

It is ideal to visit the Aegean coast of Turkey for the first time visitors. Because the best holiday destinations in Turkey are located on the western coast. While enjoying the sun and the sea, you can also visit the ancient cities and make your holiday experience enjoyable.

3. Istanbul

Istanbul is among the most popular attractions in Turkey. The city, which was the capital of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, has many historical monuments.

Hagia Sophia, which remained as the largest church in the Christendom, must be seen. Hagia Sophia is admirable as a building built in the 6th century. It is incredible that people were still able to build a giant cathedral at that time. Moreover, Hagia Sophia was built in only 5 years and 10 months. It is not possible to build a cathedral of this size in 5 years even today.

I can summarize other places to see in Istanbul as Topkapi Palace, Galata Tower and Blue Mosque. But there are more places to see. If you want to learn more about this, I recommend you to visit Istanbul Travel Blog website. You can find detailed information about things to do in Istanbul on this page.

What to Watch Before Going to Turkey

In this article I have offered you a different perspective on Turkey. The Turkish TV series and cinema industry has made great progress in recent years. I can suggest you two Netflix series to watch before going on a trip.

One of them is The Protector, which was released last year. In this Science fiction series, extraordinary events in the historical places in Istanbul are filmed. The leading actor of the movie is an aspiring actor named Cagatay Ulusoy.

The second television series is the production named “The Gift” which I mentioned in the upper lines of the article. The events that started in this series in Istanbul are dragging the leading actress to Gobeklitepe, the world’s first temple. The scenerio is very interesting and gripping. Moreover, it takes place in historical regions with thousands of years of history.

If you are interested in historical series, you may also be interested in The Resurrection: Ertugrul and Magnificent Century: Sultan Suleiman series.

Especially Magnificent Century, broke rating records for 3 years in Turkey. Then it was watched by millions of people in all Balkan countries, Russia, Ukraine and the Arab countries of the Middle East. The reason for being so watched in the Slavic countries was that Sultan Suleiman’s wife was Ukrainian.

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