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Turkey sightseeing. Travel guide - attractions, sights, nature and touristic places

Galaxy Boat Resorts of Turkey manage to maintain their popularity no matter what. Antalya, Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Izmir and Edirne - for millions of travelers these names are a synonym of wonderful beaches, luxury hotels and both comfortable and fascinating holidays. If your primary target is to attend interesting excursions to historic landmarks, you should start your vacation from Istanbul as the capital of the country is home to many famous monuments, cultural places of interest and historic sites.
Geographically, the Republic of Turkey is like an ancient bridge between old continents. The Anatolian peninsula is the westernmost protrusion of Asia …
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There are many famous old palaces in the city, but Myrelaion Palace is considered one of the most beautiful. It was built by order of Emperor Romanos Lekapenos. When the reign of the emperor was finished, the palace was transformed into a female monastery. The magnificent medieval design of inner premises was lost, but design of the facade has survived to our days in almost original look. Currently, the building is known as Bodrum Mosque. Ciragan Palace is another famous building of the medieval period. Currently the building is known as a luxury hotel. Until the beginning of the 20th century the building was used as a residence of the government. However, in 1910 the building was severely damaged by fire and after reconstruction works it was decided to transform the palace into a hotel. The modern design and furnishing of the hotel are made as close as possible to the original look of the building.
Besides beautiful palaces and forts, travelers will see over a dozen of magnificent mosques in Istanbul. Molla Zeyrek Camii is considered one of the most beautiful mosques in the city. The building of the mosque started in the 12th century and lasted over a hundred years, and that is why its design is a combination of several architectural styles that were popular back in those days. Archaeological excavations never stop in Turkey, and the antique city of Olympos is a great proof of that. This place was a blooming and prosperous city during the Roman Empire times. Archaeologists found here ruins of protective walls, an ancient Roman theatre and several houses that are now covered with bushes. The town is located in the center of the same named national park, so it's also a perfect place for walks. When you are tired of walking and observing landmarks, you can rest in one of numerous cozy restaurants and cafes. Copyright www.orangesmile.com
These spots really worth the attention of a real traveler-researcher. …
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Troy Aqua Park, which is located in Belek, is a no less interesting place. The park was open in 2015; there is a giant statue of the Trojan horse in the center of the entertainment complex, and the body of the horse is the starting point for the highest rides. Visitors will find here numerous attractions, swimming pools, artificial rivers and special playing areas for youngest visitors of the park.
Kusadasi Basilica of St. John

History and Entertainment

In Turkey, there are a lot of important archeological districts. The finds in this area prove that the first settlements appeared here thousands of years ago. In the second half of the 11th century, the significant part of the present Turkish territory was under the Rum Sultanate. It was very powerful and conquered almost the entire territory of Asia Minor. The Sultanate had existed until the middle of the 13th century and then was separated into many autonomous princedoms.
Monuments and architectural objects, notable for the history and culture of the country. …
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The first references to the Kingdom of Tourkia date back to 1284. It was mentioned in the chronicles of King Alfonso X. In 1299, the kingdom was governed by the heir of Turkic ruler Ertugrul, Osman. This event is considered as the beginning of the official formation of the Ottoman Empire. For hundreds of years, its power was strengthened. The Empire conquered many countries of present Asia. In the second half of the 14th century, it started conquering the European lands. Syria, Arabia, Egypt, Hungary – these are just some of the countries conquered by the Ottoman Empire in the Middle Ages.
Alanya Trip The turning point in the history of the adamant Empire was a war with the Russian Empire starting in the 17th century and lasting until the 19th century. The war ended with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire that had been slackened by multiple military conflicts. Turkey officially gained a status of the republic just after its collapse in 1923.
It took centuries to form the national cuisine of Turkey. For more than 500 years, the Ottoman Empire was involved in different wars that expanded its …
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Nowadays, Turkey is primarily known as a place for upscale beach recreation. There are beautiful resorts with tropical flora, a lot of top-rated hotels, restaurants and clubs. Remarkably, there are resorts literally for every taste in the country. Alanya and Kemer are very popular with young people, as they can have fun 24 hours a day here.
Kocatepe Mosque, Ankara, early morning Families usually choose Side with its warm peaceful beaches. Belek is popular with active lifestyle adherents. One of the most prestigious resorts is Antalya. There are the most luxurious hotels and restaurants. One of the most peaceful and quietest resorts is Fethiye. Besides beautiful resorts, all resorts attract travelers with its historical attractions and natural beauties.
Turkey guide chapters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Fantastic City Tours and Excursions in Turkey

Reference information
Map of all parks
National and city parks of Turkey
♥   World Heritage Site 'Hierapolis-Pamukkale' . On the map   Photos
Map of all castles
Castles of Turkey
♥   Castle 'Rumelihisaru' . On the map   Photos
♥   Castle 'Yoros Castle' . On the map   Photos
Map of all palaces
Palaces in Turkey
♥   Palace 'Feriye Palace' . On the map   Photos
♥   Palace 'Hatice Sultan Palace' . On the map   Photos
♥   Palace 'Ihlamur Palace' . On the map   Photos
♥   Palace 'Khedive Palace' . On the map   Photos
♥   Palace 'Küçüksu Palace' . On the map   Photos

Famous and uniques places in Turkey from our review series

Hagia Sophia

From the series “Monuments of Byzantium: the most famous buildings”
Hagia Sophia has been a hallmark of Istanbul for hundreds of years. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site today. The very first cathedral was built in its place by order of Emperor Constantine in 360. As shown by the research of archaeologists, the ancient acropolis was located in its place earlier. Its surviving fragments were actively used during construction. The very first cathedral was destined to last only 75 years. It was destroyed by fire.

A new cathedral was built in its place. It didn't last long. It, too, was destroyed by fire in 532. Visitors to Istanbul can see the unique religious monument today. It was built during the reign of Emperor Justinian I. The scale of construction was truly grandiose. According to historical data, more than 10,000 people took part in the … Read all

Dolmabahce Palace

From the series “Rococo Architecture – Famous Monuments”
The beautiful Dolmabahce Palace is located in the Besiktas district of Istanbul. It is often called the most "non-Turkish" in the country. A chic Palace with elements in the Rococo style began to be built on the banks of the Bosporus in 1843. Its construction began by order of Sultan Abdulmejid I. The construction of the palace was completed in 1856. It has been the main residence of the sultans since its foundation. The palace complex impresses with its incredible scale. Its area is 250,000 square meters.

You can see many more historical buildings on the territory of the complex in addition to the palace itself. A preserved old stable, poultry yard, mill, and pastry shop are among them. One of the most unusual structures on the territory of the complex is the clock tower. It was built … Read all

Catalhoyuk

From the series “Remains of the First Ancient Cities”
Another interesting ancient Neolithic city is located in Turkey. It is called Çatalhöyük. It is the largest Neolithic settlement that has been discovered in the Middle East. The earliest finds of these places date back to the 8th Millennium BC. The city was completely abandoned by the inhabitants in the middle of the 6th Millennium. According to rough estimates, there were about 2,000 residential buildings on the territory of the ancient city. About 10,000 people lived permanently in the city.

Only about 5% of the large-scale archaeological area is currently explored by archaeologists. Therefore, many of its mysteries remain unsolved. British Explorer James Mellaart is considered the discoverer of the archaeological area. He arrived in these places with his team back in 1958. Turkish … Read all
All unique sightseeing Turkey
Country maps Maps of Turkey
Car rental on OrangeSmile.com Car rental in Turkey
Map of cities Cities map of Turkey
Map of sights Map of sights in Turkey
Map of relief Relief map of Turkey


Sightseeing in popular cities of Turkey

Istanbul
Sultan Ahmet Mosque. Blue Mosque, or, as it is also called, the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet is an Islamic response to Hagia Sophia. Its architect, Mehmet Aga Sedefkar, wanted to surpass the grandeur of the Orthodox basilica, and many people believe he managed to do it. Blue Mosque was built between 1609 and 1617, almost 1100 years after Hagia Sophia. Its central dome is 33 meters in diameter and is surrounded by smaller domes. Blue Mosque has as many as 6 Mosque minarets. Their number was … Read more
Goreme
The history of Goreme started yet during ancient times. Historians proved that first settlers in this territory appeared yet in the 6th century BC. At that time, the settlement had another name, Korama. When Christians came to this land in the 7th century, they gave a new name to the settlement, changing Korama to Matiana or “the country of Our Lady”. This was the period of active development for the Turkish town. First churches appeared in Goreme, as well as roughly four hundred shrines. … Read more
Antalya
Not everyone knows that Antalya is not only about the beautiful beaches and water parks, but also has a great ski resort Saklikent. It offers all the conditions for a comfortable stay; on the territory of the resort there are trails of various difficulty levels, sports equipment rental, and ski schools. Here you spend a great couple of days; and for the tourists at the resort there are mini-hotels and various boarding houses.  If you’re looking to add some diversify to the excursion … Read more
Ankara
Anyone interested in ancient history should visit the Museum of Ancient Anatolian Civilizations. It is considered to be one of the main cultural centres in Turkey, as this museum contains a fascinating collection of archaeological and historical artefacts. This museum is also a historical centre too, it was founded in 1921, and the museum reached its peak as a cultural centre during the reign of Kemal Ataturk. Today the museum holds thousands of unique exhibits brought in from different … Read more
Alanya
In the vicinity of Alanya there are several important archaeological areas, and artefacts found there can be seen in the local archaeological museum. It is a very beautiful building with columns, and the most valuable exhibits of the museum are considered to be the floor mosaics, some dating to more than 1800 years back. Some of the exhibits are presented in the museum, while others are scattered around the surrounding area. In the garden fragments of ancient tombs and ancient sculptures are … Read more
Kusadasi
History lovers will be interested in the archaeological area of ​​the Receptions. Once in this place there was a large ancient Greek city. Initially, this city was founded in the upper part of a spacious plain and with time, the soil sagged because of groundwater. This led to the destruction of many streets. Modern researchers managed to find fragments of only two streets. Now visitors of this area can see the foundation of ancient buildings and other antique buildings. To diversify … Read more
Fethiye
Lovers of nature are offered interesting tours to the Kabak Valley, which is located off the coast and is famous for its incredible natural beauty. Impenetrable mountains surround the valley from every side, so it is simply cannot be reached from certain regions of Turkey. There are several small settlements in the valley. Tourists may stay here for a few days in modest bungalows and join the life of the indigenous population. Not far from the resort is the Valley of the Butterflies. This … Read more
Bodrum
For nature lovers in Bodrum, very interesting excursions to the nearby island Kara Ada are organised. Its primary value is in the hot springs, which feature unique therapeutic properties. There are several different pools and mud baths, as well as interesting walking tours which are held on the island. This island will definitely appeal to those who like to spend time away from the busy tourist spots.  In the city there are some unique archaeological sites, one of the most famous is the … Read more

Map of travel guides to Turkey cities

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