Black Sea Coast
This once infamous prison (1887 to 1997) incarcerated many famous Turkish writers. Though the extensive site has little in English, the grim, bare blocks…
Must-see attractions in Türkiye
Eastern Mediterranean
This picturesque gorge, with its lovely waterfall and smooth stone walls, 45km southeast of Alanya, makes for a great day trip. Access through the canyon…
Istanbul
Though it's a wonderful spot to observe local life, the vibrant Women's Bazaar isn't for the faint-hearted. Freshly slaughtered sheep carcasses swing in…
Cappadocia
This tall volcanic-rock outcrop is one of Cappadocia's most prominent landmarks and visible for miles around. Riddled with tunnels, it was used for…
Gaziantep
Initially constructed as an Armenian cathedral in 1892, this impressive building features alternating black-and-white stone banding both on the facade and…
Cappadocia
This pottery gallery, in the alley opposite the post office, is home to Cappadocia's infamous hair museum. Yes, that's right: it's a museum dedicated to…
Antalya
Tucked away within the Yivli Minare complex, this fascinating domed structure dates back to 1377 and was beautifully restored in 2018. Its original use is…
Göreme
It's posited that Byzantine soldiers carved the 11th-century Azize Barbara Şapeli (Chapel of St Barbara), dedicated to their patron saint who is depicted…
Trabzon
Recently restored with intricate ceiling paintings and back-lit panels in the spired minbar (pulpit), Çarşı Camii was till recently the largest mosque in…
Göreme
Within Güllüdere (Rose) Valley, this church is easily missed as it's carved out of a nondescript rock facade. Once inside though, the nave is notable for…
Central Anatolia
The Ulu Cami (1197) is Sivas' oldest significant building, and one of Anatolia's oldest mosques. Built by the Danışmends, it's a large, low room with a…
Kaş
If you're after a full day on the beach, the best idea is to hop on one of the water taxis in Kaş harbour and head for one of these three beaches on the…
Ephesus
This honorary fountain from the early 2nd century AD was once dominated by a huge statue of the great soldier-emperor Trajan (r AD 98–117), grasping a…
Central Anatolia
Having been shuttered for years, the Gök Medrese was nearing the end of an extensive restoration project on our last visit. Built in 1271 at the behest of…
Mardin
This gracious mosque was built in the 14th century and has been finely restored. Both the external grand gateway, bordered by fine stone carvings, and the…
Central Anatolia
This little museum does a good job of explaining Alacahöyük's history and significance despite comprising only two rooms. One room is dedicated to small…
Göreme
The trailhead off Müze Caddesi leads into the narrow gorge of Zemi Valley lined with tall poplar trees and sided by cliffs studded with pigeon houses. If…
Eastern Mediterranean
South of the Old City, what is also called the St Paul Memorial Museum (St Paul Anıt Müzesi) was originally built in 1850 as a Greek Orthodox church to…
Cappadocia
Touted as the only underground ceramics museum in the world, this vast series of modern tunnelled-out caves, underneath the Güray Ceramic showroom,…
Black Sea Coast
This ambitious little museum occupies a handsome, breezy, 250-year-old Ottoman house, with displays bringing to life the history, lifestyles and folklore…
Mardin
Built in 1469, two domes stand over the tombs of Kasım Paşa and his sister at this old medrese (seminary) complex, but the highlights are the courtyard…
Black Sea Coast
Named for the remains of the castle (kale) that historically dominated the hill, this pleasant green space benefits from its perch above Giresun,…
Black Sea Coast
Standing in a hilltop garden overlooking the sea, this hefty former stone building was built as a Greek church (1853) and is undergoing extensive long…
Istanbul
This charming mosque complex on the waterfront was designed by Mimar Sinan and built in 1580 for one of Süleyman the Magnificent's grand viziers, Şemsi…
Thrace & Marmara
Zeytinli is surrounded by green-grey scree-covered hills, with spectacular views over the countryside. It's an idyllic base for an island stay. Once in…
Göreme
From the Open-Air Museum entrance, a 1km walk uphill along Müze Caddesi brings you to the signposted trail leading down to the Aynalı Kilise. The main…
Antalya
This gem of a mosque is squirrelled away in the back alleys of Kaleiçi. It began life as the Greek Orthodox Panhagia Church in 1834 and was converted to a…
Eskişehir Science & Experiment Centre
Eskişehir
If you're travelling with kids, this colourful complex makes for an entertaining break from all the historical ruins. Like a cross between a science…
Edirne Turkish & Islamic Art Museum
Edirne
The small rooms of the elegant darül Hadis (Hadith school) in the northeastern corner of the Selimiye Mosque's courtyard house an eclectic collection of…
Black Sea Coast
This excellent little museum showcases Amasra's multilayered Roman, Byzantine, Hellenistic and Ottoman history with valuable statuary, coins and…
Black Sea Coast
Built by the Byzantines on the steep hill at the back of town, Rize's modest kale (castle) has two concentric sections. The upper, inner fortress might…
Black Sea Coast
One of the most popular day-trip driving destinations from Ayder (13km by unpaved track), Yukarı Kavron is a slightly scrappy seasonal yayla village in a…
Edirne Archaeology & Ethnography Museum
Edirne
This museum has two sections: one archaeological and the other ethnographic. Archaeological highlights include Thracian funerary steles featuring horsemen…
Ayios Kostantinos-Eleni Kilise
Cappadocia
Right on Mustafapaşa's main square is the imposing Ayios Kostantinos-Eleni Kilise, erected in 1729 and restored in 1850. A fine stone grapevine runs…
Trabzon
Sultan Selim I the Grim, the Ottoman conqueror of Syria and Egypt (and known as Yavuz, or 'The Great' to the Turkish), built this mosque southwest of the…
Hasan Süzer Ethnography Museum
Gaziantep
This 200-year-old stone house features a central hayat (courtyard) patterned with light and dark stones. Rooms on the ground floor were for service; those…
Beyoğlu
With a brief to explore critical and timely issues in visual and material culture, the İstiklal branch of the SALT cultural centre is one of the city's…
Tekirdağ Archaeological & Ethnographic Museum
Thrace & Marmara
Housed in the Tekirdağ Vali Konağı (Governor's Mansion), a fine Ottoman Revival–style building dating from 1927, this modest museum gives a fascinating…
Göreme
This church, entered via a rickety wooden staircase, has frescoes dating to the 9th century on its apse and a ceiling carved with a spectacular large…
Ankara
The surprisingly absorbing Rahmi M Koç Industrial Museum, located inside the beautifully restored Çengelhan caravanserai building, has three floors…
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