Monday, May 24, 2010

Top 5 Places to Visit in Turkey


guest post by travelsupermarket.com

Turkey is a vast and varied nation filled with plenty to explore – from the striking beaches of the Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines to the mountainous regions around Mt Ararat in the far east of the country. Scanning the highlights of the country, we’ve selected our opinion of five of the best travel-wonders in Turkey.

Cappadocia


The volcanic rock formations at Cappadocia are located within the Goreme National Park and are a popular tourist attraction in the region. Around 4,000 years ago, people started carving cave dwellings into the bizarrely shaped mounds of volcanic rock that were deposited by now extinct volcanoes. What remains is a remarkable and unique network of caves and tunnels, such as those at Derinkuyu, that stretch over 11 floors to a depth of around 85 metres.

Today you can still explore part of the Derinkuyu cave complex for a fascinating and truly unique glimpse into history. It’s also possible to take a hot air balloon ride above the Cappadocia area to view the rock formations from an alternative angle.

Hierapolis and Pamukkale


Around a 3 hours drive east from the popular holiday resort of Kusadisi or 4 hours drive north of Antalya, you will find the ancient city of Hierapolis. Founded in the 2nd century B.C. Hierapolis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose name translates as “Sacred City” and is a beautiful and unreal landscape. A trip to Hierapolis rewards tourists with a selection of historic remains of the city, including the amphitheatre (top photo), the tombs of the Necropolis and the remains at the Temple of Apollo (the Greek God of the Sun).

The area is also famous for the Pamukkale hot springs, which appear white, due to the calcium deposited by the waters. Visitors to the springs can bathe in the warm waters which were once believed to have healing properties. Entrance to the springs and Hierapolis costs 20 Turkish Lira (approximately £9)*.

Istanbul


Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, and the only city in the world that sits on two continents, Asia and Europe. Istanbul has a rich history that can be seen all over the city. Sightseeing opportunities are everywhere - from the majestic Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace (centre of the Ottoman Empire for more than 4 centuries) in Istanbul’s old city, to the thousands of shops and stalls at the Grand Bazaar, the worlds largest covered market.

Ephesus


Located just a short 25 minute drive north of Kusadisi, the ancient city of Ephesus houses the largest collection of Roman ruins in the eastern Mediterranean region and was once home to the Temple of Artemis – one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus dates from the 13th century B.C. and was once a major port city with a large population. But when the port silted up, most of the citizens left, abandoning the city in a short space of time. Today many of the ruins still stand in surprisingly good condition. Visitors can still see the remains of the amphitheatre and library, along with many other ruins and relics. The Ephesus site will take a full day to see properly and entrance costs 20 Turkish Lira (approximately £9 or US$12.50)*.

Sumela Monastery


Sumela Monastery in the Trabzon province of North East Turkey is an amazing sight. The monastery is built in the most impressive, impossible and inaccessible location, in a hollow of a sheer cliff face a thousand feet above the valley floor, and it seems a miracle that the building manages to cling on to the rock. The monastery dates back to the 4th century when it was founded by a Greek monk known as blessed Barnabas. For those wanting to visit Sumela monastery and take a look around inside to see the monks living quarters and various relics and frescoes left behind, a 40 minute hike through thick woodland is necessary and an entrance fee of 8 Turkish Lira (about £3.50 or US$5)* is payable, but it is certainly worth the effort.

* Note: Prices correct at time of publication

Written and photographed by the Turkey holidays team at travelsupermarket.com

18 comments:

BarbaraW said...

Turkey is part of a dream vacation for me that would take me in a semi-circle around the Mediterranean, visiting Greece, Turkey, Jordan, and Israel, so I was totally fascinated by these places in Turkey. Thanks!

Heather on her travels said...

I linke the sound of the monastery but in Greek Monasteries women are often not allowed and I wondered if it was the same in Turkey

holidays turkey said...

I completely agree to that top 5 places list.According tomy opinion this are really best among all the other places.They are famous and awesome.You will really like the things to see over there and enjoy the atmosphere.So dont forget to visit there.

Anil said...

Sinop and the north coast is also very underrated and often missed by tourists.

farm and cottage holidays said...

I went to turkey a few years ago, had a great time, went over to greece as well for the day.Some beautiful places to visit , true history

Arlene said...

Turkey has been on my list of places to visit. But after reading this it has moved up a notch. These places and your photos were top notch.
Glad to see you on the travelblogroll!

Mark H said...

@BarbaraW: I think the author has done a great job hitting the highlights of this historic country.

@heather: Women can visit the monastery but the walk isn';t for the feint-hearted. Quite an effort to get to the top.

@holidays turkey: Thank you.

Mark H said...

@anil: Thank you for your extra suggestions. More secret places are always wonderful additions to a list.

@farm&cottage holidays: Greece for a day!!

@arlene: Thank you (the photos are the guest author's and not mine)

cheap holidays to dubai said...

turkey is a great entertaining holiday destination for me and its really beautiful

Mark H said...

@dubai: Turkey is a stunning travel destination.

car hire turkey said...

Istanbul's Grand Bazaar was a highlight for our trip to Turkey too. It would come close to the Top 5 that's for sure. Loved the whole region really.

Mark H said...

@car hire: Istanbul is high on may people's lists of places to visit.

Ephesus said...

We visited Istanbul for the first time on your tour and we are from Greece and we just loved it! We finally were able to see sights that we had only heard from our friends who visited Istanbul before. It was so amazing to see the especially old town http://www.packagetoursturkey.com - http://www.touroperatoristanbul.com I recommend people to visit Istanbul and the tour company because they were really great. They managed the tour very well I have to say that I have been a lot of places all over the world. But turkey is a fantastic country. We have been some part of turkey called Cappadocia, Ephesus, pamukale and it was great to see these places. The travel company managed the tour very well. Hotels, tours, and all services were excellent. We really loved it. Highly recommend it.

Mark H said...

@ephesus: Nice ad for your company!!

istanbul tours said...

I went to Turkey for 2 nights and 3 days and ı made an arrangement with this company for a package tour and ı spent a good time in Istanbul. We visited the beauty places of this marvelous city. First day we went on a dinner cruise on Bosphorus and ı had a lot of fun with so many kinds of dance shows and good dinner too. I loved the mezzes. Second day we went on a tour and visited the Sultanahmet aria www.privatetoursinistanbul.com Every corner looks like a part of history. Hagia Sophia and Chora Church are very beautiful museums. The mosaics of these basilicas are very good protected. I was fascinated. I badly recommend you to go on a cruise on Bosphorus at night. Istanbul looks very different at night is shining. I had a very enjoyable Dinner cruise on Bosphorus accompanied by Turkish Shows. I will definitely visit again Turkey. Thank you for your services.

Mark H said...

@istanbul tours: Lots of things to do in Istanbul...

ZoeD said...

Hierapolis and Pamukkale is one of the places I can think of.. not sure, how many are able to make it but its worthy to visit. we were likely to be one of those missing this place, but I think the credit should go to the driver working @ a resort, which is at a couple of kms away from this place.

Mark H said...

@Zoed: Some good recommendations.

 
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