The people of Türkiye are as memorable as their country. Extroverted, of all their neighboring countries – from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria – they have the most in common with their passionate southern European neighbors. They are also very proud of their legacy, logically, and know a lot about many things (although we cannot vouch for their accuracy), from kilims (decorated carpets) to the floating dome of Hagia Sophia. The country's long history has earned it a remarkable cultural wealth and immersing yourself in it is as easy as surrendering to the steam of a Seljuk or Ottoman hammam, eating a kebab and savoring the influences of the Silk Road, or visiting ancient ruins scattered around fields, bays and mountains.
Thrace and the Sea of Marmara
Bursa
It was the capital of the Ottoman Empire before Edirne and is currently one of the most economically vigorous cities in the country, thanks to its industry and its two million inhabitants. (Remember that Bursa is the center of Turkey's automobile industry), it is also the textile capital of the country... Tourist wise it also has its interest: the Muradiye cemetery, the Green Tomb and the ulu cami plus the mosques of Beyazit, Orhan and Emir Sultan.
Another possibility that Bursa offers is skiing. On Mount Ulu Dag (2543 m) there are good slopes to practice white sports. The area has excellent hotels.
Bursa is today one of the most important economic and industrial centers of the country, with its million and a half inhabitants. It is a lively city, full of excitement and joy that has a lot to offer. A walk through the Covered Market, a visit to the
IUlu Cami
Built in the 15th century, it is the 'Great Mosque', one of the best examples of architecture before the founding of the Ottoman Empire. Ulu Cami is located right in the commercial center of the city, next to the historic Covered Bazaar and Silk Market, Koza Han. The building stands out for the ablution fountain located inside the building and the carved wooden syrup.
INeighborhoods
Yeşil The turquoise color of the Mosque and the Green Tomb have given them their name. Covered with tiles and ornaments, they were built during the time of Sultan Mehmet I. Yeşil is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Bursa
Canakkale
It has about 80 thousand inhabitants and is located about 700 km from Istanbul. It is usually used as an access point to visit the ruins of Troy, located about 30 km away, and the Gallipoli peninsula, where one of the most important confrontations of World War I took place.
Troy-Truva
Ancient Troy, immortalized by Homer in the Iliad and so fashionable in recent years thanks to that film in which Brad Pitt plays Achilles, will surely disappoint most. You have to make an imaginary idea of what that city could have been, since you will understand very little about its remains. Those who have read Homer will be excited to see the original setting where the mythical city of Troy stood in ancient times.
Aegean and Mediterranean Seas
Pergamo-Bergama
100 km from Izmir, Pergamo, Bergama in Turkish, is the picturesque town, with narrow and winding streets in the upper part. The houses in the town will catch your attention since they are low, stone houses, somewhat dilapidated and painted, to repel the heat, in a faded yellow. Bergama was historically one of the main cultural centers. Today it is one of the main archaeological parks in Türkiye. Walking through its acropolis you have to visit the temples of Trajan and Dionysus, the monumental Altar of Zeus, the Sanctuary of Demeter or the Gymnasium. The Acropolis is spread over three terraces and the agora.
Bergama, the ancient Pergamon, sits on fertile lands, which is why it has been populated since prehistoric times. Thanks to the Selinus River, the Lydian and Persian sovereignties developed here. In 334 BC, Pergamon became part of the empire of Alexander the Great. Upon the death of the great emperor, the city became governed by the general Lysimachus. Shortly after, Filetairos made it an independent kingdom. With the dynasties of Attalus and Eumene, this small kingdom came to dominate the entire western region of Anatolia. Upon the death of Attalus III, in the 2nd century BC, the Kingdom of Pergamon became part of the Roman Empire. From that moment until the 3rd century AD, Pergamon became, along with Alexandria, one of the main cultural, scientific and artistic centers of the West. The Pergamon library once had more than 200,000 scrolls. With the arrival of Christianity, the city lost importance although it never stopped developing culturally.
Izmir/Izmir
Izmir, Beautiful Izmir, is one of the most important cities in Turkey, taking advantage of its incomparable bay, it has become one of the vital ports of the nation. Due to the great destruction it suffered in the 20th century, the city can be visited fairly quickly, since being new it has few places of interest, although it is worth taking a stroll through the old town.
Cesme
Located about 50 km west of Izmir, at the end of a peninsula. We are going to visit one of the most beautiful places in Turkey; Furthermore, for those who wish to try a spa, we highly recommend Cesme, very complete and with excellent service. It is also a very touristy place due to its almost endless beaches.
Ephesus
Everything flows, nothing is. (Heraclitus of Ephesus). Such wise words from the most important philosopher in Ephesus seem to be an eternal oracle about the survival of cities. The Ruins of Ephesus is by far the best and most visited archaeological site in Türkiye.
If there is a gigantic open-air museum, it is Ephesus. It is considered one of the largest archaeological areas in the world and no wonder, given the large number of ancient works exhibited in their original place. For example, you can still easily see the famous urbanization of one of the great architects of history, Hipódamos. He devised the plan in a grid system, where the arteries cut at right angles.
The ancient city of Ephesus lies in the valley between the mountains of Bülbül and Panayır. Ephesus was excavated during the last era of the Ottoman Empire, in the 19th century by English archaeologists. Many of the city's figures, as well as other objects of undoubted archaeological value, are today in the British Museum.
The Carians were the first to populate these lands in the second millennium BC, but the first city was not founded until the 11th century BC by the Ionians. With the Persian invasion of the 6th century BC, Ephesus surrendered to the rule of the Achaemenid dynasty. Despite attempts at uprising, this dominance would continue until the arrival of Alexander the Great.
With the death of the great conqueror, Ephesus passed into the hands of general Lysimachus. Shortly after, the city was moved to the valley located between the mountains of Coressos (present-day Bülbül) and Pion (present-day Panayır).
The golden age of the city would come with the Romans. Ephesus became one of the great cultural and economic centers of the Ancient West. It was the time of construction of some of its most glorious buildings, such as the Temple of Artemis, considered one of the seven wonders of the world.
The glory of Ephesus not only did not diminish with the Christian era, but increased. Saint Paul went to Ephesus on several occasions to combat the cult of the Goddess Artemis. Shortly after, one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse was built here.
Saint John the Evangelist chose this city to write his Gospel, while, as he had promised Jesus, he cared for the Virgin Mary who lived here until her death.
The decline of Ephesus came with the Goths at the beginning of the 3rd century AD, after suffering a tremendous sacking. Despite this, the Ecumenical Council of the mid-5th century took place here, in Ephesus. Later, the city had to suffer the floods of the Caistro River and malaria epidemics.
Selcuk
House of Virgin Mary, about 8 km from Selcuk behind a hill. In such a sacred and marine place you will find a small house, in which the Virgin Mary supposedly lived, surrounded by a leafy forest.
Kusadasi
Kusdasi is known as the Island of Birds. The succession of comfortable hotels, the great variety of fish they offer and numerous shops offering a wide range of souvenirs, plus the marina make Kusdasi a very touristy city. A few kilometers away you have the Greek island Samos, being possible to access it from the city's docks
Pamukkale-Hierapolis
Known as the cotton castle, it is a perfect work of nature, but man has worried about destroying it little by little. In its time it would resemble a white castle, due to the large amount of calcium in its waters. This was the ideal place to take advantage of the mineral and radioactive properties of these waters. Next to the almost dry waterfalls you can see ruins of the main civilizations, highlighting the Roman theater in a perfect state of conservation.
Antalya
Antalya has the best of the East and the Mediterranean melted into a warm embrace and, above all, about three hundred days of sunshine a year. In its good historical times it was known as Adalia and later as Sadalia. There are many long beaches and hidden coves, many of them inaccessible by land. The recommended Kaleici neighborhood, next to the city walls, is the best place to feel the fusion between the Mediterranean and the oriental.
The origins of what is today one of the most important tourist centers in Anatolia are lost in time. The first vestiges date back to the Paleolithic period (2,300,000 to 10,000 BC). The region and the city of the same name take their name from the founding king of Pergamon Attalus II in the 2nd century BC. The modern city, Antalya, occupies what was once Attaleia.
Central Anatolia
Ankara
Ankara, the nation's capital, is home to the headquarters of the Turkish government and, therefore, is full of banks, luxury international hotels, military barracks and soldiers who live very well.
Konya
Founded by the Romans in the 2nd century BC, ancient ICONA is the second most important city in Central Anatolia after Ankara and its extensive historical heritage is one of the best examples of primitive Turkish-Islamic architecture. It was the capital of Selyuqui.
Konya is the capital of the Turkish empire of Rum, city of Mevlana Rumi Jelaleddin and the world-famous Seljuk Dervishes, although according to what we have been told, it is the city with the most religious radicals and extremists in all of Turkey, and that is where I am taking you today. , to a city that has numerous ancient buildings and among which I will highlight the Mevlana Museum, the site of Rumi's tomb, without a doubt the number one attraction of the city of Konya
Mevlana Museum located next to the Mosque of Sultan Selim II in the 16th century, allows you to learn about the work of one of the great Ottoman architects, Sinan. The Museum is located in the Mevlana Convent, founded by Sinan for the 'whirling dervishes'. The museum collects several tombs, sacred music instruments and carpets of great artistic value. In the convent you can visit the monks' cells and the section dedicated to ethnography.
Cappadocia
Located in the Turkish region of Central Anatolia, Cappadocia is one of the natural areas of volcanic origin with the most fantastic chimneys in the world. Cradle of the first Hittites, its rock formations, cave churches, underground cities and remains of prehistoric towns surprise with their unusualness and fall in love with their authenticity, often compared to Gaudi's architecture. Here nature rules and silence becomes music.
The capricious forms of Cappadocia have lived for years in the retina of many travelers who, like a long-sought dream, are conjured up every time they want to surround themselves with magic.
Cappadocia owes its origin to a volcanic eruption and is one of the oldest enclaves on Earth. Its name in Turkish means "Land of beautiful horses", the same ones that have inhabited the place since time immemorial and that once served to entertain the Persian kings Darius and Xerxes. The geography of Cappadocia, unique in the world, is declared a World Heritage Site, because it is human to be excited and vibrate, to enjoy and admire, to let nature overwhelm us with its unmatched beauty.
One of the best ways to savor the unusual beauty of the Cappadocia region is to view it from the skies in a hot air balloon. Its weather is perfect and every morning at five in the morning there are many who, defeating sleep and laziness, climb into a colorful balloon to, between laughter and nerves, enjoy one of the most beautiful views in the world. From above, the unique rock formations seem even more extravagant, the colors more intense and the sunrise more complete. And Cappadocia has all the ingredients to become a perfect trip where comfort and exoticism fully conspire to make us feel at ease.
Urgup and Nevsehir are two other attractive cities for visitors. In them you can find excellent examples of the local craftsmanship, from hand-woven rugs to seductive clay pots, including of course the inevitable Turkish lucky eye, which appears on almost any useful object for the home.