Over the past 10-15 years, Turkey has become a popular tourist destination. The country's snow-white sandy beaches and luxurious all-inclusive hotels are literally synonymous with heavenly life. Here, under an umbrella from the sun, the resort day of a beach holiday lover flows languidly and measuredly. At the same time, many do not even suspect that Turkey is ready to offer dozens of excursion programs that open this sunny land from the other side.
Historical Monuments of Istanbul
Istanbul is Turkey's largest city and a great place for excursion travelers. For thousands of years (the history of the city began in 667 BC), about three thousand cultural and historical monuments have accumulated in Istanbul, which make up the lion's share of Turkey's attractions. They tell about the rich past of the city. Of course, you won’t be able to see all of them in one trip, but 5-10 are worth a visit.
Cathedrals and mosques. The largest mosque in Istanbul is the Suleymaniye Mosque, which consists of a whole complex of buildings. According to legend, eternal life is prescribed for this building. From the Byzantine culture, the richest heritage remained - the Hagia Sophia, built in the 6th century AD. To this day, it has been destroyed several times andrestored, and now received the status of a museum. Built in the 17th century, the Blue Mosque absorbed elements of Ottoman and Byzantine architecture. The mosque got such a poetic name because of the rare blue marble used in its construction
Palaces and parks. Those wishing to see the true luxury left from the ancient rulers should go to the Dolmabahce Palace (its walls stretch 600 meters along the strait), Topkani Palace (the largest museum in the world), Beylerbeyi Palace (Baroque style) and dozens of others
Bosphorus in Istanbul
This water artery literally divides the city into 2 parts - European and Asian. Castles on the banks of the strait and numerous bridges deserve special attention.
A bewitching sight will appear before tourists in the form of the Bosphorus bridge at night, illuminated by thousands of multi-colored lamps.
Shopping in Istanbul
Being in Istanbul and not visiting the local bazaars is truly an unforgivable omission. The fact is that it is here on the malls that you can feel the amazing atmosphere of the eastern city.
- "Grand Bazaar". The second such bazaar cannot be found anywhere else, because it is the Grand Bazaar that is recognized as the largest in the world. Its area is about 3.7 thousand square meters. km. 66 shopping streets and more than 4,000 shops and shops are compactly located here. Here you can buy absolutely everything: household utensils, souvenirs, various interesting things. However, even if nothing pleases,a walk through the colorful market streets will leave a lot of impressions.
- Egyptian Bazaar. Here travelers can buy everything that is associated with oriental countries: colorful carpets, original jewelry, oriental sweets, herbs, a huge amount of spices, fabrics and dozens of other goods.
Bodrum (Turkey): description of attractions
In terms of the number of interesting places, Bodrum is significantly inferior to Istanbul, but there is something to see here.
Amphitheater. Connoisseurs of antiquities should certainly see with their own eyes a massive structure designed for 13,000 spectators. Despite the antiquity of the building (4th century BC), the amphitheater has been well preserved to this day and now has the status of an open-air museum
- Humbert bay. Turkey's natural attractions include Gümbert Bay with its magnificent sandy beaches and clubs for windsurfing, parasailing, and kayaking.
- Black Island. In the Gulf of Gokova is the Black Island, which gained its popularity due to hot springs and healing mud. According to the legend, Queen Cleopatra liked to spend a lot of time here.
Among other things, Bodrum is famous for its noisy parties, as dozens of bars, clubs and other entertainment venues open their doors here at nightfall.
Where to go in Ankara
The capital of Turkey is less loved by tourists, whichdue to lack of access to the sea. However, for those who prefer museums and entertainment to a lazy vacation in a hotel, there will definitely be something to do, which is only worth photos of Turkey's sights in this city.
- Citadel. This is a truly majestic building, which includes numerous towers surrounded by an impregnable wall. The interior of the Citadel is a labyrinth of narrow streets and wooden houses. If you want to feel the whole flavor of the ancient settlement, then you are definitely here.
- Museums. In Ankara, two museums were built at once, which are definitely worth a visit. This is a historical museum of civilization and a museum of ethnography. The halls contain not only national costumes and musical instruments, but also ancient artifacts that tell about the gradual development of the state.
- Ruins. You can feel the power and grandeur of ancient civilizations by visiting the ruins of the Temple of Augustine and Roma and the Aslankhane temple.
Alanya: what to see
The advantage of Alanya is that here tourists can always successfully combine beach and sightseeing holidays. At the same time, among the attractions of Turkey there are natural, historical and entertainment.
- Fortresses. Once upon a time, several centuries ago, the Byzantine fortress of Alanya and the Kyzyl-Kule Tower served as a reliable defense of the city from enemies. Even time did not destroy them - thousands of tourists come to admire the powerful structures every year.
- Grottos and caves. Adventure seekers will certainly appreciate the excursion to the ground and underground caves: Phosphorus, Pirate, Dalmatash, the Cave of Girls andother. The inside of the caves is strewn with stalagmites and stalactites, and the air has a healing effect.
Water parks. In Alanya and the surroundings of the city there are entertainments for children and adults. These are water parks Sialanya and Water Planet
What is worth seeing in Kemer
The resort town of Kemer grew out of a small fishing village. Now hotels and entertainment facilities huddle along the coast, but travelers looking for historical and natural attractions in the cities of Turkey can go on excursions that are popular here.
- Phazelis. Just 10-15 km from Kemer is the ancient settlement of Phaselis. It was founded in the 7th century BC. e., and has survived to this day. Dilapidated brick walls, steps and houses - all this evokes an amazing feeling of contact with great antiquity.
- The ancient city of Olympos. The territory of this ancient city is now part of the National Park of the country, and is well protected. Olympos is the first Lycian city, which was mentioned in the annals. It was founded around the 2nd century AD. e.
- Yanartash. In translation, “Yanartash” is a burning mountain, and this name fully describes the feature of this attraction of Kemer in Turkey. The mountain is constantly in clouds of smoke and fire. Scientists believe that this is due to the large amount of natural gas. Upon reaching the surface, ha collides with oxygen, which causes such a reaction. Despite such a prosaic explanation, the effectis truly amazing.
Waterfalls in Turkey
There are two waterfalls on the territory of Turkey, which will certainly enchant even seasoned travelers.
Duden waterfall. In Antalya, the Duden River has formed a cascade of waterfalls that carry rushing streams and bring them down from a great height. The upper 20-meter waterfall is divided into several streams, after which water with foam and spray falls from a height of 40 meters
Manavgat Waterfall. This waterfall is one of the main attractions of Side (Turkey), but it is somewhat inferior in size to Duden. Despite its modest size, the waterfall attracts thousands of travelers from other countries. The locals love to come here too. There is an open-air restaurant on the observation deck, where you can relax in a picturesque place listening to the sounds of water
Mount Ararat
The famous Mount Ararat is Turkey's biggest attraction, it is located on the border between Turkey and Armenia. It was here, according to legend, that Noah's Ark found its berth.
Mount Ararat is a cone of two volcanoes that have merged together at the base (these are Small and Big Ararat). This territory is part of the National Park of the country, the size of which reaches 87 thousand hectares. There are more than enough tourists who want to climb the sacred mountain. However, it will appeal to even those whose plans do not include mountain climbing.included.
The slopes of the mountain are rich in glacial caves, the largest of them is the glacier of St. Jacob. Its length reaches 2 km. Dozens of monasteries are scattered at the foot of Ararat, which lovers of antiquities will surely want to see.
In fact, there are hundreds of attractions in Turkey, photos and descriptions of which literally excite the imagination and mind of an inquisitive traveler. A trip to this country will bring much more than a bronze tan and the pleasure of swimming in the sea. This is a close acquaintance with an amazing country, its history and traditions.
