Country guide
Türkiye is 783,562 km² across 81 provinces, most of it Anatolia in West Asia with East Thrace on the European side of the straits. It has three coasts to choose...
Photograph · Benh LIEU SONG · CC BY-SA 4.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Türkiye is 783,562 km² across 81 provinces, most of it Anatolia in West Asia with East Thrace on the European side of the straits. It has three coasts to choose between — the Black Sea to the north, the Aegean to the west, the Mediterranean to the south — and an interior plateau that behaves like a different country in winter. Istanbul is the largest city and the economic centre, Ankara the capital and the second-largest, and the December 2025 population of 86,092,168 is weighted heavily to the west. A first trip is usually Istanbul and one coast; the plateau is the second trip.
Checked 2026-08-25
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Ben Morlok · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photograph · Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · REHBER0770 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Anonymous · CC0
Photograph · Dan Taylor · CC BY 2.0
Photograph · Dogaaunlu · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Egemenakgul · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
421 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Yeni Han
Yeni Han is a two-storey trading inn in Şehzadeler, Manisa, organised around an internal courtyard. Its identity comes from this inward-facing arrangement: rooms and businesses meet the open centre, creating a compact architectural space within the city’s everyday commercial fabric.
Side
The Agora of Side is a distinct civic and commercial space within the ancient city on Side’s peninsula. Its surviving footprint is read through foundations, column drums, stone blocks, and architectural fragments rather than a complete standing building.
Myra Antik Kenti
Myra’s ancient theatre is a Roman-era performance building within Myra Antik Kenti, near Demre in Antalya province. Its semicircular cavea is carved into the hillside, placing the surviving public architecture directly beneath the rock-cut necropolis.
Karatay Medresesi
The Antalya Karatay Madrasa, known locally as Karatay Medresesi, stands as a historic Islamic educational institution in Antalya, Turkey. This architectural monument represents the Seljuk period heritage of the region, reflecting the scholarly traditions that once flourished here.
Antiphellos Ancient Theatre
The Greek Theatre of Antiphellos is an ancient open-air theatre in Kaş, Antalya Province. It belonged to the Lycian settlement of Antiphellos, the ancient town beneath modern Kaş.
Termessos Tiyatrosu
The Greek Theatre of Termessos is an ancient amphitheatre located within the archaeological site of Termessos, situated in the Taurus Mountains near Antalya. Termessos was a Pisidian city known for its formidable defensive position and resistance to Alexander the Great.
Yeni Cami
New Mosque, or Yeni Cami, is an active mosque in Kaş, a compact Mediterranean town in Antalya Province.
Perge Theatre
The Roman theatre of Perge is a performance monument within the ancient city of Perge, east of Antalya near Aksu.
Theater
The Roman theatre of Phaselis is an ancient performance venue located within the archaeological site of Phaselis on the Mediterranean coast near Antalya.
Saruhan Bey Türbesi
The tomb of Saruhan Bey is the oldest dated monument in Manisa's historic quarter, built in 1345 by his grandson İshak Çelebi.
18 Mart Şehitleri Anıtı is a dedicated Çanakkale remembrance complex in Manisa’s Laleli Mahallesi, on Mimar Sinan Bulvarı beside the Manisa–İzmir road.
6 Eylül Şehitleri Anıtı is a town-centre memorial in Gölmarmara, Manisa Province, set near Merkez Park.
Abandoned cave houses are the remains of old Çavuşin, a former settlement cut into a soft volcanic-rock hillside above the newer village.
Mapped as “Abandoned Underground/Cave City,” this place is identified in the responsible public notice as Saray Underground City (Saray Yeraltı Şehri). It lies around Saray Mevkii near Çardak Village, in Nevşehir Merkez district.
Abdi Höyük is a low settlement mound in Abdi village, within Kozaklı district of Nevşehir Province, Türkiye.
Acısu Sıcak Su Kaynağı is a natural hot spring in Manisa province, on the Kula–Selendi road near the Gediz River and roughly 18 kilometres from Kula.
The Acropolis is the steep hilltop at the entrance to Tlos Archaeological Site in Yaka Mahallesi, Seydikemer, Muğla.
![Acropolis of Erythrae [Erythrai]](/media/commons/d/db/500/Erythrai_DSC_0113.jpg)
The Acropolis of Erythrae, also written Erythrai, is the elevated part of the ancient settlement associated with modern Ildırı in Çeşme, İzmir.
Adrenalin Safari Park is a mapped equestrian attraction near Gökbel and Sarıgerme in Ortaca district of Muğla. Its character is defined by outdoor horse-based experiences rather than galleries, rides or a conventional amusement-park layout.
Ağalimanı is a natural cove on the Fethiye Gulf side of Kapıdağ Peninsula in Muğla Province. It is experienced as part of a sea journey, with the boat, sheltered water and coastal landscape forming the main attraction.
Ağıllı Höyük is a broad archaeological mound in the Ağıllı Höyük locality of Acıgöl district, Nevşehir Province, about 2 km west of Ağıllı Village.
Agora is a principal surviving civic space within Euromos Ancient City, near Milas in Muğla Province. Its approximately 95 by 83 metre plan is nearly square, giving the remains a strong sense of order.
The Agora is the civic square at the centre of ancient Euromos, in Selimiye near Milas, Muğla. Its almost square plan measures approximately 95 by 83 metres, giving the ruin a clearly defined footprint within the wider archaeological site.
Ahlatlı Tepecik is a höyük, or settlement mound, on Marmara Lake’s southern shore, about 800 metres west of Tekelioğlu Mahallesi in Manisa’s Salihli area. Its significance lies in the archaeological evidence preserved within a modest rise beside the lake.
Airbus A300 is a full-size 1985 aircraft installed as a roadside landmark in Kızılyaka Mahallesi, Ula district, beside the Muğla–Fethiye road. Brothers Cemal Işıldak and Nurettin Işıldak bought the aircraft for an alternative-tourism project and converted it for restaurant-cafeteria use.
Ten to fourteen days allows about four days in İstanbul and at least three around Antalya when coastal archaeology is included. Cappadocia needs its own regional stay, and a one-way coastal route is more workable than returning to the same city each night.
Türkiye's visa position varies by passport and purpose. Verify the rule through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, when eligible, use only the official e-Visa service rather than an intermediary.
İstanbul's two airports and Antalya are the principal gateways for this itinerary. Domestic flights cover long cross-country legs, coaches serve many city pairs, and high-speed rail is most useful on the İstanbul-Ankara axis rather than as a universal substitute.
April to May and September to October are broad choices for combining İstanbul with the Mediterranean coast. Cappadocia nights, inland heat, and Antalya's coastal conditions differ, so confirm weather for each overnight base.
Türkiye uses the Turkish lira (TRY). Keep lira available for smaller transport and market transactions even when cards are accepted, and review the displayed amount in TRY before agreeing to any card conversion.
Dial 112 for emergencies in Türkiye. Electricity is 230 V through Type C and F sockets; tap-water safety is not recorded here, so obtain current local advice at each stop.
